Remember hearing about that bitchin' new selectable electric locker made by Eaton? It came out around the same time as the Hummer H2, and was offered as an option in the Hummer's build sheet. But whom do you know who has had one and gotten experience with it (besides your buddy with his bling H2, who probably never engaged it anyway)?
This is the Eaton E-Locker. It's been out for a while, but for--what?--like, two applications? Once it had created applications for GM axles and the Ford 8.8, Eaton chose to concentrate on other ventures within the company, and further applications of the E-Locker were shunned until a later date. But after much coaxing from the inside by aftermarket business and marketing manager Jeff Phillips, Eaton is finally releasing the E-Locker for Dana applications. The Dana 44 and Dana 60 applications will be out by the time you read this, and an AMC 20 application will be out by year's end.
The Technical
The Eaton E-Locker is an electric-locking selectable differential. It instantaneously goes from a fully open mode to a full-spool mode with the push of a dash-mounted engagement button. The E-Locker features a rebuildable design, though with precision forged gears and a lack of any external module, air compressor, or air lines, the reliability is almost unquestionable.
When activated, an electromagnet engages a ball ramp, forcing three ball bearings out of a pocket, which in turn pushes six locking pins into corresponding slots. This causes the side gears to lock to the case and prevents the spider and side gears from turning. Consequently, this locks the axleshafts to the carrier, turning a fully open differential into a full spool.