Got a good friend of mine who's having some rear diff issues. Its a 02 Z71. Lifted 9" on 38x14.50x16 Toyo m/t's... The diffs have 4.88 gears and a detriot locker in the rear. I pulled the cover and these gears were setup all wrong from the get-go. The wear pattern is feathered and pinion depth is all wrong. I'm guessing backlash is .015-.020". Not really "dangerous" but not in spec. The real problem is that the pinion will make about 1/4 turn before it engages the axles. Is the locker worn out? This thing sees a good bit of offroad use.

He needs something strong and reliable back there since he often makes journeys way away from civilization or phone signal. Should we rebuild the Detriot (if possible) or go with an Eaton or Tru-Trac or other type of diff... Ive looked at the Yukon Dura-grip lately too.

Were at least looking at a set of gears and an install kit... What else to get him back right?

 

If he offroads the thing, neither of those limited slips would be a good option. He would be better off getting another full locker.

 

Taken straight from Eaton's web-site, I would say what your experiencing is completely normal.

When I step on and off the gas pedal, I hear the unit make a “clunking” noise. Why?
Because Detroit Lockers have “backlash” or “slack” between the drive and driven teeth and you will hear this in everyday use going through corners and when going from drive mode to coast mode. Also with the vehicle on the ground and the transmission in neutral you will have 1\4 to 1\3rd of a turn of lash in the driveshaft, this is completely normal.

Can the Detroit Locker be repaired?
Yes they can. Should you need to repair a Detroit Locker parts can be purchased from any of our dealers. Call Eaton Customer Service so we can provide a blow up of the unit that shows all the part numbers and help you find out exactly what part numbers you need to purchase. At that time we can even recommend a company to buy the parts from.

 

Lil late to add, but like 1Bear said that the condition you've found is completely normal. I can rotate both my front and rear driveshafts a lil more thn a 1/4 turn before they 'engage' and I put the Detroits in brand new, and have a little over 45,xxxkm on them now.