G80 (14 Bolt) Clutch's or No clutch's?

[Arnold]

Any way of finding out without pulling the cover?. I just don't feel like doing that. Option plate just says G80.
 I did a BIT of a search..online..and came to the conclusion that there
are 2 types. 1..an Eaton with No clutches..and another with clutches.
 AND A LOT! of people that have no clue what they are talking about
 It APPEARS that "G80" just means some sort of locking rear axle

 I am GUESSING no clutch's as it acts like a conventional open dif when spun by hand..

 I might have to pull the cover..and this thing too..

 The engagement of this thing is just too rude..
 I have drained it/changed it/flushed it..used the stuff GM reccommends.

 I am tired of having to back off the gas NOW! when I feel ANY slippage just to avoid how aggressive this thing is when it engages..and oh yeah..
wants to spin the truck around Any slippage now and I just put it in 4wd

  There is no noise coming from it. 2 knowledgeable mechanics that
service it now and again say that there are 2 of these G80's available for 14 bolts. One is fairly civilized..and can and do break. The other is not civilized and is pretty much indestructible. I am assuming that a 14 bolt locker in a HD 3/4 ton Police Suburban is not the civilized one

 Thanks

[58 Yeoman]

IIRC, can't you just go to a parking lot and make a few circles in one direction, then a few circles in the other direction, and that would loosen any sticking clutches...if you have them?  If you don't have them, then people will just think you're nuts.

[wayne petty]

how about an almost 5 minute video from eaton... on the G80 diff

this is a quick test with both rear wheels in the air to check function of the G80 locker.. under a minute.. and easy to check...

and the video from GM on the reasons to own a G80 equipped gm truck..

all three videos are important...

sorry.. no refunds on time spent watching them...

[Arnold]

Thanks guys

 58 Yeoman..I should have been a bit clearer. This is a later..post about
1997..rear. Around that time most GM lockers went from a locked..(held together by clutch plate spring pressure) (( and they un-locked around corners)) back to an open dif with a true limited slip. They were pretty rare before. This is an open dif..that has a speed sensitive actuator in it.
The dif stays open until one wheel spins 200rpm faster than the other. Then it locks. Some are a gear type set-up.Others are clutch type. Some a combination. I really know nothing about these later ones. The earlier ones the clutch's could be set-up stiffer. Stiff ones could sometimes be helped with additive. I have had a few factory ones that were set up so stiff that they really did not go around corners..they sort of hopped. When they did disengage/re-engage..they were as rough as a Detroit Locker.
 This particular one..I do not know if some are stiffer than others by design. I do know..and have been in vehicles that have had these lockers and they were really,really smooth..engagement. Mine is just ugly. I do not know whether there is anything wrong with it or anything that can be done.
     Soo...no..trying to loosen up the clutches by going around corners will not work on these kind of lockers as they are not locked then.

  Wayne..actually..I have already had a look at those videos. I did have a pretty good idea how they worked..I just did not know what kind I had?
OR whether mine was just nasty..or there was something wrong with it.

  Off with the cover I guess..

  Thanks again guys..

[58 Yeoman]

Thanks for the info, Arnold.