The GM Service Manual has special instructions to "remove the pinion shaft from the case on vehicles without a locking differential" or "with a locking differential remove the shaft part way and rotate the case until pinion shaft touches the housing".
My question is how do I know if I have a locking differential??
ANY advice or helpful tips would be greatly appreciated!! Thank u in advance!!
I have a 1996 V8 5.7L, 4L60E, 10-bolt, 3.42 gear ratio, & 8.5" rear end (I'm fairly certain on that last part).
Last edited by Falsekracks; September 06th 2017 10:01 pm.
You probably have what is commonly referred to as a "govlok". The axle only locks when flyweights on the carrier get slung out ward when the differential is spinning only one tire or a few other circumstances. But you may have a dedicated position Trac, though doubtful.
One of the easiest ways to tell is to put a jack under the rearend and get both wheels off the ground. Put the tranny in neutral and spin one of the rear tires. If the opposite tire spins the same way, it's a locking differential. If the opposite tire spins the opposite direction, it's an open differential.
If this is a '1996, then it's a GMT610...an Express of Savana. Check your Service Parts ID (SPID) label for RPO G80. That's is the Eaton locking diff, as JNP described in his first two sentences. With a 610, this was the only optional diff.