How Does a Differential Locker Work?

By Justin Banner - August 25, 2014

DetroitLocker
You hear the term thrown around a lot in the Four-Wheel Drive world: the differential locker. It’s a mechanical means to get both wheels locked and spinning at the same rate and still offer drivable performance while making turns, but how does this work? We’ll take you through how the locker works and how it benefits you in this article.

Your OEM differential is known as an “open” differential and it is designed to allow the outside wheel to travel further than the inside so you can make your turn.

It does so with the spider gears located inside the carrier and allows the wheel on the outside of the turn to move faster.

Problem is that when you’re off-roading your tire with less traction will be allowed to spin thanks to that same design. How do you fix that? One popular and easy way is to replace the spider gears with a locker setup.

There are several companies who create a locker style and they will either operate like the original Detroit Locker or a variation of it.

However, they all work on a similar principal. On forward driving, the teeth inside the assembly will drive both wheels at the same speed.

When turning, the teeth or ramps will allow the outside wheel to over-speed and spring will return the differential to lock after wheel speeds equalize.

Take a look at the videos below to see how a Eaton Detroit Locker works and how a Richmond Gear Lock Right takes a different spin on this action.

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