School me on govlocs

[lochenjons]

I've read a lot of posts about gov-locks on here, and from the sounds of it it's like a limited slip but it trys to be smarter than that? Or is it more than that? How does it work? What makes it weak (i think I read its the carrier?)?

 

[87BrnRsd]

A simple search will turn up more that you ever wanted to know.

To quickly answer your question...its not like a "smart" posi. Its an auto locker....much like a detroit or lockright it. It is open until there is a difference in tire speeds at which time it locks up. The problem isnt with the weak carrier, its with the locker itself. They mainly blow up because they will allow one wheel to start spinning really really fast and then try to lock the other side in. I know with my detroit...it takes maybe a 1/4 of a tire turn at most and then lock. Not so with the gov lock.
-Harrison

 

[76zimmer]

And the problem mostly lies within the 1/2 and 3/4 ton non full floaters.

 

[lochenjons]

And the problem mostly lies within the 1/2 and 3/4 ton non full floaters.

Yeah I'm not really worried about breaking anything. I'm mostly wondering how it works I guess

 

[ntsqd]

Picture a clutch type limited slip. That is what my blown 14bff looked like in general.
Now picture that the part putting the spring load on the clutch pack has a wavy cam surface on it. There is a plate with a matching cam surface on it butted against the first. This first plate is splined to one axle shaft while the second is not.
One of the side gears has a little set of spur gear teeth around it's OD. These drive a tiny spur gear on a shaft in the diff case. There is a set of flyweights on that shaft.

If that side gear spins fast enough, relative to the diff case, those flyweights fling out and grab notches in that second plate, locking it to the case. That causes those cam surfaces to increase the pressure on the clutch pack, effectively locking up the diff.

The problem is not in the idea as it is a great idea. The problem is in the execution of the design. Those little spur gear teeth are just too small for the load put on them.

 

[lochenjons]

Picture a clutch type limited slip. That is what my blown 14bff looked like in general.
Now picture that the part putting the spring load on the clutch pack has a wavy cam surface on it. There is a plate with a matching cam surface on it butted against the first. This first plate is splined to one axle shaft while the second is not.
One of the side gears has a little set of spur gear teeth around it's OD. These drive a tiny spur gear on a shaft in the diff case. There is a set of flyweights on that shaft.

If that side gear spins fast enough, relative to the diff case, those flyweights fling out and grab notches in that second plate, locking it to the case. That causes those cam surfaces to increase the pressure on the clutch pack, effectively locking up the diff.

The problem is not in the idea as it is a great idea. The problem is in the execution of the design. Those little spur gear teeth are just too small for the load put on them.

Sweet thanks, that was what I wanted to know for the most part