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Diff drop - not SFD


stioc
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I added a 1" spacer to my 1 yr old AC springs and am having some camber and CV binding issues. I'm pretty sure CV binding is because of the new re-manufactured CVs I got but it just occured to me if a 1-2" diff drop is possible to alleviate the CV angles regardless? I'm not near my truck so can't verify how the diff is mounted to the subframe but it's fairly common with Toyotas etc.

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thats exactly what a SFD is. the reason for it is that it lowers the cv joint angle. they've been done from 2 to 4 inches...the secondary benefit is that it also allows bigger tires as well, thereby increasing ground clearance.

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I get what a SFD is but it's not the same as a diff drop. For example in the Toyota world you can buy a $35 diff drop spacers. They only lower the diff not the whole subframe. Usually 1-2". But I suppose it depends on how the diff attaches to the subframe.

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The front diff attaches to left and right brackets which are then bolted to the subframe through rubber bushings. There really isn't very much clearance to drop either the diff or the diff+brackets, since the A-arms would hit the brackets or potentially even the inner CV joints when the suspension compresses. You can evaluate this for yourself by putting your truck up on your lift and checking the clearance between the driver's side diff-bracket and the A-arm. The clearance on the right side is similar. If you could lower the diff by fabricating new brackets, it would only be around 1/2" to 3/4".

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I get what a SFD is but it's not the same as a diff drop. For example in the Toyota world you can buy a $35 diff drop spacers. They only lower the diff not the whole subframe. Usually 1-2". But I suppose it depends on how the diff attaches to the subframe.

in our case the diff and the subframe as well as the steering rack are all kinda one interconnected unit. can't move one without the other.

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Actually it is possible to fab a drop of one inch. I did it. Allows the use of strut spacers for more ground clearance.

when you did this did you have to make a steering extension? at the moment thats the only thing stopping me from doing a sfd of 2" on mine is that nobody makes a 2" extension and kryofab (i think thats it) only makes i think a 4" and 6" drop

 

all im looking to get is enough space to fit 33s right now im running 32s with 1.5 spacer on the front and rub when full crank so a 1" diff drop and bigger coil spacers would allow me to have the height i need

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The drop he's talking about is a diff drop, which only moves the differential (and the inner CV joints) downwards, allowing for strut spacers to be used without compromising the maximum working angle of the CV axle when the suspension is unloaded. Since a diff drop does not move anything else (such as the subframe, including steering rack, etc.) there's no need for any steering extension.

 

Also, a minor subframe drop of only 2" makes it very hard to access the fasteners securing the subframe, since there's so little room to work with.

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  • 4 years later...

Alright, can anyone help me hammer out the viability of this idea? I've read (I think) every thread on this forum pertaining to a diff drop on an R50. I'm aware that @fleurys has looked into this, and I'd be interested to know what he learned. I've also heard @KiwiTerrano vaguely mention a 1" drop. Most impressively, I've seen @system_f make 3/4" drop brackets. I'd be very interested in getting something like that. Least appealing, I've also come across the idea that a diff drop bushing kit from a same year Xterra will work on an R50. There are also a few other vague or dead end mentions of a successful drop fabrication. It seems like a diff drop in the .75-1.25" range would be very desirable for all of us running the various 2-3" lifts, and based on the success of such products on other IFS vehicles, I would love to at least see some pictures of what these drop designs look like, especially how they look and function when actually installed. Maybe I’m wrong, but other than the difficulty associated with accessing the differential, this seems like a simple and cost effective way to help bulletproof a "smaller" lift against CV problems. Anyhow, thanks in advance for all your help

Edited by PathyDude17
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I made a diff drop a few years ago for my r50. its not blocks. Its two brackets that bolt into the 8 diff bolts ( 4 on each side). Its a 3-4" drop. I did it because after the lift i made for my pathfinder the cv axles were a little steep. the diff drop brought them back to near parallel to the ground.

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28 minutes ago, johann_peralta said:

I made a diff drop a few years ago for my r50. its not blocks. Its two brackets that bolt into the 8 diff bolts ( 4 on each side). Its a 3-4" drop. I did it because after the lift i made for my pathfinder the cv axles were a little steep. the diff drop brought them back to near parallel to the ground.

What kind of lift where you using this on? Was it complementing an SFD? I would be using this in conjunction with a 2-3" lift, and as I've previously read, people have estimated that you can only drop the diff by somewhere around an inch before it starts bumping into other parts on the sub frame. I was looking under my car last night, and that measurement seemed about accurate. 

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although i am running a sfd, it wasn't related or installed because of the sfd. it was a lift i built, mocking an f150 crossmember drop lift. my diff is dropped 9-10" total. the only thing i ran into was the trans support crossmember. i notched it out a little bit and then the driveshaft cleared fine. depends on the type of suspension you are running 

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Ok, I knew that your diff drop was a little different than the smaller ones people have been coming up with. I can probably build one on my own, I just would like to know as much about these as possible and maybe get a design from someone who has done it before and can confirm it works without any unforeseen issues

Edited by PathyDude17
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@johann_peralta, if you could get me pictures of what yours looks like, I’d be interested in it. I may have come across it in a thread you put together a while ago. Does your solution require the same amount of work as what other people have done to drop the diff an inch? I suppose a 3” lift with a 3” drop would actually be really useful. I guess I’m just a little confused about the route you went, seeing as yours  had a minimum height to work. Are you relocating any other parts or something?

Edited by PathyDude17
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The brackets themselves only took maybe an hour to make and 30 minutes to install. 

 

Yes. in order for mine to work, i relocated the control arms down 3-4". So when i dropped the diff down another 3-4" they stayed at the same angle.

 

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