Powertrax LOCK-RIGHT Performace Locker - Manual (Page 11)

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1. First—by giving your vehicle different operating
characteristics than before; you must take greater care during
driving.
2. Second—by getting you farther up a hill before your
vehicle stops; getting back down can be more difficult than be-
fore.
3. Third—by breaking an axle shaft. This way is more
subtle but is potentially more dangerous. We will carefully ana-
lyze this situation for you. This analysis also holds true for many
other types of traction-adding differentials, including clutch-pack
limited slip units.
a) Applying Power. Because the LOCK-RIGHT can apply
twice as much of the available engine torque (100%) to either
axle shaft when compared with the standard differential (50%),
you must be more careful than before when getting your vehicle
out of a rough situation. To avoid breakage, therefore, be sure to
apply power smoothly and avoid jerking.
b) Breaking. An axle shaft generally will break
when it is under a lot of power. When this happens, the wheel
on the opposite side will still be powered because of the
torque-transferring capability of the differential—and the vehi-
cle will tend to turn quickly toward the side on which the break
occured. When a front axle shaft breaks, the remaining powered
wheel will also try to turn around the steering knuckle because
its pulling is then no longer balanced through the tie bar by the
pulling of the other wheel. Suddenly having only one front wheel
powered can jerk the steering wheel right out of your hands;
therefore, remember! Any traction-adding differential will give
your vehicle more capability but also must be used with more
care than a standard differential.
Full-floating Axles. If the broken axle shaft is a
full-floating type (many fronts and some rears) and the vehi-
cle continues to be driven, after about five minutes of opera-
tion check the temperature of the affected axle housing by feel
and continue to do so occasionally. This precaution is because
in the unlikely event that the axle has broken near the outer