Some of you on here know the last 2months of saga I've had with my JK ever since getting gears and a auto locker in frt installed. I've had a strange dry bearing type noise coming from the underneath frt of the jeep ever since a reputable shop did the installation. 1 week down for the gear/locker install. 2 weeks of driving around without a frt ds because the guys said it wasn't the locker or gears. Got new ds, same noise. Brought it to the dealer thinking it was the TC, they replaced all bearings and seals and chain. Still same noise, they said it was the frt locker. It was there a month. Took it back to the shop that did the gears, they said it wasn't the gears or the locker it was the TC. They also told me they had contacted Richmond gears and that they've had no probs of the sort with lockrights(auto locker ) in JK's. Their gear guy is supposed to tear into my TC tomorrow cause they think that's where the prob is. It's been there over 2 weeks now UUHHHHGGGHH! Meanwhile, today I emailed Richmond today, their response was that they don't make a "next gen" D-30 auto locker for the JK yet. I mailed back for a response to my situation and what the shop(who is one of their dealers) has told me and breifly described my situation. Waiting for a response, will probably get one tomorrow. Needles to say, I'm one unhappy camper at this point. I HATE WHEN SOMEONE LIES TO ME!!!! Part of me says to let them tear the TC down only to find nothing wrong, and part of me says I don't want them F'in with it anymore, and the other part (The US Marine in me) tells me to go in there with the email from Richmond and F somebody up. Maybe do all three? I dunno, just ranting here, but no one on here should get a lockright for their D30 until they have one that's compatible. Just thought I'd let ya'll know.

 

mk I feel for ya man...the entire situation sucks balls and I'm sorry for your luck. As horrible as it sounds....would you consider just driving it until something finally gives the ghost? with the amount of time down, and potential cost (not sure if there is one for you) of having it continually looked at by your shops...maybe just give 'er hell and see what finally gives??

 

i wouldnt let the shop open the TC. if the noise started after they worked on it most likely they screw something up. it would make more sense for them to go over their own work. they should open up the front diff and go over it. if you let them open up the TC you are setting your self up for more headaches.

 

damn that sucks, So I guess they never really contacted Richmond.....I'd go down there pissed off with the email, wait to see what the email tomorrow says though.

when I asked yesterday about if they took the locker out, I meant did they take it out and drive it without the locker, not just to inspect it thats what I think I would make them do

 

I think they just took it out and inspected it, called Richmond and checked clearences and such. I personally think that they're working on the assumption that our D-30 is the same as the TJ's and can't figure out that the lockright for TJ D30 is not the same for the JK D30. Since they can't find anything visually or clearence wise wrong, they think it's something else and that it's a coinsidence that something went wrong at the same time they did the install. Uh, there's got to be a reason that Richmond says they don't have a locker for the JK D30. Bet I'm the guienie pig for them(the shop) finding out. I had asked them to take the locker out and put my spider gears back in and see if it was the locker, but since they found nothing wrong with the locker, so they didn't do that.

 

Sorry to hear about your issue MK. I would not let that shop touch it anymore. It sounds like they don't know their ass from their elbow if they are trying to tell you its the TC when the noise started after they installed the gears. Any other shops by you?

 

That's the closest shop, 50 miles away, supposed to know their shit, I dunnonothin but jeeps there all the time.

 

That sucks.

Years ago I had a Ford Escort wagon.
Took it in to the dealer for an oil change, guy came in handed me the keys and "here" and wandered off.
I went out started it, the noise from the valves was so loud!
I turned it off, checked the oil, hmmmm oil in it.
I walked back in and talked to the manager "Good thing it's still under warrenty huh!"
I was so pissed.
Found out a couple years ago they were doing warrenty work by creating problems like this. They lost their dealership.
So I figure they ran it without oil so they could do the work.

 

I hope you at least feel a little better after our talk tonight. I know I didn't really offer a solution, but I think what you're about to do is the right thing. You may be without Jeep a tad longer, but at least you're probably fixin to find once and for all where the noise is coming from.

 

When you turn your steering wheel, does it make a grinding/popping noise? (Also feels like the steering wheel "skips"). Either at a standstill or low speeds?