dana 60 axel noise locker issues?

[ripperoo187]

Ok so this is my first post so bear with me here. I just finished my dana 60 chevy swap yesterday and now i have noises coming from the front end.
I built this axel with a lot of ebay parts and some from randys ring and pinion.
I did not setup the gears but I did everything else. It has a lunch box locker that I purchased from ebay already installed in the carrier. I put the axel shafts in, assembled the kingpins, installed the axel onto the truck.

Not so much as a grinding noise more of a slipping of locker clutches. I added some limited slip gear oil additive. I also checked the gear oil and it has small metal particles which are an indication of the gears breaking in, I am assuming.
I guess my real question is when lunch box lockers wear out do they start slipping or make rubbing noises? This only happens when i place the truck in 4wd in 2wd it rides smoother than it did with the junk half ton axel with ball joints. Additionally the front slip yoke has a lot of play in it as well.


Anyone have any ideas. The guy who set up the gears is willing to look at it as well, I thought I would ask yall.

 

[4X4HIGH]

Gears MUST be set-up.

 

[blazinzuk]

I bet its your loose slip yoke

Also lockers do not have clutches they do not require any kind of special additive.

They will not help the locker in any way shape or form.

 

[txfiremank5]

Gears MUST be set-up.

I think he's just saying he didn't set them up himself.

 

[ripperoo187]

Gears were setup by a shop, that's the only thing I did not do myself. The front drive shaft was in contact with the crossover for the exhaust but they are not entirely sure that is the issue. Yeah the slip yoke has a lot of play but it had a lot of play with the corp 10 bolt as well.

The shop pulled the Axel apart, the carrier and pinion bearings were fine, and the gear contact pattern is good. I am pretty sure the hub bearings are good as well since in 2wd the truck rolls fine down the road.

When I was trying to break in my front gears today after my initial drive I felt the differential case and it was barely even warm. I did not lock the front hubs though.

When lunch box lockers (mine is a Lockright locker i think) wear out/malfunction do they cause weird vibrations/ noise?

Is there a big difference in driveline angle when you install a dana 60 as opposed to a corp 10 bolt(the truck has a 4 inch lift, all springs)?

Sorry about all the text I am just trying to be as detailed as possible.

 

[Bowtie85]

I blew the lockright out of my d60 in a couple drives. It made wierd loud popping sounds, the teeth rounded off and the pockets for the springs/shearpins broke away. I sent it in for warranty, guess it was faulty.

Also I did the same with another lock right in my Beaumont last year as well, it was warranted too.

Ive had good luck with them in the past, think I just got some faulty ones the last couple times

 

[K85 Octane]

Is there a big difference in driveline angle when you install a dana 60 as opposed to a corp 10 bolt(the truck has a 4 inch lift, all springs)?

good question, maybe the change in u joint angle or drive shaft is the cause. I know my s10 driveshaft u joint took a crap but didn't know till I had weight in the back, effectively changing the pinion angle.

 

[ripperoo187]

I think the locker is ok, and now that I think about it I did not notice much of a change driving it on the street with the hubs locked and unlocked in 4wd. When we put the truck back on the lift the front drive shaft was being suspended in the air by the exhaust crossover pipe.

When I bolted the yoke onto the front drive shaft I did have to use a transmission jack to get the pinion to line up so i could put on the straps. The truck has a 4 inch lift as well and I believe the previous owner had the front drive shaft extended. Do you all think that too extreme an angle could cause this? The vibrations start at low speeds when i push on the gas, I did not change out the yoke u-joint. The truck is at the shop for the weekend.

 

[ripperoo187]

Fixed.

Turns out my inner axel shaft was rubbing on the housing on the inner C had to grind a ton of metal off of the mating surface. I also replaced the front driveshaft for good measure since it had a lot of play. We took it out yesterday and did some mild wheeling. Also drove nice on the highway no death wobble! Here are some poser pics. Got to try my new winch also.