Front Diff Lock Linkages

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AustHaflinger
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Front Diff Lock Linkages

Post by AustHaflinger »

As mentioned in heinkeljb's front hubs thread I have a problem with my front diff lock. You pull the lever up but the diff lock does not engage. If I move the lever that goes into the front diff it does lock but does not stay locked.

As a first action I have changed the rubber donut on the lever as suggested but the difflock still does not lock by the lever and the lever is not inclined to stay in the up position.

Any other suggestions on this. I do not seem to see any adjustment in the linkage and it seem I just need to get more movement of the linkage at the diff end when the lever is pulled up,

Thanks

Garry
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heinkeljb
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Re: Front Diff Lock Linkages

Post by heinkeljb »

Gary,

The issue I had with mine really boiled down to the linkages not moving the way they are supposed to. In particular item 25 (in the parts book section 8-25/0) Relay lever had seized on the shaft item 27.
The pivot points item 30 also did not move very well.

I checked my diff lock out by disconnecting pin item 12 and then pulling and pushing the fork end item 7 by hand to see if everything internal to the transfer box was working. When that proved OK, my issued had to be in the external linkages, so lots of PlusGas (releasing fluid) on ALL the external linkages along with movement of the individual joints until they all allowed easy movement.

Connected everything back up and it all seems to work correctly now.

John
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AustHaflinger
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Re: Front Diff Lock Linkages

Post by AustHaflinger »

Thanks John - my linkages seem to be the opposite of yours in that they seem awfully loose - I think that I need to take the linkages out and reassemble and take up any slack - the moving bits may have wear which is compounding on itself so movement of the lever is being taken up by the slack.

Cheers

Garry
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AustHaflinger
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Re: Front Diff Lock Linkages

Post by AustHaflinger »

HaffyHunter wrote: Hi Garry,
The difflock linkage does not have a spring nor a detent ball to hold the lever in the locked position. The whole works should stay in place due to three aspects of the linkage design. First, there is the friction bushing mounted in the floor plate where the handlever passes through. This bushing should have three metal bearing surfaces bonded to its rubber sleeve. If any of these have been lost then insufficient pressure is applied to the handlever shaft. Secondly, the fork end that protrudes from the side of the diff housing is on a threaded shaft. When the fork length is adjusted correctly, the internal sliding ring in the diff housing will fully engage and remain so quite firmly until the hand lever is depressed with a bit of effort. Lastly, the geometry of the linkage contributes to the maintaining of the locked position provided that none of the hinge points are seized from corrosion nor overly loose from wear.
Cheers,
Steve
I have put in a new rubber on the lever and this has tightened that aspect of the linkage up. All the hinge points are in good condition but I still cannot engage the diff lock properly form the cabin lever but if I push the lever on the diff it does lock.

This leaves the fork protruding from the diff. Overall I need to adjust this so it is a bit longer but cannot seem to be able to do this. I have disconnected the lever from the fork so the fork is not connected to anything outside of the diff. So what do I need to adjust to make this lever longer - I have loosened the nut that is next to the fork but it does not seem to adjust the length.

Getting a bit frustrated as I do not want to put the suspension spring, shocky etc back in until I get this sorted.

Cheers

Garry
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HaffyHunter
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Re: Front Diff Lock Linkages

Post by HaffyHunter »

Hi Garry,
The only adjustment in the entire mechanism is at the fork. After loosening the jam nut you will need to hold the shaft that goes into the diff housing with needlenose pliers to prevent the shaft from turning as you unthread the fork. There isn't a lot of adjustment available but not much should be required. One other question for you, is the lever on the diff cover free moving on its pivot pin? This pivot is often a bit siezed which prevents full range of the stroke. Also, I've always found that the diff lock engages much easier when the Haffy is moving so get someone to turn the axle while you pull up on the handlever to see if the lock freely drops in.
Cheers,
Steve
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AustHaflinger
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Re: Front Diff Lock Linkages

Post by AustHaflinger »

Thanks Steve - It is always exciting when I get up in the mornings and check the forum to see what good information has been put up from the opposite side of the world over night. :D

It was exactly as you described - hold the shaft allowed me to wind the fork out - really as far as it can reasonably go. The linkage all works as it should and the difflock now engages. The bar lifts up as it should and the joints all have no wear so all is good.

Thanks for your information - very helpful.

The main issue was getting the little collar on the end of the pin that holds the linkage to the fork - getting the little holes all lined up so the split pin goes in was a shocker and took me nearly an hour to get everything all lined up - not helped as in that position I have to look through the long range section of my bi focals glasses and not the reading section - a magnifying glass helped. Why the Austrians did it this way with a collar has me beat - the usual washer and split pin just through the connecting pin would be the way to go.

In doing this work I pushed the swing arm down too far to get it out of the way and the rubber drive shaft boot came off at the small end and there is no way I can get the rotton spring clamp back on so I have just it off with the Dremel so am off the the industrial supply shop the get a screw up style clamp to make the boot seal.

Cheers

Great stuff

Garry
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Re: Front Diff Lock Linkages

Post by HaffyHunter »

Hi Garry,
I'm always glad to hear that I've been able to help a Haffy brother.
It's tricky to get the snap rings on those boots when the swing arm is mounted up as they pretty much need to be overstretched to fit over the bulge in the flange. Hopefully you can get a screw clamp which is narrow enough to fit behind the bulge. If the clamp band is too wide it will ride up on the bulge and could easily slip off and tear up the boot. Also, if the edge of the clamp band is sharp it could cut through the boot. I like the clamp style that is made of round wire and tightens with a screw. These are often found on older Honda & Yamaha motorcycles but are hard to get on this side of the planet for some reason :( .
Cheers,
Steve
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AustHaflinger
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Re: Front Diff Lock Linkages

Post by AustHaflinger »

Your right - finding suitable clamps is difficult - nothing at specialist industrial supply places (radiator hose clamps only - too wide). Found a screw up clamp off a washing machine - the edge is rounded and the band the same width but is a bit wide where the screw is. CV boot clamps fit. I may have a clamp like the one you suggested in my odd and sods bin so will check there. On my old subaru I used to use 1mm oxy welding wire wound the boot a few times and tightened with pliers.

It is all coming together well now though.

Garry
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Re: Front Diff Lock Linkages

Post by heinkeljb »

Why not use a ZIP TIE? Get a UV stabilized one. The zip tie will have enough strength to hold the rubber boot in place and when tight should not leak. - If it doesn't work you can always find a metal wire twist together one later.

John
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Re: Front Diff Lock Linkages

Post by AustHaflinger »

You know something John - I didn't even think of that. :roll:

In the end I got some engine gasket sealant to create a seal between the rubber and the metal bits and used a CV clamp - seemed to pull up OK and the sealant should seal any rough bits.

I have two split boots in my spares but I really didn't want to use one unless I really needed - they are quite expensive - i may have a leaking rear boot so will need to use one on it as I am NOT pulling one of the rear swing arms to replace it.

Cheers

Garry
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Re: Front Diff Lock Linkages

Post by heinkeljb »

I quite agree, much easier to use a split boot to replace a leaking one rather than dismantle everything, (even thought you should now be able to do it blindfolded)!

If my replacement top plate(s) arrive and the weather is reasonable, I might get mine down off its blocks of wood and back on four wheels this weekend.

John
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Re: Front Diff Lock Linkages

Post by AustHaflinger »

Same here - then it is install the new shock absorber on the "near side" front - (is that the passenger side on a RHD car), grease and oil the complete front end, replace the rear shockies, replace the muffler, change engine, gearbox, diff and other oils, hopefully changing the oil filter will stop a leak from the engine when it is running and hopefully another small leak nearby is just overflow from the first leak but I suspect a rocker cover leak. Bleed the brakes.

See to a couple of electrical gremlins and then off to MOT.

Garry
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Re: Front Diff Lock Linkages

Post by heinkeljb »

Nearside and offside vary depending on which side of the road you drive on. The side nearest the Kerb / edge of the road is the near side - That's why there is a "direction" arrow in the parts book to allow for LHD and RHD vehicles in the same book.

It gets confusing when you have the opposite side drive vehicle in a country it does not come from, e.g. an LHD vehicle in a country which drives on the left hand side of the road. Then the near side becomes the side with the steering wheel. Same problem with a RHD in places which drive on the right!

John
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Re: Front Diff Lock Linkages

Post by AustHaflinger »

Thanks - I actually lived in the Uk for year many years ago and cannot remember hearing the term being used then but did read it in books and mags.

Nearside and offside are not terms usually used here - we are solely right hand drive and the only left hand drive cars are imported vehicles of over 30 years of age - anything younger that must be right hand drive. Therefore the terms right or left hand side or driver or passenger side.

Front is all back together, oiled and greased up. Hope it all works now - the front end was growlie but the diff oil is clear and no fluff on the magnetic pick up so hopefully with new oil the growls will be gone.

Garry
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Re: Front Diff Lock Linkages

Post by heinkeljb »

Lurch has developed the same issue as you had Gary. Pull the front diff lock lever up and let go and it drops back down to the bed. The front diff does seem to work if you hold the lever up whilst driving, but that is not always possible so it needs to be fixed!

Will have to have the spring out in order to get access to the linkages and pin on the side of the diff. Will try pushing the pin in by itself and see if it stays, then add the next bit of the linkage in and see what happens.

If it isn't one thing it is another! Hopefully, it won't take too much longer to make Lurch a reliable beast!

John
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Re: Front Diff Lock Linkages

Post by AustHaflinger »

John -you are right, there is always something. My front diff lock still works but I have no more adjustment left so if there are issue then no front diff lock.

I am sure the gear rumble I have had since I had had my haffie is coming from the front diff which I will have to pull out to fix in due course and I will have a good look at my front diff lock mechanism then.

Good luck with it.

Garry
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Re: Front Diff Lock Linkages

Post by AustHaflinger »

An old thread - I got all the linkages working so that difflocks all worked - at the time I replaced the rubbers that grip the 4wd lever and the diff lock levers.

However the levers do not stay up - for sure they come up and initially stay up but as soon as you hit a big bump they flop back down.

I can make a lever that clamps to each handle that flicks into place on the floor to hold the levers up - or to increase friction of the little rubber donuts on the levers I could put some electrical shrink tube over the part of the levers that the donuts grip but I am open to suggestions from anyone else who has fixed this issue.

Not one of the better design aspects of the car.

Garry
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Re: Front Diff Lock Linkages

Post by heinkeljb »

Don't the plungers in the diff casings have ball bearings on springs and indents to hold them in place? I must admit I have not looked at the parts book all that hard when it comes to the levers. Mine just need some oil and to be moved.

Gary have you taken any of it apart? Maybe there is some joint that just needs a tightening tweak. Maybe just new donut rubbers?

John
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Re: Front Diff Lock Linkages

Post by Goatwerks »

The bulge on the lever is supposed to wedge fit into the grommet. If they will not hold, a small water bottle under the lever works wonders.
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Re: Front Diff Lock Linkages

Post by AustHaflinger »

Thanks - nothing changed - an new rubbers fitted a couple of years back and not used a lot - did tighten the controls up so they stay up but as mentioned they fell back down on the first big bump. I have been holding them up by hand when needed though a drink bottle under is a good short term option.

The obvious solution at manufacture would have been a spring and ball bearing pressing into a slot on the lever but I guess the friction of rubber donuts in the levers is a logical design feature - maybe the levers have worn smooth with use and just need roughtening up a little.

Garry
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