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This is for anyone wanting to “repack” their H233B clutch-based limited-slip differential (LSD). It applies to C200 and H190A LSDs, too. It does not apply to other Nissan/Infiniti RWD/AWD diffs, such as the viscous LSD in R200V. It won’t cover the specific how-to’s of differential removal, setup, or installation, but will cover the basic assembly process. (I’ll answer any questions related to those topics, though.) All specific information (instructions, service data, torque specs, etc.) is in the “Propeller Shaft and Differential Carrier” (PD) chapter of the Factory Service Manual (FSM), and I’ll expect you to read it; there’s a section specifically for H233B LSDs. FSMs are available at https://www.nicoclub.com/nissan-service-manuals. Table of Contents LSD 101 Technical Objective Repacking Assembly Testing Some Q&A first... Do you have a LSD? With very few exceptions, LSDs were not standard equipment. You probably have one if: There’s an orange sticker with “LSD OIL” verbiage on the backside of the axle’s diff hump. Any of these test conditions are true (if there’s no distinguishable resistance, or if test #3 is false, then it’s an open diff): Transmission in neutral, one tire off the ground, spin the tire slowly; there’s resistance before the driveshaft rotates. Transmission in park/gear, both tires off the ground, spin one tire slowly; there’s resistance before the other tire spins in the opposite direction. Transmission in neutral, both tires off the ground, spin one tire slowly; the other tire spins in the same direction while the driveshaft rotates You’re cool enough to have the window sticker and it lists it. I shouldn’t have to mention to chock the front wheels and disengage the parking brake when testing, but there it is. What LSD configuration do you have? This boils down to “what truck do you have?”, since it’ll determine what configuration you have, what improvements can be made, and which parts/donors will help the most. What if you have an open diff but want LSD? You’ll need the entire LSD carrier from a truck with the same spline count. You don’t “need” the entire 3rd member, just the carrier, unless it’s got the gears you want. In most cases, the entire 3rd is easier to obtain. What donor trucks can you use? Pieces can come from any 2004 or older LSD, except Patrols. You should mainly limit this search to only WD21, D21, 00-02 Xterra, and 01-02 Frontiers. If you already have an LSD, the spline count on the donor is irrelevant. What’s your budget? Expect to pay $75-$500 for LSD carriers or complete 3rd members from local junkyards or eBay. If you want new OE pieces, some are still out there for $40-$50/ea (and you typically buy in pairs), but Nissan has discontinued the pieces. There are also other costs (fluids/oils, gaskets, seals, bearings, tools, etc.). Are you considering a gear swap? Make that decision since you’ll have the 3rd member down and apart. For R50 owners, you can get 01-02 Frontier or Xterra rear diffs with the same 4.363 and 4.636 gears and a desirable LSD configuration, but you’ll still need to find a 96-00 R50 to get the front gears if going to 4.636. All H233B 3rd members can be swapped to any other H233B axle housing, as long as the number of mounting studs and splines are the same. What’s your mechanical aptitude? Dropping the differential can be done with hand tools in an hour or so, provided no issues with hardware or rust. It’s a 70lb chunk of metal, so don’t drop it on your face. Rebuilding a diff can also be done with hand tools, but there are some specialty tools and knowledge required. Disregarding certain steps of the process can lead to noise and possibly failure. However, it’s highly unlikely you’ll find a shop willing to do this work, including 4wd and differential shops that do gears all day long. Don’t let those Jeep shops touch your truck; they’ll just fskc everything up, I promise. A Nissan dealerhip probably won’t do this work, either (at least not to the specificity discussed here). Consider this a DIY or HAFDIFY (have a friend do it for you) job. Is it difficult? On a scale of 1-10, I’ll put it around 7. It’s probably an all-day task for the average Joe/Jane, on par with changing out a timing belt or chain. The advantage is you can do much of the work on a bench, but the disadvantages are needing some specialty tools and the smell of gear oil. The job also involves bleeding the brakes, among other basic wrenching tasks. Is it worth it? If you off-road, yes. Even a weak LSD is better than an open diff any day. It’s not a locker (I don’t care what you or Nissan calls it—it’s not a locker), but it’ll act like one until it can’t. Although this guide is geared for off-road use, a moderate rebuild would do well on the street. It’s more affordable than a locker...however, requires as much work as installing one. So, if you’re on the bubble and the price of a locker is within reach, and you want max traction, consider getting an actual locker.

Your spring options are kinda limited for the r50. The landrover springs only fit the back. Old man emu OME, doninson, ironman 4x4, all have sets that will lift you about 1.5in. 4x4parts (AC) has a set that will give you 2in. A lot of us run AC in front and the LR defender springs in back. I added OME struts to that combo as they are longer than stock and prevent topping out the strut on the trail. I have the longest LR spring in the back (forgot the part #), it gave me a slight rake but should even out when i add a swingout gate to my bumper, plus i like the extra departure angle it gives me. Hope that helps. Have fun with the build. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hey gang, Over the last 18 months I've really come to love my WD21 Pathfinder! So many quirks and features. If you were going to do a "Doug DeMuro style" review of your WD21, what quirks and features would you point out? I can think of a few, perhaps specific to my SE-V6 w/ Power Package It has a spoiler... haha You can engage the windshield washer without actually using the wiper blades Rear armrests on the outside, and seatbelt clips to keep the buckles nice and organized those LEGO wheels tho My 1992 doesn't have a check engine light... not that it's broken or depopulated, it just never came with one. period. gotta check those blinky lights on the computer! two tier roofline as a precursor to the 1st gen Xterras Old school switch-activated cruise control Gotta press that little button to get the key out - classic japanese style The triple "nostrils" on the grill "hidden" rear door handles Maybe if I collect enough I'll make a 'tribute video' on YouTube.... haha Cheers from sunny Colorado!

Technical Objective The purpose of repacking is to increase the breakaway torque of the LSD, or the amount of torque required to rotate one side gear while the other remains stationary. I will use the following codes and symbols to describe stack configurations: This picture shows two different configurations: The top stack will be described as “5FD, 6FP, 2SS” and conveyed as: G1234567890123 GPDPDPDPDPDPSS #|O|O|O|O|O|() The bottom stack will be described as “2FD, 9FP, 2SS” and conveyed as: G1234567890123 GPDPDPPPPPPPSS #|O|O|||||||() The first row just indicates the piece position (1-13) relative to the side gear. I’m providing two conventions because some people might see one better than the other. All the springs will have the same code and symbol, but I will still describe them separately, making special notes about using them (in general, use SPs and SDs instead of SS if you have them). Note, too, there will be a distinction of spring orientation. Configurations will be described as a single stack. A typical stack consists of 11 friction pieces and 2 springs, or 13 pieces, so the LSD will then have 22 friction and 4 springs, or 26 total pieces. A breakdown of H233B (and some C200) configurations: This table is primarily of US-market models, compiled using publicly available FSM data. While it’s fairly comprehensive, it lacks data from international markets. It excludes Patrols because the 90+ LSD is completely different (similar in concept, though), despite still being H233B. Terrano and Navara owners can generally use Pathfinder and Hardbody/Frontier numbers, respectively, but expect possible differences (as noted by the 2002 Terrano), including the use of C200 axles in older applications. Terrano II owners are on their own, as I know nothing about them, but the numbers look extremely promising. Although many models also had C200 axles, those listings are omitted if the FSM does not indicate a LSD existed, or if it lacks specs for it (for example, 03-04 Xterra FSM lists an optional C200 LSD, but provides no specs, unlike the 03-04 Frontier FSM which does). The most obvious observation is that WD21/D21 trucks—and apparently Terrano R50 and II R20 (wtf, Nissan?)—got far better LSDs than 2003-04 trucks did. The ratings were attributed to the parts used, which is what the rest of the chart shows. Older configurations maximized friction, while newer configurations practically eliminated it. It’s also obvious that similar configurations produced dissimilar results, and dissimilar configurations produced similar results. Rather than try to justify what torque range is best, the real goal of this document is to make a unit that is presumptively “best” given all parts on hand. Since most people won’t have means to test the LSD, results will be entirely subjective anyway. From my experience, a basic repack using the “optimal” configuration has yielded around 140-160 ft-lbs, which is respectable given the parts used. I also ran a repacked unit testing around 165 ft-lbs and found it to be very streetable with off-road improvements, especially when it was paired with a front Lokka. From a starting-point perspective... Worst: 03-04 R50/WD22/D22, 02-03 QX4 These units require the most replacement pieces because of the spacers. It doesn’t make for a suitable donor in most cases, but since these would also likely come from lower-mileage trucks driven by grandmas, the parts probably see less wear than better units. However, two of these units yield enough parts to make a decent setup discussed later—something to consider if that’s all you can get your hands on. Meh: 01-02 R50, 97-01.5 QX4 By having 18 total FPs, it means that 12 are “unused” because they are stacked consecutively and no friction occurs between them, just compression. These units make for good donors because of the unused pieces, but not good starting points because they need FDs to replace FPs. OK: 96-00 R50 This is close to the optimal setup but needs 2x SS to replace 2x FDs Good: 01-02 D22, 00-02 WD22 This is the optimal configuration, but with any donor LSD you can replace any thin pieces with thicker ones. Best: 90-95 WD21 or D21 This is the optimal configuration, but due to age and mileage it’s unlikely they still hit stock specs. They are best starting points because of the potential for having thicker pieces, plus SPs and SDs (those provide friction and load). A 01-02 R50 donor is ideal for this.