help alan Posted November 27, 2007 Share Posted November 27, 2007 Anyone have anything to say about detroit lockers. I have been using one for 5 months and it has exploded and is beyond economical repair, as the replacement parts are so expensive the cost of the repair would be 4 times the price I would pay for the new locker. It exploded climbing a grass covered hill at a club meeting with 20 plus other landrovers there doing the same thing, unfortunately I was the only one with a detroit locker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treebloke Posted November 27, 2007 Share Posted November 27, 2007 Anyone have anything to say about detroit lockers.I have been using one for 5 months and it has exploded and is beyond economical repair, as the replacement parts are so expensive the cost of the repair would be 4 times the price I would pay for the new locker. It exploded climbing a grass covered hill at a club meeting with 20 plus other landrovers there doing the same thing, unfortunately I was the only one with a detroit locker. Pinion bearing?. I have a detroit in my Bob Tail and its been there two years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imspanners Posted November 28, 2007 Share Posted November 28, 2007 Had mine in 18months without issue (runs off to touch wood)! Did you fit it yourself? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBMUD Posted November 28, 2007 Share Posted November 28, 2007 I have been using one for 5 months and it has exploded Where did you get it from? These things usually have a 12 month warranty on them. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
help alan Posted November 28, 2007 Author Share Posted November 28, 2007 Had mine in 18months without issue (runs off to touch wood)!Did you fit it yourself? No I bought it off Steve Haworth at Crown Diffs, who installed it in a fully reconditioned diff, I found him very helpfull and good to deal with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickm Posted November 28, 2007 Share Posted November 28, 2007 never had a problem with the actual locker been fitted for a while now it did do this tho http://www.4x4ergallery.co.uk/gallery2/mai...?g2_itemId=2702 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troddenmasses Posted November 28, 2007 Share Posted November 28, 2007 No I bought it off Steve Haworth at Crown Diffs, who installed it in a fully reconditioned diff, I found him very helpfull and good to deal with. I guess that you will find out just how helpful and good to deal with he really is, now that you have a problem. It must have had a guarantee with it, and if it was new, it must have been for at least 12 months - give him a call and see how quickly they sort your problems out. Please let us all know how it goes, and don't be fobbed off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
help alan Posted November 28, 2007 Author Share Posted November 28, 2007 Where did you get it from? These things usually have a 12 month warranty on them.Chris Your right chris it did come with a 12 month warranty, but they changed the warranty claim procedure after I bought the locker back in May this year, and now the lockers have to be shipped back to the states by the importer, which is only done when there is a full shipment. They have not done this for the benefit of the customer but to take a better grip of the warranty claims, and as it was obvious from the begining that a major failure had occurred I was not preparred to wait months and months only to end up in a wrangle over who was to blame, when they had the locker over there. So I asked Steve Haworth at Crown diffs ( where I bought the locker) to strip it and take a look, he has said it was the worst damage he had ever seen, which considering what I was doing when it happened surprised me. I had thought that these locker were bullet proof and designed for off road use, but it failed doing what landrovers do every day, ( i.e climb grass covered slopes) in what were anything but extreme conditions. Of course the problem is that everyone is naturaly suspicious of the abilities of the driver and it is easy to dismiss this damage as abuse or misuse. For my part all I can say is that I use the minimum amount of power that is needed for the conditions, and with a locker fitted you do not need to be aggressive, so if this damage was my fault, I can not understand how other Detriot Locker drivers get about off road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bishbosh Posted November 28, 2007 Share Posted November 28, 2007 Were you running standard shafts? Did they break? If yes to the first question and no to the second then I think you have an extremely strong case against eithe the chap who built the diff or the supplier of the diff. I cannot see a standard LR shaft being stronger than a detroit diff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imspanners Posted November 28, 2007 Share Posted November 28, 2007 No I bought it off Steve Haworth at Crown Diffs, who installed it in a fully reconditioned diff, I found him very helpfull and good to deal with. Me too. B) The reason I asked, was the only 2 failures of diffs I've personally seen were both self-installed. So I assumed it may be down to fitment? Possibly not then? (one was running 35" Simexs & drives it like he stole it!)..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruuman Posted November 28, 2007 Share Posted November 28, 2007 No I bought it off Steve Haworth at Crown Diffs, who installed it in a fully reconditioned diff, I found him very helpfull and good to deal with. steve fitted my 2nd hand 24spline detroit in a recon diff for me, very helpful, I've had no trouble what so ever. I've read a few horror stories on warranty claims from detriot though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
help alan Posted November 29, 2007 Author Share Posted November 29, 2007 Were you running standard shafts?Did they break? If yes to the first question and no to the second then I think you have an extremely strong case against eithe the chap who built the diff or the supplier of the diff. I cannot see a standard LR shaft being stronger than a detroit diff. Yep I am running standard half shafts, and they did not break, but I am being told that detriot lockers very rarely break and so it must be my fault. Thats why I decided to post this on the forum and get other off road drivers opinions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bishbosh Posted November 29, 2007 Share Posted November 29, 2007 I cannot see how it can be your fault to be honest. Even if you were abusing the vehicle (and I am not suggesting you were) then I would argue that the weakest link in your drivetrain would be the LR half shafts. That has been proven hundreds of times as they breweak for a past time. As they didn't break I think you can firmly point your finger at the diff being faulty - either through manufacture or assembly. I think you need to ask crown diffs to put it right as they built it for you. It is either their fault or their supplier's IMHO. Just stick an open diff in for a while whilst they sort the locker for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill van snorkle Posted December 1, 2007 Share Posted December 1, 2007 Due to producton cost cutting, Detroit locker failures in recent years have been very common. There have been quite a few threads on the subject, here is a recent one. http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=629994 Bill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean f Posted December 1, 2007 Share Posted December 1, 2007 Had a locker in the back of my Series 1 (2 1/4 engine) for 8 years now with no problems. Broken lots of standard halfshaft and on one occasion both rear shafts at once and still had no problems with the diff. Maybe mine dates back to before the cost cutting?. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimfoo Posted December 1, 2007 Share Posted December 1, 2007 I had mine break after breaking a half shaft. I took it apart, welded up the broken teeth and ground them back into shape, slapped it together and been driving with it since. If it did break without breaking a halfshaft and you don't have huge tyres, then it must be faulty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troddenmasses Posted December 1, 2007 Share Posted December 1, 2007 You bought it from a company in the UK, and it is them that you should go back to. If it isn't going to be sorted out immediately, stick a normal diff in there for a while. It really isn't up to you how they sort out their warranties, but the UK law says that it must be sorted out 'Within a reasonable amount of time'. I would suggest that a month should be more than reasonable. Don't get into an argument with anybody - just take it back, get a receipt for it and wait. When it gets to a month, start writing letters. The law is on your side, and is pretty firm about this sort of thing. DTI website Sale of goods act Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Turner Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 Killed 2 of these in about a hour each time, will never be fitting another one ever! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T1G UP Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 from the website?! warranty info. You haven't a leg to stand on according to this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
help alan Posted December 2, 2007 Author Share Posted December 2, 2007 from the website?!warranty info. You haven't a leg to stand on according to this. Yep, Your right, according to the warranty it looks like I made the mistake of using of road, wonder if Detroit make a locker to use off road. Naa!-- that would mean they would have to make it into a proper locker like ARB and the others so they could warrant it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBMUD Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 Look at the sale of goods act, you have statutory rights in law and no manufacturer can remove them, whatever they say in their wording. It seems that their disclaimer works for them though as you seem ready to drop it. Not sure if it may even be an offence for a company to make such an assertion, a quick phone call to your local trading standards department will answer your questions and give you the ammunition to tell the trader what you want, why you want it, and why the law says he should give it to you - in a timescale not inconvenient to you. Remember all the times that the law seems to have been against you? Speeding or parking fines etc.? Well this time it looks like the law is on your side, go on, let it work for you! Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riceburner Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 My Detroit has gone south on me. The one side driver lost all its inner teeth. Does anyone have a spares lying around that they will part with. I dont have cash for a new locker. I will pay shipping costs. Pleeeese! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lansalot Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Had mine in about 8 months now. 3.5V8, no fancy tyres, 265 grizzly claws. Ashcroft hardened 24-splines. No problems whatsoever... Including a recent harsh session where I broke all my engine/transfer box mounts in a one-er and the gearstick whacked me on the leg. For my experience, I'd recommend. I know another guy who's had them, given his vehicle some abuse and rates them. Steve at Crowndiffs supplied mine, and he told me he runs one on his trialler as well, fwiw, with no worries since he fitted it. His was an 86" wheelbase as well, which some people say is too "short" for the DL. I've had no problems with it coming in/out at tight turns either (90" here). Thumbs-up from me A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trendkill Posted March 5, 2010 Share Posted March 5, 2010 Have detroit improved their quality? -Seem like a good price & i like the idea of not needing a compressor onboard to run ARB's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lansalot Posted March 5, 2010 Share Posted March 5, 2010 I still rate mine. With one exception. In the snow/ice, it wants to go straight on a bit. Which makes cornering interesting at the trials sometimes. That's a "feature" of the design however, in that the locker needs traction to unlock and allow the wheels to run as in open-diff mode. Ice on the floor means that doesn't always happen. Apart from that, still a top bit of kit, IMHO. A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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