Whats the correct procedure for using diff locks ? Ie can you engage whilst in motion etc or should you engage from a parked position ? At what max speed should you disengage ? 
the general gist is no you have to be at a complete stand still or the gearbox will jump out of it’s mountings and set about you with what’s left of the diff
i use the rule if i need diff lock’s to get in somewhere then the truck ain’t goin in there
to engage stop truck engage diff lock get out of what ever your stuck in keeping the speed down (they dnt like high speed’s either )stop dissengage diff lock the light will sometimes stay on but it should go off once you engage a gear to set off again
In response to the first part, no you cant engage them while the lorry is in motion,i think im right in saying that newer lorrys have a fail safe on them that if you accidently engage them while driving,it wont actually engage them so you wont blow the diffs to bits like older wagons,not that id know 
so yeah,the best way is to anticipate you surroundings and decide if your goin to need them and engage them from a standstill before you attempt abit of off roading,although if you are stuck you can engage them and as long as it isnt to bad they should pull you out by using differents methods of acceleration,sometimes putting it in crawler gear and letting it just tick over works far better than revving the nuts out of it.
Dis-engaging them is ok to do when on the move, i normally just flick them off just as ive got myself out of the sticky stuff and get the feel that i can keep it goin without the diffs in, so just flick them off as im still moving,on scanias they wont actually dis-engage untill your goin in a straight line,
hope thats answered it for ya mate
gav:
In response to the first part, no you cant engage them while the lorry is in motion,i think im right in saying that newer lorrys have a fail safe on them that if you accidently engage them while driving,it wont actually engage them so you wont blow the diffs to bits like older wagons,not that id know
Dis-engaging them is ok to do when on the move, i normally just flick them off just as ive got myself out of the sticky stuff and get the feel that i can keep it goin without the diffs in, so just flick them off as im still moving,on scanias they wont actually dis-engage untill your goin in a straight line,
hope thats answered it for ya mate
What do you mean you cant engage diff locks while on movement. Is that a law or something?
Here in northern europe we us diff locks daily during the winter times. The only “rule” I know of is that the wheels must not spin while putting the diff lock on.
In new Volvos with EBS you don´t have to worry about that either, the EBS system stops the wheels from spinning and then attaches the diff lock…
If it weren’t for diff locks and raisable/easable tail axles there wouldn’t be any lorrys on the road during the wintertime
gonzothejaffa1:
the general gist is no you have to be at a complete stand still or the gearbox will jump out of it’s mountings and beat you to a pulp with what’s left of the diff
sound about right to me LOL
ROBBE thats what i was meaning, not that you cant move with diffs in, that would just be a pointless excersize really, im fully aware of how they work as i drive a 8 wheeler tipper on muckshifting and go in to some pretty crappy tips
Thanks for that, GAV thats what im looking into right now, muckshifting i mean, if you have any tips for a newby could you PM me or post here if you like thanx. I think the truck is a Scania 05 onwards.
no probs mate,il give you a full run down tomorrow unless someone beats me to it,but im up in 4 hours so aint really got time to give a detailed description
Robbe:
What do you mean you cant engage diff locks while on movement. Is that a law or something?Here in northern europe we us diff locks daily during the winter times. The only “rule” I know of is that the wheels must not spin while putting the diff lock on.
In new Volvos with EBS you don´t have to worry about that either, the EBS system stops the wheels from spinning and then attaches the diff lock…
So in both cases, the wheels aren’t moving are they? So they don’t engage when the wheels are moving do they, which is what he said.
And lorry drivers wonder why people call them stupid…
Spin as in wheel spin , Loss of traction …
The wheels are in motion when the lock is engaged .
Conor:
Robbe:
What do you mean you cant engage diff locks while on movement. Is that a law or something?Here in northern europe we us diff locks daily during the winter times. The only “rule” I know of is that the wheels must not spin while putting the diff lock on.
In new Volvos with EBS you don´t have to worry about that either, the EBS system stops the wheels from spinning and then attaches the diff lock…So in both cases, the wheels aren’t moving are they? So they don’t engage when the wheels are moving do they, which is what he said.
And lorry drivers wonder why people call them stupid…
Well, the wheels are moving… But both are moving in the same speed so there is no prob with attaching the diff lock…
gav:
no probs mate,il give you a full run down tomorrow unless someone beats me to it,but im up in 4 hours so aint really got time to give a detailed description
Cheers, a mate of mine did 3 days last week for someone he knows and he found that he couldn’t see the easy sheet going on from his cab and said a remote version would be better, he said it would easily get torn if things were sticking up.
Don’t worry Robbe , you will get used to Conor …He pops in now and again to call people stupid , so desperate to do it that he barely reads the information presented in front of him , brainfarts , calls someone thick or stupid and then makes himself like an Idiot .
Failing that he will pick on spelling and punctuation …
I think he uses a forum where you can swear as well , so be careful …
Robbe:
Conor:
Robbe:
What do you mean you cant engage diff locks while on movement. Is that a law or something?Here in northern europe we us diff locks daily during the winter times. The only “rule” I know of is that the wheels must not spin while putting the diff lock on.
In new Volvos with EBS you don´t have to worry about that either, the EBS system stops the wheels from spinning and then attaches the diff lock…So in both cases, the wheels aren’t moving are they? So they don’t engage when the wheels are moving do they, which is what he said.
And lorry drivers wonder why people call them stupid…
Well, the wheels are moving… But both are moving in the same speed so there is no prob with attaching the diff lock…
Dead right Robbe, I understood what you meant and I think Conor jumped in with both feet before engaging his thought process fully. In the old days though without all this new fangled stuff it was a definite no no on the move so my advice to the OP is stop first unless the boss tells you differently.
My brother, many years ago, drove for miles on a hard road with the difflock engaged. He’d never heard of one before but did wonder why it kept trying to go straight on at corners. 
As was not unknown in those days the boss surveyed the damage, shrugged his shoulders and told him not to do it again. This was Oscar Dixon of Dixon’s of Derby and the motor was an F86, probably one of the first to have a difflock as standard in the UK.
Conor:
And lorry drivers wonder why people call them stupid…
You said it. 
Any other comments, what about roll on roll off skip waggons ? avoid or good job ?
Abit of useful information, but if the diff lock wont release after you have turned it off, try reversing for a few metres.
And if it still doesnt come out, try turning the engine off [ - this usually helps if the solonoids are a bit dodgy ]
it is very bad for the diff lock to be driven engaged on roads, and it makes turning mor difficult for you.