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Lunchbox locker clearance


Bryan B

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It will work. But isn't ideal. It has to do with the way the center pin pushes the side pieces apart. It would be best to get it as close as possible.

With not enough clearance, the locker will mot separate and unlock when you need it to. With too much vlearance, it will be sloppy and may promote premature wear of the cross pin. If seriously in doubt, ask the manufacturer. They should be able to explain why that clearance range is required or recommended.
I ended up buying a Lokka locker as there aren't lots of options for front lockers, I think there was one other brand I found later but don't remember right off what it is. Lokka doesn't seem to communicate well at all. I have reached out to them but don't expect a reply.
 


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It may be just me but I would want to remove material from the end of the locker pieces than thin the washers. More material to hold on to and work with. Remove half of the clearance needed from each side. So, if 10 thousands is needed for proper clearance, have 5 thousands removed from each side.
 

00t444e

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He's said multiple times that he did that and there isn't enough clearance.
But did he actually run it that way? I have installed several of those style lockers reusing the factory side washers in all of them except for the Spartan locker since they don't use them. Never checked the clearance on any of them and they have all worked fine.
 

Bryan B

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But did he actually run it that way? I have installed several of those style lockers reusing the factory side washers in all of them except for the Spartan locker since they don't use them. Never checked the clearance on any of them and they have all worked fine.
With the existing washers in, the clearance was so far out I didn't try to use it in that condition.
 

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But did he actually run it that way? I have installed several of those style lockers reusing the factory side washers in all of them except for the Spartan locker since they don't use them. Never checked the clearance on any of them and they have all worked fine.
So your argument is that you've been doing it wrong all this time and have gotten away with it?

'So far so good' is not really the best approach.
 

lowspeedpursuit

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If I use the existing side gear washers, I'm nearly touching the cross pin, which is to close, and the final gap between the locker is way to small, I believe it was somewhere around .145 when minimum it's supposed to be .189.
Are the Lokka specs that much different than the Aussie's? I'm running an Aussie with their "thin" washers. I can't find the actual installation instructions with the clearance specs online, just the "supplements". But, in my e-mail to Aussie, I said I only had .130 with stock washers. If they're correct about stockers being .030, that would put my clearance now at .150.
 

Bryan B

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Are the Lokka specs that much different than the Aussie's? I'm running an Aussie with their "thin" washers. I can't find the actual installation instructions with the clearance specs online, just the "supplements". But, in my e-mail to Aussie, I said I only had .130 with stock washers. If they're correct about stockers being .030, that would put my clearance now at .150.
Not sure about Aussies clearance, my understanding was Lokka used to make the locker for Aussie. If I used say a .02 washer that would put my gap at about .166, currently I'm at .206 with no thrust washers installed. The instructions I have say to be between .189 and .199, I just don't have the experience to know if being out of clearance that far would be an issue and really don't want to damage anything. Or have to pull the diff in and out a bunch, it's a bit of a pain. So that's why I'm chatting with you folks. 😁 If people think I can be a bit out of tolerance and it will work then maybe I will go for it. 😁
 

lowspeedpursuit

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I had a long convo with Aussie about TTB applications that seems like it must have been a phone call, because I can't find it in my e-mails.

Point is, they told me to run it with whatever I ended up with. I'll see if I can find my papers when I get home where I wrote the actual final clearance. EDIT: I can't find the damn thing. I'll post them if it does turn up.

It does feel a hair tight, because I get popping at full steering lock, but I've never worried about it because I don't spend a ton of time driving around with my hubs locked.

If you're close but not perfect, I would just run it, but I've also got no machine shops for 3 hours in any direction.
 
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Bryan B

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I had a long convo with Aussie about TTB applications that seems like it must have been a phone call, because I can't find it in my e-mails.

Point is, they told me to run it with whatever I ended up with. I'll see if I can find my papers when I get home where I wrote the actual final clearance. It does feel a hair tight, because I get popping at full steering lock, but I've never worried about it because I don't spend a ton of time driving around with my hubs locked.

If you're close but not perfect, I would just run it, but I've also got no machine shops for 3 hours in any direction.
Thanks for the information.
 

00t444e

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So your argument is that you've been doing it wrong all this time and have gotten away with it?

'So far so good' is not really the best approach.
12 years and not a single issue yet with any of them I have installed.
 

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