i think i know how they work but im double checking.

under torque (giving it gas) it locks up and while your coasting or in neutral then it unlocks.

thats what i thik is right i think theres more like how it will still let one tire go a little bit faster but not completly? i have no idea. your information would be nice.

also i sometimes hear loud clicks and knocks from my third members. like the lockers are binding up and suddenly releasing. is this bad? or just normal for detroits.

A Detroit is engaged all the time. When turning a corner say on dry pavement, the inner wheel side will unlock, permitting the vehicle to turn.

You'll hear a ratcheting like sound till you complete the turn and then the inside wheel side, will re-engage.

In dirt, mud, snow, ice, etc. The road surface doesn't have enough traction between it and the tire, to unlock the Detroit, hence it keep's on being locked up.

if im on rocks and one tire gets off the ground wouldnt that unlock it then? therefore making it useless?

I recently drove a 5spd 4runner with a detroit locker all over the
place, city and highway. It never felt like it unlocked and it never
had loud clicks or knocks. I could "feel" and hear a slight ratcheting
sound when making wide turns but it still felt locked. The tires would
chrip in tight turns. When accelerating or coasting i couldn't tell
much difference.

that's the beauty of the locker. both wheels will still pull at the same speed effectively pulling you over the obstacle. Mine is usually pretty quiet (mostly street driven dd) but I will occasionally have some chirping or clanking. it's kind of freaky at first but u get used to it

No it will be locked up tighter than sirhan sirhan.

the way it works is that it allows one wheel to turn faster than the other. in other words, in a turn, rather than having the outside wheel have the power like an open diff, it's the inside wheel with an auto locker.

on an obstacle, if you lift a wheel, obviously the wheel touching the ground will have to move slower than the one off the ground, so it locks up.

cool man. its just a bit scary to hear my 1200 dollar third member click and ratchet when i put it in. i always think i screwed something up