front locker/flashing light and wheel size

[toolsplus]

my front lockers engaging and disengaging but the light stays flashing when engaged]
any clues where to start lads ?

my 8o's a 1992 and can take 15'' or 16'' rims
i'm gona buy some new steel rims
what size should i go for and why?

cheers

 

[karl webster]

Will prob just be the locker switch on the locker.

 

[Chris]

Yes, most likely the detent switch. They're a common failure. When it's the back one, it won't let your front locker engage. But if the front one goes you'll get the symptoms described. 27mm socket on the switch, pull it out and try a meter across it for continuity. Try some spray in there and a good wiggle and a clean. Generally though when they're dead they're dead I find.

 

[toolsplus]

thanks lads

any thoughts on the wheel sizes?

cheers

 

[clivehorridge]

Yes, most likely the detent switch. They're a common failure. When it's the back one, it won't let your front locker engage. But if the front one goes you'll get the symptoms described. 27mm socket on the switch, pull it out and try a meter across it for continuity. Try some spray in there and a good wiggle and a clean. Generally though when they're dead they're dead I find.

Interested to read your comment above Chris.

Despite being old and infirm and somewhat I do have a different experience on my 80, where the rear locker indicator continues to flash (despite it being locked in practice) when the front locker does engage and the front locker indicator light becomes solid. I suppose there could be another electrical fault other than the detention switch, or another explanation, but I've not bothered to investigate it because the lockers work as they should, and that's all that counts for me.

Oh, and BTW, "it's only an HZJ Euro spec so it doesn't count" is not an acceptable explanation to me

 

[Chris]

That's interesting Clive and I am not for one second questioning that. The system as I understand works on a cascade and should not allow the front locker to lock unless the rear has locked and the detent is the only way of it knowing this has happened. I can't see how, but I wonder if our modifications to the CDL operation have affected this.

Or maybe I'm just wrong. It had to happen sooner or later

 

[clivehorridge]

That's interesting Clive and I am not for one second questioning that. The system as I understand works on a cascade and should not allow the front locker to lock unless the rear has locked and the detent is the only way of it knowing this has happened. I can't see how, but I wonder if our modifications to the CDL operation have affected this.

Or maybe I'm just wrong. It had to happen sooner or later

The cascade principle makes sense, and of course it starts with engaging the CDL first. But I had these symptoms well before I disconnected the low range auto CDL connector.

It could be that somehow the rear detention is working on mine and giving a signal to the front, it could be a fault after that between that point and the dash light or the ECU (assuming there is an ECU on my cheapo sub-standard 80)

Maybe I'll get around to tracking down the fault, but it's unlikely, it hasn't bothered me in the last 10 years of ownership....

Perish the thought that you may be wrong Chris, never doubted your word so far, no need for that to change

 

[Chris]

I might never have been wrong before Clive but it's certainly been pointed out that I've been mistaken a fair few times.

 

[karl webster]

I don't know if all the 80s are the same. I have had the fronts working without the rears being engaged though.
I always thought the front shouldn't go in without the rear as Chris States.

 

[IRLGW]

I know there were times when my rear locker was removed that the front still engaged but all lights were flashing! I decided not to mess if it was technically all working.


p.s whats going on with the emoticons- just had an experience that made me check my tea hadn't been spiked. can we have the old ones back and are google paying for the google one?

 

[Chris]

Curiouser and curiouser ..

 

[toolsplus]

any thoughts on the wheel sizes lads?

i've got the smaller brakes on my 1992 4.2D
so i can fit 15'' or 16'' steel rims

what size should i go for and why?

cheers

 

[karl webster]

any thoughts on the wheel sizes lads?

i've got the smaller brakes on my 1992 4.2D
so i can fit 15'' or 16'' steel rims

what size should i go for and why?

cheers

In the UK anything that I have I usually take the 15s off and fit the standard 16ich alloys. Personally I think they look a lot better.

I expect the way for you to decide would see what the tyre costs and availability are.

 

[ByronJ]

any thoughts on the wheel sizes lads?

i've got the smaller brakes on my 1992 4.2D
so i can fit 15'' or 16'' steel rims

what size should i go for and why?

cheers

I have 16" wheels on my 1991 80 series with the smaller brakes and BFG AT's 285 x 75. I fitted them for the increased axle ground clearance and because the 15" looked odd with with the 3"lift. I calculated this arrangement puts around 13% more effort onto the brakes than stock wheels/tyres (ignoring weight). The car does require more effort on the pedal but the car does stop and passes its MOT no problem.

On a very long descent in Morocco I overheated the brakes and lost all stopping ability when the fluid boiled. Once the system cooled down all was fine. There was plenty of warning this was about to happen (smell of pads burning) but I did not realise the consequences would be so severe. Now I know and will avoid.

My 1994 80 with the larger brakes is much easier to stop and ideally I would change the 1991 car to the larger brakes. I doubt I will bother though unless I have to change the rotors for another reason as after 35,000 miles I have never failed to stop. My right leg may be slightly more developed than my left though...

PS Why steel wheels? They are significantly heavier than alloy and the extra rotational force adds to the braking effort required...

Byron

 

[toolsplus]

thanks for that

i just think that steels look better, and with 15'' tyres you get more height in the tyre ie more rubber
plus 15'' tyres are cheaper and easier to find,new and secondhand

16'' wheels do have more clearance to the calipers tho'

 

[Gary820]

I run the stock 16" alloy as an everyday wheel but for my 35's they're on 15" steel rims. I've got to use 6mm spacers with the -44mm offset to clear the brakes. I had the 35's before the 80.

The wheel rim isn't actually that heavy in comparison to the stock alloy tbh.

The 16's will be coming off and probably staying off anyway

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

the front locker is independent of the rear apart from the fact the switch has to be turned to the position that activates them both.

 

[Chris]

Well there you go. Never had an 80 with a non working rear locker so not experienced that. I guess when I think about it now, I have had the front lock before the back. So basically I've been talking bollox right from the start. Just always assumed that the rear had to at least fire even if it didn't lock.

Whaddya mean nothing new there then ....

 

[Yawood]

Regarding the wheel size... I have a 1991 HDJ80 with 15" wheels which I am going to change to 16" and upgrade the brakes. One reason for this is to fit 185/75R16 tyres which, together with the 16" rims, will give me an additional 0.925" (23.5mm) clearance. WRT the brakes you can get by with just upgrading the fronts as the rear calipers are the same on both models but I'm going the get the bigger rotors on the rear as well. Strictly speaking the master cylinder and the proportioning valve are different also but not to the extent where they will need to be changed. When I do the change I'll write it up as a tech article.

 

[clivehorridge]

Well there you go. Never had an 80 with a non working rear locker so not experienced that. I guess when I think about it now, I have had the front lock before the back.

So basically I've been talking bollox right from the start.

Just always assumed that the rear had to at least fire even if it didn't lock.

Whaddya mean nothing new there then ....