Air actuated lockers on the PW?

[olyelr]

I was just toying around on the Ram website and noticed they state the PW lockers are air actuated...

"Both the front and rear axles are equipped with electronically controlled, "air actuated" Tru-Lok® locking differentials to provide added traction versus unlocked axles. Tru-Lok is a registered trademark of FCA US LLC."

Where does the air come into play?

[RustyPW]

The air you breath when turning the knob.

[waldo]

LOL. Pretty bad when they can't get their own info correct.

[DocPaulo]

Theres an air gap between the magnet and the actuator.. the air is displaced by thr magnet when it is turned on...

[olyelr]

Hahaha, OK fellas I figured such.

The fact that they placed quotes around “air actuated” kinda had me puzzled, like they wanted to pretend they were but knew they weren't

[OffroadTreks]

Marketing BS

[Bill2014]

Speaking of the Lockers, I've discussed some Power Wagon locker issues with FCA engineering.
Explained that it can take "forever" to get the lockers to engage - and that many have resorted to adding a power bypass to get nearly immediate locking.
They indicated that the lockers are working as designed:
The locking tabs can't engage without the proper alignment - powering the locker won't make it actually lock any faster. In that case, the light may stop blinking, but the tabs may not be engaged.

[NickTF]

Sherwood Chrysler in Salisbury, Maryland told me the power wagon wasn't intended to be used in sand and mud. Once you accept that 85% of all folks are dishonest or incompetent it becomes much easier to navigate the world.

[Reloaderguy]

Speaking of the Lockers, I've discussed some Power Wagon locker issues with FCA engineering.
Explained that it can take "forever" to get the lockers to engage - and that many have resorted to adding a power bypass to get nearly immediate locking.
They indicated that the lockers are working as designed:
The locking tabs can't engage without the proper alignment - powering the locker won't make it actually lock any faster. In that case, the light may stop blinking, but the tabs may not be engaged.

Except you can raise the vehicle and physically verify when the lockers are functioning. In fact, you can do it with just the driver's side front tire off the ground. The OE locker system does not actuate instantly, powering the locker independently does. With the lockers bypassed I can see and feel them lock and they do it nearly instantly.

[OffroadTreks]

I've never had problems with slow locker engagement. But then again I clean my magnet and service my diffs regularly. I wonder how many of the dorks complaining have never changed their diff fluid...

[Bill2014]

Speaking of the Lockers, I've discussed some Power Wagon locker issues with FCA engineering.
Explained that it can take "forever" to get the lockers to engage - and that many have resorted to adding a power bypass to get nearly immediate locking.
They indicated that the lockers are working as designed:
The locking tabs can't engage without the proper alignment - powering the locker won't make it actually lock any faster. In that case, the light may stop blinking, but the tabs may not be engaged.

Except you can raise the vehicle and physically verify when the lockers are functioning. In fact, you can do it with just the driver's side front tire off the ground. The OE locker system does not actuate instantly, powering the locker independently does. With the lockers bypassed I can see and feel them lock and they do it nearly instantly.

Isn't the act of lifting the wheel(s) and rotating them slightly to test if they are locked - what is allowing the locking tabs to become aligned and locked?

[Bill2014]

I've never had problems with slow locker engagement. But then again I clean my magnet and service my diffs regularly. I wonder how many of the dorks complaining have never changed their diff fluid...

I don't think that is typically the case. From brand new - to even after 1000 miles many people see delayed engagement - hence the long list for locker bypass kits for the brand new trucks. So I think they start out bad and get worse without descent service.

[Reloaderguy]

It spins the diff, same as turn the wheels and driving in figure eights.

[OffroadTreks]

I don't think that is typically the case. From brand new - to even after 1000 miles many people see delayed engagement - hence the long list for locker bypass kits for the brand new trucks. So I think they start out bad and get worse without descent service.

2017's have outsold previous models. How many new people don't even understand how it works and are quickly jumping online to complain because they couldn't get the axles locked on the grass? We really don't know if people are or aren't even doing it properly. There was just a dude complaining on the stupid FB and he was in 4HI in drive and all his lights did was blink. Wanted a locker bypass kit.

I'm inclined to lean more on the side of people are stupid, than, the lockers don't ever work in these trucks.

But, that's just me. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[olyelr]

When i turn the dial, i want the damn lockers locked. Not 30 yards down the trail when i dont need them anymore. The factory setup simply does not operate like that, at least for most trucks (Mike, you must have a unicorn!).

[Low_Sky]

I'm not the most lockin'-est guy on here, but when I ask for mine I tend to get them. I do turn them on before I need them, so I don't find my self in "oh poop" situations staring at a blinking light.

[NickTF]

Locker bypass is the best thing you can do to these trucks outside of disabling the abs when offroad. My 15 was never super fast to lock, but it wasn't super slow. The bypass locks near instantly.

[Reloaderguy]

Locker bypass is the best thing you can do to these trucks outside of disabling the abs when offroad. My 15 was never super fast to lock, but it wasn't super slow. The bypass locks near instantly.

<HIGH FIVE>

[olyelr]

Mine do not take horribly long by any means. But nowhere near as fast as my Rubicon was. And they are not consistant either. Sometimes they lock almost instant (typically after using them very recently), other times they take a minute or so (typically when I havnt used them in a long time).

And in all fairness, I have not serviced my diffs yet. But the lockers have been slow since new... not that that matters lol

[coder]

Locker bypass is the best thing you can do to these trucks outside of disabling the abs when offroad. My 15 was never super fast to lock, but it wasn't super slow. The bypass locks near instantly.

If the below is correct they didn't lock any faster the light just came on as soon as you turned the switch.

Speaking of the Lockers, I've discussed some Power Wagon locker issues with FCA engineering.
Explained that it can take "forever" to get the lockers to engage - and that many have resorted to adding a power bypass to get nearly immediate locking.
They indicated that the lockers are working as designed:
The locking tabs can't engage without the proper alignment - powering the locker won't make it actually lock any faster. In that case, the light may stop blinking, but the tabs may not be engaged.

[coder]

delete...

[RustyPW]

My rear locker locks pretty fast most of the time. My front sometimes takes a while. If going into a bad spot. I will lock both. My rear will be locked, but not the front. But when I come out the other side. My front will be locked. It's as it has a sense of when it's needed the most. Won't lock until it's truly needed.

[RustyPW]

For faster locking. Think they could polish the ramps or change the angle of the engagement points in the locker.

[Reloaderguy]

Locker bypass is the best thing you can do to these trucks outside of disabling the abs when offroad. My 15 was never super fast to lock, but it wasn't super slow. The bypass locks near instantly.

If the below is correct they didn't lock any faster the light just came on as soon as you turned the switch.

Speaking of the Lockers, I've discussed some Power Wagon locker issues with FCA engineering.
Explained that it can take "forever" to get the lockers to engage - and that many have resorted to adding a power bypass to get nearly immediate locking.
They indicated that the lockers are working as designed:
The locking tabs can't engage without the proper alignment - powering the locker won't make it actually lock any faster. In that case, the light may stop blinking, but the tabs may not be engaged.

I had my truck off the ground spinning the wheels by hand while a friend locked the axles with the knob. The axles lock when the light comes on, which is instantly with a bypass kit. The locking tabs engage in less than a quarter turn when the locker is powered. If you're doing figure eights that should be about 12" of wheel travel in a right or left hand turn.

[NickTF]

Like Reloader said, it's not just the lights, the lockers are locking virtually immediately. It is quite easy to tell especially in regards to the front locker as steering changes tremendously with the wheel wanting to pull straight in all but the slickest of surfaces.

You are right in the sense that there is no blinking of the engagement light with the locker bypass, the light will just turn solid as soon as you turn the nob even if at a stand still with locker not actually engaged.

The slowness of the lockers engaging in OEM configuration is most likely due to multiple parameters which must be met as laid out by the oem computer logic. The bypass does just as it says, bypasses all of that garbage.