Eaton ELocker Stator/Armature Service Kit Dana 44 4 Pinion

If the dash light on your Dana 44 ELocker blinks instead of staying on, the axle never locks when you flip the switch, or the locker drops out halfway up a ledge, the problem is often not the locking gears at all. It is the electromagnet that throws them. Eaton 26982-00S is the factory stator service kit for the 4-pinion Dana 44 ELocker, the unit found in many built Jeep Wrangler, Gladiator and full-size 4x4 front and rear axles. It lets you renew the coil side of the locker without buying a complete new differential.

What the stator does in a Dana 44 ELocker

Eaton describes the ELocker as an open differential with an electronically controlled lock. With the switch off it behaves like any open carrier. With the switch on, current flows through the stator, a stationary electromagnetic coil that sits on the barrel end of the case on its own bearing and does not spin with the carrier. The magnetic field drags on the ramp side of the mechanism, the ramps drive the locking collar over, and one side gear is tied solidly to the case so both axle shafts turn together. Because the stator never rotates, its lead wire can exit the housing to the harness, but it also means the coil, its bearing, and that wire take every bit of heat, gear oil and vibration the axle sees.

Per the Eaton owner's manual, normal current draw is 5 to 8 amps with a maximum under 10 amps, and the harness includes a switch, relay, fuse and diode. The 4-pinion ELocker4 is Eaton's high-torque design; Eaton notes that all of its pin-style ELockers are 2-pinion units, so this kit is for the ramp-actuated 4-pinion case, not those.

Symptoms of a worn or damaged stator

• Switch light blinks with the switch on even after the wheels have rolled, which Eaton ties to a fault in the circuit
• Locker never engages, or engages only when the axle is cold
• Lock drops out under load or over bumps, then comes back
• Repeatedly blown harness fuse, often from a pinched or chafed stator lead
• Grinding or roughness from the barrel end of the carrier, pointing to a worn stator thrust bearing
• Metal fines on the cover magnet along with any of the above

How to confirm the stator is the problem

Rule out the cheap parts first. Check the fuse, relay and switch, and look along the frame and at the housing exit for a cut or crushed wire. Then run Eaton's function check: lift one wheel, chock the other, pull the cover, put the driveline in neutral and switch the locker on. Rotate the lifted wheel. A healthy ramp-style unit locks within a few degrees and you can watch the ramp parts move as it engages. If it does not, measure current at the harness. A reading near zero with good wiring points to an open coil; a reading well above the 10-amp ceiling points to a shorted coil. Either one is a stator replacement.

Fitment

This kit is listed for the Eaton ELocker Dana 44 4-pinion. Use it on Dana 44 ELocker4 carriers such as the 19969-010 3.92-and-up front unit and the 19977-010 3.73-and-down unit. It is not for Dana 30 or Dana 35 ELockers, and the newer M220 Dana 44 ELocker is a separate design, so read the part number stamped or tagged on your existing differential before you order. If you are unsure, send us the locker part number or the vehicle year and VIN and we will check it. More Dana 44 service parts are in our rebuild kits collection.

Install notes

• The carrier has to come out. On Dana 44 ELockers the stator must come off to clear the ring gear, so the order going back together is ring gear, stator assembly, then carrier bearing.
• Pull the carrier bearing on the stator side with a puller that will not load the cage, such as our clamshell carrier bearing puller, and keep the shim stack from that side together.
• Install the new thrust bearing, race and retaining ring with the stator, then route the lead through the housing fitting so it cannot touch the ring gear.
• Reinstall with the original shims, then recheck backlash and pattern. Revolution Gear lists .006 to .010 in backlash and 60 ft-lb bearing caps as starting points for a Dana 44. A Dana 44 shim driver makes seating the shims and bearing easier.
• Eaton says the ELocker needs no lube additives. Refill with the gear oil your axle maker calls for, typically 75W-90 or 75W-140 in a Dana 44.
• Engage below 5 mph with less than 50 rpm wheel-speed difference, per Eaton, to protect the new parts.

What comes in Eaton kit 26982-00S?

Published kit listings show a stator assembly, bearing race, thrust bearing and retaining ring. It services the electromagnetic side of the locker; the locking gears and ramps are covered by separate Eaton service kits.

Will this fit my Dana 30 or Dana 35 ELocker?

No. It is specific to the Dana 44 4-pinion ELocker. Eaton sells separate service kits for Dana 30/35 and Dana 60 lockers, and the M220 Dana 44 ELocker is a different design. Match your locker part number before ordering.

My switch light blinks. Is that always the stator?

Not always. Eaton says a blinking light means the unit needs a little wheel rotation to engage or there is a fault in the circuit, usually a damaged harness or blown fuse. Check those and measure current before replacing the stator.

How much current should an ELocker draw?

Eaton lists normal draw of 5 to 8 amps and a maximum under 10 amps. A reading of zero with good wiring suggests an open coil; a reading well over 10 amps suggests a shorted coil.

Do I need to reset the gear setup after replacing the stator?

The carrier comes out, so reinstall the original shims on their own sides and recheck backlash and contact pattern before closing the cover. New bearings or a new ring gear always call for a full setup check.

What gear oil does an ELocker need?

Eaton states the ELocker requires no lube additives. Use the gear oil the axle maker specifies, usually 75W-90 or 75W-140 for a Dana 44.