does anyone like there gov-lock?

[atho]

Saw a fragged 14bff gov lock at my old job...was under a '96 C3500 dump truck. the guy that drove it was a moron, it blew and he kept driving it...the metal bits went down the tube and ruined the seals, wheel bearings, and brakes....what a mess.

 

[blazin_blazer]

i know mine

no ,I dont know how they actually work, could someone tell me?

my gov-lock locks when one tire turns 3/4 of a turn that the other one doesn't, you can watch the spinning tire turn 3/4 turn and then both start to pull...now that is straight line, not sure why that wouldn't lock in a turn on the street ...guess i'll find out when i go back and read this thread, posted before reading, maybe bad thing na its alright just don't go over a 13/38 or a 35 would be better and it will live...mine lives with the 13/38's

 

[u2slow]

Detroit Locker.

 

[Jishory]

in my wheeler i have real lockers but the gov lock works great in the work truck and has gotten me out of some bad spots

 

[dyeager535]

It's been discussed previous. Gov-lock as designed is about as good as it's going to get for an automatic locker with no external controls. (of whats now available...if they could beef the mechanism/carrier it would be better) Increase sensitivity, you would likely start having problems when turning and what not.

For a vehicle you are easy on, the gov-lock is about the best of all worlds. When you start beating them with larger tires, wheelspin, and/or lots of throttle, they show their weakness.

Spectacular failures happen with any of the carriers apparently, but it's most common for the small diff's to break the carrier in half, while the larger ones just break the weakest link, the gears.

 

[u2slow]

IMO 'locking' is huge misnomer on the gov-bomb. It is a clutch-type limited slip that includes a ramping mechanism, to make it more aggressive. (Dana's Powr-Lok uses the same principle but without the flimsy mechanism.)

One side gear is mated to a plate with an uneven surface (imagine a lazy zig-zag pattern). When one wheel breaks free, the differential gears cycle causing the centrifugual flyweights to open and catch on the governor. Once a flyweight catches, the companion plate stops, while the side tries to keep cycling. As the side gear tries to keep turning, the ramping action of the uneven surfaces creates a spreading force that compresses the clutch packs.

Once the clutch material wears, you have less effective clamping force. The relatively small flyweight and governor can be damaged from abrupt engagement.

 

[sandawgk5]

I liked mine for my 14FF it worked good as a trash compactor when the can got full

Ira

 

[dyeager535]

IMO 'locking' is huge misnomer on the gov-bomb. It is a clutch-type limited slip that includes a ramping mechanism, to make it more aggressive. (Dana's Powr-Lok uses the same principle but without the flimsy mechanism.)

While it may be a misnomer, the broken parts indicate it is EXTREMELY effective. If the clutches slipped in operation, the carrier and gears would never break. It would simply fail to work in the specified manner.

Since the clutches are not used constantly (unlike spring type posi units) wear out of those clutches should take MUCH longer than other styles of posi, more so because they don't even slip under "locking" operation.

 

[u2slow]

While it may be a misnomer, the broken parts indicate it is EXTREMELY effective. If the clutches slipped in operation, the carrier and gears would never break.

You give it too much credit.

If the governor parts let go, you have bunch of junk to churn around and mash the ring & pinion.

If the tiny teeth on the side-gear's companion plate strip, the unit is essentially disabled.

Whether the clutches slip or not, the shallow ramps have a tremendous mechanical advantage. IMO too much mechanical advantage for a 10 or 12 bolt, and is why we see the shattered cases.

As effective as one part of the chain might be, the durability of the unit as a whole is not there IMO.

 

[dyeager535]

Like I said previous...if it's used "sanely" (which probably no one here does lol) the stock "weakness" doesn't matter in most cases. Some break just because, most are from hard use.

I don't give it to much credit, I've had three broken ones (two 10 bolts and one 14SF) and I KNOW what the weaknesses are. It has nothing to do with it's "locking" ability, and everything to do with how small and light the parts that do all the work are.

Show me something out there that is as effective, imperceptible to the driver, and automatic, as the gov-lock. The only thing that needs fixing is the strength of the unit. In mainly street duty, light off-road, I'd take a gov-lock over anything else out there any day of the week IF the things would hold up. As it is, there is nothing out there even close to it in actual operation.

Everything else is either contsantly on, slips too much, has "odd" driving characteristics, and so on. The gov-lock is invisible. Until it blows up.

 

[Thunder]

I have a Gov lock in my K5 with 10Bs and 33" tires. I like it. Mainly for its all around driveability. I put it in when my daughter needed my K5 for a DD She didn't feel safe the way my detroit handled in the snow and didn't like the torque steer when getting on and off the gas.. So I threw in a rebuilt gov lock I had sitting around the garage. That was 2 years ago and I still havent put the detroit back in. The gov lock works fine but you have to be easy on the gas til it locks Once you feel it enguage then you can give power to it.
I also have a powertrax No Slip locker in the front so it takes a lot of strain off the gov lock. I went snow wheeling last winter and I thought it would be the end of my gov lock. I beat on my k5 pretty hard. It performed fine. I pulled the diff cover when I got back home and it was still in one piece.
I am not really worried about it breaking the gov bomb. I have the detroit and another open cairrer with a lockrite. i just figgured I'd run it till she blows. But so far so good..... Tick ...Tick.... Tick