hawairish

That Keeper unit seems reasonable to me, especially for that sale price ad your intended usage. More specs and a manual here: https://www.keeperproducts.com/product/details/KV85022--kv-8500lbs-hh-remoter-wlight-wr-hdrf

Depending on what you define as affordable, you can typically find 8K-10K winches in the $250-$350 USD range that would likely do fine with short and occasional use. Every major brand tends to have an "import"/"economy" version, and stores like Harbor Freight and Tractor Supply have their own lineup, but I'm not sure if those options exist in CAN. The general rule is fair, but can't account for every "stuck". Naturally, a 2-ton vehicle can exert far more resistance than that when stuck, and winch ratings are for rolling weight. You should also be aware that a winch's max rating is only applicable for the first wrap of wire on the spool/drum, and each wrap layer lowers the rating; the final wrap rating may be closer to 25%-33% of the winch rating. So if you're in short-proximity pulling scenarios, your winch is working harder than in long-proximity pulls. A snatch block will double your working rating.

Yes, that would be a concern for me and I would treat that as reduction in load rating. The more attachment points, the better distribution of force. But going by your description, it sounds like your receiver may also use less hardware than others (mine uses 4 bolts per side). I think your setup will suffice for winch pulls if everything else is still tight, but you'd probably want to take things into consideration if attempting kinetic pulls. Since it sounds like that threaded nut failure may also prevent removal of the bolt and hitch, welding some points to the chassis might add some insurance.

There's nothing overly problematic about using a winch on a hitch, but the same precautions exist regardless where you mount it. Main thing is to know the weight ratings of your equipment, know the weakest link, and do everything with safety in mind. For a rear winch setup, the hitch itself—Class III hitches, like the ones commonly found on our trucks—may be the weak link, since they are usually only rated up to 6K. More importantly, that rating is for a straight pull; if winching on an incline, the winch pull could generate tongue weight, for which hitches have a significantly lower rating (maybe 600 lbs). It would likely be a fine setup for the scenarios you described, provided the vehicle is stationary and the pull is as straight-on as possible. That said, you should never drive the vehicle when the winch is operation, nor if there is a load on the line, unless it is to reduce/remove load on the line (and you're confident the movement will not inadvertently create tension, such as if the vehicle rolls back). The dynamic load created can be destructive, possibly deadly. Other factors: Remote wiring can be a little costly (low gauge wires run the full length of the vehicle, plus suitable quick-connects) In-vehicle secured storage (presuming you take it on a trip and don't want to leave it in the hitch for any reason; leaving it installed will reduce departure angle) Since you mentioned snow/ice pulls, you may also want to carry some chocks. Again, the vehicle should be stationary when pulling. Otherwise, a snatch/kinetic strap/rope is warranted.

That was gonna be my next suggestion, lol. Considering the frame and engine are very similar to an Xterra (aka WD22), you might run into the same problem, unless you SAS it.

Sorry, I should’ve clarified: you won’t find anything below 4.375 in an H233B axle. There are 5 OE ratios (4.375, 4.363, 4.625, 4.636, and 4.900) and 5.13/5.14 aftermarket options. My answer was geared toward finding gears for the R200=C200 question in the sub-4:1 range, with the requirement that you’d need another diff in the rear in order to match them. That all said...it’s a lot of work. You can pull 31-spline LSDs from just about any WD21 Pathfinder or D21 Hardbody with the H233B. I believe the were more common in SE trucks, some XE. Easiest way to tell is by looking at the back of the diff and finding an orange sticker indicating “LSD Oil Only” or similar.

R200A and C200 gears are the same, excluding the R50 R200A versions. The note above mentions the NISMO gears, but the same was true for OE parts. I want to say there were 4.11 options in some oddball C200 axles found in Hardbody and Frontier trucks, but I’d have to dig around to be sure. Some Frontiers would have R200A+C200 setups, but the C200 did also appear in 2WD 4cyl AT Frontiers, but were 4.375. Notably, older Nissan AWD/RWD cars had R200 rear diffs, and I believe I’ve seen some guys swapping truck gears into their diffs with only trivial changes to pinion bearings perhaps. The cars would surely have 3.x ratios. That gets you the front gears, but still leaves you out of luck unless you are willing to swap in another rear axle.

No inconvenience here, def worth asking about. I think your case is a little unique, so it may have thrown a few of us off. But as MY1PATH mentioned, the ring thickness is just to account for minor deviations. The FSM does provide instructions on what to measure and how to pick the size, I’m pretty sure. But again, that applies to the ring inside the wheel hub. The part that pulled out on yours probably just uses a single size of ring, and the thickness of it probably isn’t relevant. Still, a new CV renders that discussion moot.

Good point/observation, man. I had only taken a quick glance and thought the outer joint had pulled from the hub. It’s the center shaft that pulled from the hub. I’m not sure if the snap ring thicknesses apply here since it’s the center shaft and not the outer joint shaft that goes into the hub (I didn’t look closely enough at the pic). The outer splined part (visible inside the wheel hub) is what uses snap rings of adjustable thicknesses. I don’t think the inner part that is exposed uses different thicknesses, but am not sure. But, if you can’t get the shaft in, it may be due to the snap-ring still being in there, or some other obstruction that warrants its disassembly and repair/replacement.

The color looks great!

Maybe the snap-ring never got reinstalled, or wasn’t fully seated? Might be sitting inside the wheel hub. If missing, might be able to substitute it with another from the hardware store, but note that the snap-rings are specific thicknesses for providing the right amount of play, and there were part numbers for each thickness...you may need to order the replacement from Nissan.

Sorry, but this thread is nonsense. It’s maybe the 3rd or 4th post where you’ve claimed that everyone’s giving you BS about rebuilding a diff. Well, considering I’m one of those guys who has provided plenty of information through forum posts and direct messages—the same guy who has rebuilt several of these units, done numerous axle projects, who hoards Nissan diffs and axles, and even offered to send you a completely rebuilt unit when you first started complaining about it—I’m trying to not take this personally. But frankly, I think you’ve got some unrealistic expectation from all the shops you’ve contacted and are probably poorly conveying the problem, and it’s these posts that are becoming BS. Seriously, you’re asking about what is effectively an SAS without steering components, yet you won’t just go to a damn junkyard, pull a <$200 differential from practically any Pathfinder, Hardbody, Frontier, or Xterra, check the backlash with a $10 tool, and swap it in? A day, tops, in labor, <$300 in parts and fluids, and access to the exact Factory Service Manual used by Nissan technicians, to be done with this problem? You even have an opportunity to improve your driving and towing characteristics (via upgrade to LSD and/or lower gearing for a whopping $0 extra), without having to deal with any of the front gearing because you’re 2wd?You’ve got to be kidding me! Face the fact that most shops don’t have experience rebuilding Nissan diffs because they probably don’t fail often. But any drivetrain or off-road shop can simply rebuild that diff for whatever they charge Toyota guys. It’s the exact same design, and it’s a trivial one requiring little more than hand tools to swap, and not much more to rebuild. Bearings can be bought on RockAuto, and diff gaskets from Nissan for cheap. And the FSM describes every single step to do it! But here we are talking about swapping entire axles from Fords! I can tell you it’s significantly harder than just going to a junkyard and buying an axle from a Pathfinder, and yet still more difficult than just pulling the diff. I say get your hands dirty or get rid of the truck if this is really the hassle and decision you’re facing.

Thanks. Yes, I plan to add some sort of lights that retain the fog light wiring (if not purpose). I'm undecided how I want to wire the IPFs, whether they can only come on with either low or high beams. Don't be jelly.

The idea is that because the tire carrier is two pieces, I'm going to introduce a 3rd piece that bolts in between. A crude sketch, of course, but the yellow lines represent 1" square tube that will space the tire mount (not shown in pic) off the carrier frame, and the green line can be another other tube (thinking 2" x 1" tube) that has whatever provisions I need for mounting things; i.e., hinges for a tray between carrier and liftgate, mounts for accessories beside (or potentially above) the tire. It'll give me easier mounting options without having to deal with the irregularities of the carrier frame, let alone have to make any further modifications to the carrier itself. The position would move the tire mount up, too (pic taken upside down), so that the stock holes on the mount line up with the new holes I drilled, and I just pass a 2" bolt and hardware through all of them: Ah, the genuine HF 10K tow hooks. They were integrated from the beginning, actually, with the mounting holes for them being incorporated into the bumper brackets (3/8"). I got one of them for maybe $2 because it was missing a bolt, and felt obligated to make use of a pair.

Finally got around to bedlining the carrier, along with the bumpers and such. Not a fan of the color and will probably re-spray them, but I like the texture and finish. All the brackets and other hardware just received a flat black enamel, but everything is bed lined. Color was supposed to be Battleship Dark Gray, but a little too blue/green for my liking. While I had everything apart, I also drilled holes into the carrier frame about 2" higher than where the tire mount body attaches. The reason is that I plan to make a 1" sq. tube frame that will be sandwiched between the frame and tire mount that serves two purposes: 1) the tube frame will give me mounting points for various things (think fold down tray, telescoping work light mount, jerry can, Hi-Lift jack, etc.), and 2) will also allow me to move the tire mount 2" up and 1" out for a little more clearance if (when) moving up a tire size. I've not constructed anything yet, but eventually.

After getting the rear bumper finally ready for finishing, I decided that I was going to put some enamel colors onto the AZ flag and Nissan logos, and then bed lined around things. The enamel process was a bigger PITA than I had planned on (I hate painting), but I think the results turned out well*. (*=great considering my hatred of painting, despite not being pleased with the bedliner color.) I used tintable bed liner from Custom Shop on Amazon. The color is supposed to be Battleship Dark Gray, but I'd argue it is neither dark nor gray. I've complained to a few buddies that I don't like the color, but it does offer some degree of contrast that I was looking for. I still need to spray the sliders, and that will be a couple weeks out given my schedule, but I'll find out if that completes the "look". If I don't like it (and chances are that I won't), I'll probably pull everything back off for some spray paint (ugh) and get it closer to the dark gray I was hoping for. The bedliner product itself I'm pleased with; nice texture, hard, smooth, but provides grip without feeling rough. The Custom Shop stuff is the same as the U-Pol Raptor product. It was a mess spraying on the side of my house...I spent a day building a rack to hang all gear from, plus a few hours converting my HF easy-up canopy into a spray booth. Mostly successful, but I hated every minute of it. The front bumper got sprayed, too, and I finally got around to mounting the IPFs graciously donated to the cause by @Jax99. I have yet to wire them up, though...trying to find a decent switch for the left-hand panels, as the Carling rockers interfere with the dash a little. I thought I'd have some luck with a Toyota-sized aftermarket switch, but will go a different route.

Time for an overdue update... A few weeks ago, I finally got around to pulling everything (bumpers, tire carrier, sliders, skids) off the truck for some finishing. For the rear bumper, that meant getting some plate on the bumper, and grinding off the rust "patina", priming, then spraying bedliner on everything. The center piece ended up being the first attempt to cut a piece on the plasma table that was longer than table itself. Did it in two half-passes and it actually turned out well...tiny offset, but fine for this use. Put the finger brake bender to use to get the contours matched, Not shown in the pic is a 1" square tube that runs between the brackets and supports the long flat part. Plate was 1/8". I also added 1/4" brackets to the bumper wings that attach behind the wheel well. I thought about making some sort of notch for Hi-Lift usage, but decided against it. Was pleased with the end result:

Got a pic? Granted I live in a low/no-rust state, only rust I've seen otherwise is on the lip of the piston and inside the piston cup. Everything else should be sealed. I use brake fluid as lube only for the seals, but I'm somewhat liberal with brake grease on pretty much all other friction (pins specifically) or mating surfaces (such as where piston meets brake pad/shim). Have you had any issues getting the lip of the boot to seat in the caliper? Possible boot damage during assembly? When rebuilding, what are you using to clean everything?

I bought a kit like this off eBay the other month for $85, and they've worked great. Used them on long OME HDs for an FJ80 project, and just the other day on R50 OME MDs. I've used those rental ones on OME HDs in the past, but it's a pain. These were fairly effortless.

A clunk is not normal. I mean, if you're quickly rotating to test backlash, maybe a clunk is expected, but that's far from being a useful way to check backlash. If you do a continual rotation by hand, does it feel continuous, or does the noise occur at a point? Marking points where you feel a clunk or hesitation may give you a clue if the ring or pinion gears are damaged (a damaged pinion may clunk every one rotation; a damaged ring may clunk every 4th rotation, etc.) I'm also just realizing we spoke about this in detail via PM a few months ago. Did you ever get the work done? In all honesty, no one will be able to give you a straight answer until the diff is out of the truck for visual and mechanical inspection. It's impossible to measure backlash, among other things, otherwise. But, there are still a couple visual inspections that can be performed.

Oh, and just to put a little emphasis to my last comment...if you’re having issues finding bushings for a WD21, those Whiteline (and Nolathane equivalents) and other R50 ones (including OE replacement) should fit yours. As you noted, the bushing work can be a pain. But if you’re considering poly bushings and need a cheap alternative, I picked up a set of “Autoacer” bushings for $74 off eBay that seem to be of decent quality. They’re what I’ll be installing in my spare arms.

@Mr_Reverse The funny thing is that I looked at that $80 price tag, still thinking you were looking for end links, and thought, "Man, he must have found the most premium of premium links for that price!" and seriously didn't think "trailing arms". May have just been verbiage... Anyway, here are those dimensions instead for R50 trailing/control arms/links, whatever we're calling them: Lower length, center-to-center bushings: 26-1/2" Upper length, center-to-center bushings: 12-1/8" Bushing inner sleeve width/length: 60mm Bushing tube length: 46mm Bushing tube ID: 50mm OE Bolt: M14 x 1.5 x 85mm (excludes unthreaded portion that makes the bolt long overall) Also, Whiteline says their rear trailing arm bushings fit both WD21 and R50. There are two p/ns W63351 (full poly) and W61705A (OEM style) available; their dimensions correspond with my numbers. Given that, I'd say it's just a matter of determining if the length of the arms works for you.

Doh! Wow, how did I get that far thinking sway bar links? Well, me being me, I also have a spare set of trailing arms laying around. I got about halfway through popping the bushings out the other week to put some poly ones in. I’ll throw those measurements up later!

That’s great news, glad that did the trick!

Thanks for heeding the suggestions. I think that's improved...still some concerns, but improved. Only other thing off the top of my head is about the bolt holes on the tube...looks like they're threaded? Tapping holes is a noble solution for many things, but if it's just a bolt going into it, I'd devise a way to get a bolt and washer on the backside instead of relying only on the threads for a winching situation like that.