Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 20:08:58 -0600
Reply-To: Ken Hooper <bighouse@TYPE2.COM>
Sender: Vanagon mailing list <Vanagon@Gerry.SDSC.EDU>
From: Ken Hooper <bighouse@TYPE2.COM>
Subject: Re: Locking Differential[via LSMTP - see www.lsoft.com]
In-Reply-To: <199711210420.VAA11527@yiff.azaccess.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>Just so Ken doesn't think he's going nuts, I too remember hearing
>something like this.
Got it now. Mr Ainlay advises that he has updates to come, but here is the
original:
>Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 18:26:13 -0700
>Reply-To: tma3dlrd@slip.net
>Sender: TYPE2@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM
>From: "Thomas M. Ainlay" <tma3dlrd@slip.net>
>Subject: Stay away from the LockRight
>Comments: To: Type II list <type2@type2.com>
>MIME-Version: 1.0
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
>
>>
>> For the late Bus/Vanagon the only affordable choice is a PowerTrax
>> LockRight auto locker. This is likely the route I may go, cheap
>> $250
>
>Stay away from the LockRight!!!! I too thought it would be great to
>have a limited slip diff and when it came time for a rebuild I opted for
>the LockRight. That was a $600.00 mistake. Here are the gory details:
>
>I ordered a LockRight from Weddle Engineering and was told that there
>was a 30 day back order. What I wasn't initially told was that
>Powertrax was having quality control problems. As the delay increased
>past one month the real reason was unveiled to me by Weddle. That
>should have been the warning sign for me to cancel my order. It turns
>out that Powertrax got a bad batch of LockRights from the heat treater
>and had sent the remaining units back to be heat treated again and then
>tested to see if they could be salvaged. I was told by Weddle that the
>units ended up being scrapped and that they were waiting to receive
>another shipment. Finally the rebuilder received the Lockright and a
>few days later I was installing my freshly rebuilt 091 trans. The very
>first turn I took there was this loud snapping sound from the trans and
>the van lurched violently in the rear. I contacted Powertrax and was
>informed that since I was using Redline MT 90 oil that the
>engagement/disengagement would be more pronounced due to the thin nature
>of that oil. Other than that the MT 90 was sufficient for use with the
>LockRight and should cause no other problems besides what I had
>experienced. Two days of driving brought the car to a standstill. The
>LockRight as well as my freshly rebuilt trans were toast. I'm talking
>about the 1/2" diameter chunks of broken gear teeth kind of toast. I
>had to remove the trans and take it back to the rebuilders again to the
>tune of an additional $600. When I contacted Weddle they said that they
>could only refund my purchase for the lockright and that I would have to
>take my claim to Powertrax for the $600 out of pocket for the additional
>rebuild. I did just that and was treated to a rather surprising
>result. Powertrax's response was that I must have been using the
>Lockright for something other than it's intended purpose. Let me get
>this straight, they advertise this design as having been tested on Dodge
>M37 trucks but it can't survive a bone stock '72 VW bus? Powertrax
>claims that they are not liable for any incidental damage caused by
>their products. I disagree since there is an implied sense that their
>units won't completely fail in two days of normal street driving. I
>could see it their way if the unit failed after a long period of service
>or during extreme use but not after two days! In reality the LockRight
>in my tranny failed from the very first moment I ran the vehicle and to
>me that violates the implied warranty that the unit is made to handle
>extreme conditions of offroad racing. Of course they didn't even
>mention the fact that they had just had a serious recall of these
>units. Needless to say I am seriously considering small claims court in
>order to recover the additional costs. After my experience with the
>LockRight I would consider the advantages of the Quaiff design well
>worth $1000 if indeed they are actually making a diff for the 091.
>
>Thomas
--Ken
68 Westy, Admin -- type2 -- The VW Bus Mailing List
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