Locking Differential Noise

KyRob · May 22, 2007

Just wondering how much noise your LD makes when it locks up. Best description I can give is someone pitching a concrete block into the bed along with a squealing noise occasionally. Dealer says they all make noise and it's normal although they haven't heard it. Truck drives fine but it makes me uneasy when it does it. This is the only one I have driven so how would you describe it.

Rob

asilverblazer · May 22, 2007

I'd bet a lighter right foot would make it a little quiter.

Mine is pretty quiet, using light throttle, never tried it using a lot, seems like it would be much harder on it.

KyRob · May 22, 2007

I have made 2 posts to this forum and so far I have been judged as to lazy to wash my truck due to it having rust on it, and now I have a lead foot. No way could there be anything wrong with the truck, it's all the driver/owners fault. Some of you guys would fit right in on the Tundra forum.

Lazy and leadfooted,

Rob

I think I read that the differential wouldn't try to lock if the tire was spinning 20 mph or more so there is a safeguard built in for those with a leadfoot.

ken1mod · May 22, 2007

You really should wash your truck and drive with a gentler foot. Chevys never break. I never noticed my g 80 lock, maybe it is broken but if it ever does engage, I would think it would be very hard due to its design.

Ken

juliedean · May 22, 2007

Just wondering how much noise your LD makes when it locks up. Best description I can give is someone pitching a concrete block into the bed along with a squealing noise occasionally. Dealer says they all make noise and it's normal although they haven't heard it. Truck drives fine but it makes me uneasy when it does it. This is the only one I have driven so how would you describe it.

Rob

While you're at it, why don't you wash our Suburban, too? Getting sick and tired of the darn sap from the trees lining the sidewalk, plus all the dust thrown up by the leafblower crews two or three times a week all year long.

As far as you differential, if your description is accurate, that is way too much noise for normal operation. A friend who owns a repair shop (and mostly specializing in small to mid-size passenger cars) did a rear diff oil change in a late 90's Suburban a while back. He didn't put the limited slip additive in with the oil (as some oil brands claim they already have such additive in them, and which is sometimes enough). Then he said the differential wa making noises nobody liked. Then he added the additive and the unpleasant noises went away.

Before you do anything else, change the oil in the differential and put in the additive. This may solve your problem. Do a search for rear differential lubes on this forum and you'll find some good threads containing the info you need as far as quantities, who used what oil, and so on.

cmoore74 · May 23, 2007

Mine does not sound like that. Just a little bit of chatter (nothing too loud) and then it locks right up.

An oil change is easy to do and not expensive. You could also pull the rear cover when you change the oil and make sure everything looks OK. At one point they did away with the drain plug so you may have to pull the cover anyhow.

Supposedly the additive is not required for the locker, but is for the limited slip differential. A high quality full synthetic 75W90 gear oil should do it, but I don't think it hurts anything to include the additive.

VMax2007 · May 23, 2007

I have made 2 posts to this forum and so far I have been judged as to lazy to wash my truck due to it having rust on it, and now I have a lead foot. No way could there be anything wrong with the truck, it's all the driver/owners fault. Some of you guys would fit right in on the Tundra forum.

Lazy and leadfooted,

Rob

I think I read that the differential wouldn't try to lock if the tire was spinning 20 mph or more so there is a safeguard built in for those with a leadfoot.

Now you can add "Whiner" to the list too...lol JK

Whiney, Lazy, Leadfoot...that's you!!!

s-ten · May 23, 2007

You shouldn't hear too much when it locks up. The ones that I have had experience with just have a slight clunk when they engage and nothing when they disengage. Depending on how hard it locks during a given situation it could feel like a cement block being thrown in the back. I have never heard one squeal though, that might be a problem.