Axle interchangeability between different R50 trims?

[whodatpopcorn]

Hey guys, recently picked up a 2001 SE 2wd with some rear end noise. The rear whines between 45-60mph, pretty noticeably, but only when on the throttle. If I let off, the whine stops. I drained the rear diff and the fluid was silver looking...thinking rear end might go out soon, so since I really dont have knowledge rebuilding diffs, I'm just gonna drop the rear end out and swap it.

 

Will any axle from 96-04 work with my 01? Do I need to have a 2wd axle or can I use one from 4x4? I understand gearing with 4x4 is different, im more concerned with bolting everything up since I have a 2wd anyway.

Thanks

[XPLORx4]

You don't need the whole rear axle, you only need the third member, which bolts to the axle housing. All R50 rear third members from all years are interchangeable, and are equipped with either 4.363 or 4.636 gearing (with or without a limited slip). If you want a direct swap, you can check the VIN plate on the firewall near your wiper motor and look for the code "HG43" or "HG46" which indicates the gearing you have. Chances are that you have HG43 (4.363:1). If you plan to install larger tires on your ride, you may want to look for a 4.636:1 third member.

[Blindaviator]

Shamelessly copied from another site:

 

 

This is all the axle codes, along with what the code in the door jamb means, and their ratios. this chart is up to 2004 also some info on swapping to different ratios and swapping open to lsd.

What Axle Do I Have?

The axle code is located on the door jamb sticker on Nissans. If it's not there, there are visual ways of determining what you have. On some older trucks it's on a plate in the engine bay above the fender well on the passenger side.

HF35 - H190 axle found in weenie 2wd Hardbodies.
HF37 - H190 axle found in weenie 2wd Frontiers
HF41 - H190 axle found in one 1996 HArdbody with KA24E and Auto trans.

CA41 - Found on 720's - This is a C200/R180 combo with 4.11 gearing. Some 720's have the smaller H190 rear end that's identified by not having a removable rear diff cover. R180 front ends in 720's are different than the Hardbody and Frontier versions, as the diff is nearly centered. 720's use unequal length halfshafts and are not interchangeable. All 1986.5+ halfshafts are interchangeable left to right.
CA43 - found on 720's and Hardbodies. C200 rear / R180 front, 4.375:1 gearing
CA46 - found on Hardbodies and 4 banger Frontiers - C200 rear / R180 front, 4.625:1 gears
CA45 - found in 2003+ Frontier 4x4's. This is a C200/R180 combination with a new gear ratio - 4.5something:1 The C200 was upgraded to 31 splines on this model from the previous 29 spline unit.

HG43 - Found on Pathfinders, V6 Hardbodies, and a few '99 Frontiers - H233B rear / R200 front, 4.375:1 gearing. On the 2000+ 33 spline axles, the HG43 has a 4.363 ratio, however this is not a common axle code on the later models.
HG46 - found on auto equipped pathfinders, 96-97 hardody 4 bangers, many Xterras and Frontiers. This one has some variation. Pre-2000 versions are the H233B axle with 4.625:1 gearing (31 spline axles). 2000+ is the H233B axle with 4.636:1 gearing (33 spline axles). Typically comes with an R200 front axle, with the exception being in the '96-97 Hardbody pickups - those had an H233B / R180 combination. Axle shafts in the H233B were 31 spline up to about 2000, where they switched to 33 spline shafts. All Xterras and R50 Pathfinders received the 33 spline axles. In Frontiers, it can be a crapshoot if you have a '99-'00 model, though it is believed that the switchover was at or near 2/00 production date.
HG49 - found in mid year 2001+ Frontiers and Xterras. H233B / R200 combo with 4.90:1 gears.

I've learned recently from posts in NICOClub that there were some Hardbody 2wd's that appear to carry the C200 axle, but I've never actually seen one. If you have one, it's a rare bird. I'd love for anyone to post up their information and describe the year and model (I4, V6, XE, SE, etc.) of the truck that carries the C200 rear in the back of a 2wd so I can update my FAQ on my website.

Locker Selection:
ARB lockers are available for the older 30 spline C200's and all H233b's. They're also avaialble for the R200 front, however no traction device is out there for the R180.
Calmini LSD's will work in an R200 front. (A Calmini LSD is a slightly modified '87-89 Turbo 300ZX LSD)
Lockrights will only work in the older 31 spline H233B.
Detroit used to make a locker for the older 31 spline H233B, but those are getting scarce.
Up to 4.875:1 gearing is available for C200's and R180's. Up to 5.143 gearing can be had for H233B's and R200's. AC and SLR are the two companies offering gears, or you may be able to get them through Nismo.

Let's say you don't have the doorjamb sticker.
H190 - small 3rd member type axle found in 2wd's only (excluding Desert Runners, Xterras, pathfinders)
C200 - removable rear diff cover, 8 bolts. Found in all Nissans (yes, even a few early 2wd Pathfinders)
H233B - large 3rd member type axle found in most V6 and a few 4 banger 4x4's, Desert Runners, and 2wd Pathy's and 2wd Xterra V6's.

Other notes:
The H233B 3rd member changed from 9 bolts to 11 studs to hold it to the housing beginning with the 1990 models. Somewhere along this time (maybe around 6/89, the bolts holding the ring gear to the carrier changed from 10mm to 12mm, making a difference in replacement gear sets.

What do the numbers mean?
The number in the axle model indicates the size of the ring gear in mm.
R180 - 180mm ring gear
H190 - 190mm ring gear
C200 / R200 - 200mm ring gear
H233B - 233mm ring gear (yes, that's about 9.25"!)

How do I figure out my gear ratio?
Put a jack under the diff and get both wheels under the ground. Draw a chalk line on the tires where they would contact the ground. Rotate BOTH tires by hand at the same speed one exact revolution while counting revolutions of he driveshaft. Just under 4 1/2 turns will indicate the 4.375:1 gears. Just a bit over 4 1/2 turns would indicate 4.625:1 or 4.636:1 gearing. If you have a late model, just a tick under 5 turns of the DS would indicate 4.90 gears.

LSD or open?
If you lost the sticker, get that jack back under the diff. Turn a wheel with the truck in neutral. If the other wheel spins in the opposite direction, you have an open diff. If it spins in the same direction, you likely have some sort of traction device - probably an LSD.

Additional Contributions:
Contribued by OnlyOneDR on N4W:
Tractions aids can be found for the R180 in the 720, Nismo, Quaife, Kaaz, and Cusco sell LSDs, mostly because the R180 was under the earlier Zs and newer Subarus. Not sure if you can swap the bolt retainer in from an open R180A carrier to get it to bolt into an HB or Frontier axle. I did that trick to get my 300ZX lsd into my R200A.
The HB and Frontier front axles are "A" axles, (e.g. R200A, R180A). The A designates an offset carrier. The R200/R180 are different because it is centered and does not have axle tubes on either side.

Contributed by OffroadX of N4W, AC, and XOC notoriety:
I'm not sure that the A in R200A etc. indicates an offset diff, from what I gather, it indicates a short-pinion diff. The Patrol uses offset front (and even rear) H233 diffs, but they're not designated H233A. I have seen in the Nismo catalog that the R180A was developed with a shorter pinion (by 120mm) to reduce driveline angles vs. the regular R180.

The R180A axle designation is RB
The R200A axle designation is RC
C200 and R200A gears ARE INTERCHANGEABLE. Yes, the same part numbers are used for the same ratios in the Nismo catalog for both diffs.

Best I can tell, 10mm ring gear bolts were phased out of the H233B diffs 6/86.

There are 5.571 and 5.875 gears available from Nissan/Nismo for the H233B

Regarding the H233B, the ONLY difference in Nismo 5.14 gears are at the 1990 model year. There were originally only gears for pre-90 diffs. AC sold a modified version of those for post-90 diffs, but a couple of years ago Nissan finally started making 5.14 gears for the 90+ diffs. 4.90 Xterra gears will go into any 90+ diff too

 

[bushnut]

btw all R50s have a whinny rear end.

[Bunchie]

Well MINE doesn't whine-it just rattles a lot now but that's a entirely different issue-lol and when I drained both diffs, what came out, definitely WASN'T silvery-Silvery...yeah, THAT'S BAD!!

[whodatpopcorn]

btw all R50s have a whinny rear end.

Mine is pretty loud though...around 50 mph I cant even drown it out with the radio unless the volume is somewhat high...

 

Weird thing is, the noise get quieter the faster I go...

[kdj]

I've had two R50's and have never heard a noise from either rear end unless they are dragging over a rock.

Edited February 18, 2017 by kdj

[hawairish]

Hey guys, recently picked up a 2001 SE 2wd with some rear end noise. The rear whines between 45-60mph, pretty noticeably, but only when on the throttle. If I let off, the whine stops. I drained the rear diff and the fluid was silver looking...thinking rear end might go out soon, so since I really dont have knowledge rebuilding diffs, I'm just gonna drop the rear end out and swap it.

 

Posted a reply on NICO, but to recap here, your 2wd has a 2-piece driveshaft that uses a center support bearing, common to all RWD Nissans cars and trucks. They even used the same part across the board, p/n 37521-6P026. OEM replacements can be had for $25-$40, and it's a straightforward job. I'd pull the driveshaft down first and confirm it spins freely.

[03TroutFinder]

Question on this for the knowledgeable!

 

I've found a LSD rear axle and the current owner is checking on the gearing for me to determine compatibility.

 

My rear axle code is HG43, so 4.363 gearing.

 

My question(s):

 

If the LSD rear end I found is 4.636 gearing, what else would be needed to make it work? From what I read, it's a direct replacement but am unsure of any other things to take into account.

 

Is it that big of a deal to swap it out? I'm currently running 32's. Does this matter?

 

I'm not into hard core off roading so no need to spend the $$$ on a locker but would like the benefit of the LSD when wheeling in the mountains.

 

How much would a good price be for it, assuming it's in good overall condition. Being sold as an entire axle, not just the 3rd member.

 

Thanks,

 

Jeff

 

 

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[TowndawgR50]

You'll need the front 4.6 diff to make it work. Cant run a 4.3 front diff with a 4.6 rear axle. otherwise everything is the same

[jjonez]

I know the lower shock mounts on the axle changed orientation at some point in the R50 run, changing the angle of the shocks in relation to the body. I'm not sure if the upper shock mounts changed accordingly or if they stayed compatible with both designs. Hopefully someone can confirm. But depending on the years of the trucks in question that is something to consider. Unless of course you're just swapping out the third member and junking the rest.

Edited May 1, 2018 by jjonez

[jjonez]

I've got my own question while this thread is alive

 

I have an LSD 4.3 rear and one day want to swap in a 4.6. Does the third member I find have to be LSD as well to be compatible with the rest of my axle? Or can I just swap over everything from the 4.3 third member to the 4.6 and be good? Sorry I should really do my homework on how all this stuff works haha.

 

I'm also interested in beefing up the LSD at the same time since I've read about people doing that.

Edited May 1, 2018 by jjonez