Gov Loc up front?

[Texis]

Aside from use with 40"+ tires, assuming "normal" duty, how do you guys feel about GM's OEM Gov Loc?...good/bad?....I had one in a 97' 10 bolt and never had any problems.
Has anyone transplanted one into a 10 bolt front end?
Who makes the Gov Loc, what is the aftermarket name?

Thanks,

 

[sweetk30]

been covered. = search.

short of it. not a good idea.

 

[Hogback Fabrication]

Eaton makes it, its typically called the G80 more than the Gov-lok by Eaton.

 

[pauly383]

Newer ones are supposedly better , but the one on AAM's website look nearly the same as they always were .

The one in my 99 Sub is working ok ........so far ( fingers crossed ) .

But I wouldn't want one up front due to the fact that they are locked at low speed , but could unlock if you get some wheelspeed , and relock if you get out of the throttle just enough , and suddenly grip and snap an inner .

You want Either always locked with a real locker , or open and no worries of breakage much , in bewteen sucks

 

[Hogback Fabrication]

Does the gov-lok even lock up when its spun backwards?

I don't remember the design of them so I don't know if it would work or not. I'm sure its been covered before.

 

[pauly383]

Does the gov-lok even lock up when its spun backwards?

I don't remember the design of them so I don't know if it would work or not. I'm sure its been covered before.

Yup , 4xcrazy ran one for a bit , thats where we learned all about how it worked upfront . They are ok if you are creeping . Ended up he got a real locker later .

 

[TerryD]

The one in my Dad's 02 S-10 works great. It locks like they are supposed to. The on in his 93 S-10 Blazer doesn't do as well, but its got 200,000 miles on it and has been used hard since it was new.

A gov-lock, gov-bomb, G80, what ever you want to call it, works fine in normal situations. However, due to the nature of the locking mechanisim in them, they are highly explosive when used off-road or incorrectly. You have to be aggressive with them, but know when you're over doing it. I've had to cut one out of a 12 bolt with a torch because a guy ran it dry after the locking block in the middle exploded and the ring gear used parts of it to punch holes in the diff cover. This was about 2 weeks before he stopped driving it because "the rearend was acting funny". When I tried to pull it into the shop, the truck woudn't hardly move itself. The inner pinion bearing had turned into a bushing and the cross pin had welded itself to one of the spider gears.

It'll be cheaper to get a Lock-Rite and much easier to install.

video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbMZ9vcYVSg

 

[Texis]

Thanks guys. I will have a spare Gov Loc, because I am replacing a rear axle....once I find the right M1009, they all have-um. So, I thought it may work to install it up front.

G80 makes sense, that's the GM ordering code for the "locking rear diff"

I considered a Lincoln lock, but fear it would be too hard to turn when the hubs are locked in, the after-market lockers are outside the budget for a deer lease vehicle (already re-gearing). What do you guy's think? Application is Southern woods, muddy, rutted logging roads. The current plan is to spool the rear axle....if I spooled the front end, could I turn the D#%&* thing????

Thanks for the inputs.

 

[TerryD]

I followed a double spooled truck one time in muddy/slick trails. He had to have his spotter get out at every turn an un-lock one hub. I'd go with the lock-rite man, I really would. If you're never going to be in the rocks or really beating on it, you could get by with the G-80. But if you're planning on having/wanting to thrash it, the G-80's not going to hold up or lock well enough for that, and could wind up destroying your new gears when it goes.

 

[toomany]

I followed a double spooled truck one time in muddy/slick trails. He had to have his spotter get out at every turn an un-lock one hub.

Or you could just run with one hub locked in, then lock it in when you need to. One unlocked would be the same as an open diff. Sure it's more hassle then pushing a button (ARB). But welding would be cheaper than the Lock-Rite.

 

[4xcrazy]

Like Paul said, i ran my old Gov-Loc in the vront for a few trips, and didn't like the way it would lock and unlock all the time. When it DID lock, it was uslually at times when it was barely needed, or was delayed shortly and then it would literally snap into lock, i didn't like the sudden locking AFTER the wheels started spinning.

Running a Loc-Rite now, i just run with it in 2wd most of the time due to the steering issue, and when 4wd is actually needed, pop it in 4wd, climb the obstacle, then back into 2wd.

Things have been alot nicer and easier since the Loc-Rite