Eaton Roadranger Difflocks

The diff locks are supposed to unlock automatically when you get to the high range. Power dividers can be run all the time if needed.

 

It's just a safety feature that the factory puts in so the diff locks kick out once in high range and I can remember some of the early 90's trucks would disengage after a certain speed. When u do off-road work especially chained up it is nice to be able to have your diff locks for hills and other conditions. The only way an axle will get broke is spinning a wheel and then having it grab traction or hard turning on ashphalt with them engaged.

 

I find some engineer deciding when My diffs lock is kind of ridiculous, But then I started driving when 2 shifters were the norm or at least the trucks green guys got near had 2 sticks. While I can see a hi range kick out handy on a truck that lives on the pavement, I would put an override switch in so that I could control them myself, same as the cross locks needing the interaxle locked to work. that has a lot to do with not being able to steer, learned that by "accident" when driving a Mack with electric lock controls, it took forever to lock and unlock, I had it all locked to go thru a soft spot and then needed to turn, unlocked every thing and the crosses stayed locked for a little while, the truck turned, not as easy as open, but not plowing like full locked and it had way better traction than open cross and locked interaxle. Results vary from configuration to configuration but the nut behind the wheel should get to decide, not some desk pilot 2000 miles away.

 

So do they auto unlock on every truck? I don't think my kenworth does that...

 

I use them every day?

 

Depends on the make of tractor. Mostly a Peterbilt thing. All the Freightliners and Western Stars I've driven are manual. (At your peril)

 

So I guess that my solution to the Auto unlock would be to plumb a switch/ valve into the system so that I could select a auto-unlock override, with a noticeable indicator so that I didn't forget about the over ride, then you get the best of both worlds, this being done after I live source the cross locks so they can lock without the interaxle .

I have also heard of some trucks being rigged so that flipping the lock switch locks everything .

 

So everyday you can look in your mirrors and see all your drives spinning ?

 

Pinner, every day if my lockers don't work on ALL 3 AXLES I can't climb the 14-16% grade on gravel roads with 72,300 kgs of ore. Is that a better answer?