Diff lock sector and linkage

[Maverik]

Hello, just going through the hoops to fit up my short R380 to my 200 transplanted disco.

I got the linkage part FRC 4095 and managed to cannibalise the rest of the parts from the old linkage set up.

While I can get hi - low no problem, the actual diff lock "on-neutral-off" doesn't engage properly either side of this, it sits fine in neutral, the only way I can get a positive lock in either 'on' or 'off' is when I put a socket on the locking nut and do it that way.

The linkage seems very "baggy" mainly due to the rather weak plastic shims that seat the pivot point for the linkage, anyone any idea's how I can sort this? or find a new set of linkage shims? could it be that I have the wrong connecting rod at the bottom, does anyone know the length (pivot point to pivot point) of the small linkage?

Cheers

[Les Henson]

I recently had to do this repair. I had to replace the arm, plastic inserts, and pivot point. The top linkage can cause excessive play as well (stupid idea that it is). You can alter the throw of the arm by screwing the pin in or out, but if it's not going into high or low, then the parts will have to be repaired or replaced. There seemed to be a big shortage of the arms when I wanted one.

Les

[Maverik]

I recently had to do this repair. I had to replace the arm, plastic inserts, and pivot point. The top linkage can cause excessive play as well (stupid idea that it is). You can alter the throw of the arm by screwing the pin in or out, but if it's not going into high or low, then the parts will have to be repaired or replaced. There seemed to be a big shortage of the arms when I wanted one.

Les

Hi Les, the actual main linkage from top to bottom is new, but the shims are old ones, the pivot eye came with the box so I recon it could be a used one, where did you get the parts from, I got the linkage arm from LRseries.com but they seem to take an age in delivering stuff.

[Les Henson]

I got all the parts from Bearmach.

Les.

[defender dinky]

hi,just been under truck and according to mine which works fine your arm seems to be on the wrong way round, on the bottom of your arm is facing to the back of the gearbox where its linked up, but on mine it faces to the front of the truck,it might be that you are pushing against something thast won,t move because the angle is to cute,sorry no phto,s i don't know to up load them to my computer off my phone yet, if you not sorted i will get small son to do it for me, i am talking about the right angle at the bottom of the arm, hope i have axplained it properly for you dd

[Les Henson]

Defender Dinky has nailed it - the hooky bit is facing the wrong way

Les

[defender dinky]

hi, is that a pigeons nest in there les????

[Maverik]

Hmmm... not quite nailed... i do agree that it appears to be the wrong way round as compareing my part with the picture in the parts list, mine is actually a mirror image... but saying that, the linkage has a cut out (u can just see in on my picture) that allows it not to bash on one of the gearbox screws. check out my photo and try work out what would happen if you turn the linkage round, it puts all the geometry out totally. I wonder if I need the earlier 'u' channel linkage FRC8204.

[western]

just had a check of my 110's linkage, the vertical flatbar has it's lower end facing rearwards & the cutout facing the gearbox casing, the pin midway up has the nylon tophat bush [big diameter against the flatbar,the eye bolt on gearbox, the 2nd nylon tophat bush fitted so the small diameter fits in the eye of the eyebolt & the spring retainer clip. works fine on mine.

[Part1cle]

Had problems with my diff-lock selector recently, so following the advice on here I picked up some new bushes and clips from my local LR independant. I put it all together and adjusted it so the selector would work but there was still a lot of "slop" in the mechanism.

I cured this by threading the hole in the rod, that comes out of the lever box, where the bolt goes through to M6. I then carefully filed the slot in the lever to suit the M6 bolt. By putting a washer either side of the lever followed by a nut I then screwed the lot into the freshly threaded rod.

With careful adjustment the vertical lever can move ok between the washers, the first nut can be locked up against the rod. I put a second nut on the other end just for good measure! Sprayed this and the bottom joints with Silicone grease and it now works a treat, with minimal slop in the mechanism.

Picture explains better than words:

Hope this is of interest.

Cheers, Henry.

[Maverik]

Had problems with my diff-lock selector recently, so following the advice on here I picked up some new bushes and clips from my local LR independant. I put it all together and adjusted it so the selector would work but there was still a lot of "slop" in the mechanism.

I cured this by threading the hole in the rod, that comes out of the lever box, where the bolt goes through to M6. I then carefully filed the slot in the lever to suit the M6 bolt. By putting a washer either side of the lever followed by a nut I then screwed the lot into the freshly threaded rod.

With careful adjustment the vertical lever can move ok between the washers, the first nut can be locked up against the rod. I put a second nut on the other end just for good measure! Sprayed this and the bottom joints with Silicone grease and it now works a treat, with minimal slop in the mechanism.

Picture explains better than words:

Hope this is of interest.

Cheers, Henry.

Cheers for that Henry, I had another play with it yesterday and managed to get it working a little better, but still struggling as can only get it to go into either diff locked or unlocked, can seem to get the pivot point right for both to work well, I think this is due to the excess play on the linkage, plan to put new plastic bushings in the arm and I like your idea of tapping a thread into the linkage control bar. that might be the ticket for eliminating that bit of play thats causing me the hassle.

Cheers

[Maverik]

Just to close this out - I got new plastic bushes and spring clips for the pivot point, also tapped the difflock selector rod with an M6 thread it seems to have introduced enough regidity into the system to allow the selector to engage positivly, thanks again guys.

[western]

glad you got it into a satisfactory working condition.

[reb78]

Maverick,

Just dragging this up from the depths of the past. Did you basically modify the LT77 diff lock lever above with a couple of different R380 specific parts?

[western]

I've got a 'stumpy' R380 as well, my difflock linkage is the original without any changed parts.

[reb78]

Interesting. I’ve read that they need to be changed but perhaps not?

[Maverik]

Yo,

Yes I needed a new linkage... so I was going to post up - there are 3 different types of linkage arm... but then I found this link and it gives pretty decent pics of the 3 different arms...

My original LT77 was an old one with the cast type arm rather than a pressed steel type if memory serves the the mounting holes were different on the GB so i couldn't re use the original linkage.

https://www.defendersource.com/forum/f6/is-this-linkage-my-diff-lock-107658.html

[reb78]

Thanks for this Mav. So from your parts diagram pic above,  I currently have part number 6 on mine, so it looks like I need to order part number 7 and then I can use the old lever with the old LT77 lever?

[bushwhacker]

Hi In the small housing that the hi/low rod comes out of there is a plate/spacer with a square hole in it I found enlarging the hole allowed the rod to better engage hi/low.

[Maverik]

On 11/30/2018 at 10:08 AM, reb78 said:

Thanks for this Mav. So from your parts diagram pic above,  I currently have part number 6 on mine, so it looks like I need to order part number 7 and then I can use the old lever with the old LT77 lever?

That seems to tie in with what Ralph said too so I think that's right yes.