joshellis

Reverse cut is a different thing altogether and refers to the direction of the cut in the ring gear, it doesn't actually run in reverse... What I have is standard cut gears from a C200 rear axle, running in reverse. Very interesting about your rear end running in reverse. This has got me wondering... do they all do that? Let me get back to you...

Thanks for the feedback, you have a sweet looking Pathy too! Enjoyed your build thread. I'm sure you have found the front LSD/rear locker combo to be a menacing offroad setup. You are absolutely right, drive is the convex side of the tooth. Yes sadly all the diesels, including the turbos, came with the R180 front, and the smaller FS5W71C manual transmission. Luckily I managed to find an FS5R30A 'big box' from a late model R50 diesel, which fit right in. Its pretty common practice amongst 4x4 manufacturers to have the front diff running in reverse. And when you consider that the R200 is very overbuilt for its application (the front of a light-weight 140hp SUV), its quite possible that some came from the factory like that. Dont let the terms 'coast' and 'drive' put you off, they are designed to run on both sides. I have a spare set of C200 4.88s just in case, but when you consider drift guys are routinely putting 500hp through the R200 without worries, I'm pretty confident.

Quite possibly, yes! I've never pulled apart an R50 front diff but AKAIK they are the same 28 spline outer R200A, in which case your ring gear should bolt straight on to the LSD centre. Donor LSDs can also be found in the solid axle C200 Navara/Hardbody. It is the same unit as used in the 87-89 300ZX turbo, and the same as the Calmini unit. Basically my truck started life as R180 front/C200 rear. So I a diff drop + R200 swap and put the rear 4.88s in the front. They are running on the coast side of the tooth, not quite as strong as regular rotation but still a very stout setup for the weight of the truck/engine size/tire choice. The 4-pin centre is reputably very strong. For the rear, I upgraded to an H233B centre from a Patrol in a WD21 case. 4.88s were used from the factory in some late model WD21 diesels.

The R200 8" front diff swap makes an excellent upgrade for any diesel Terrano. What makes it even better is a superpacked 4-pin clutch type LSD. I am drip feeding a 4 cylinder turbodiesel to this front end on 33x10.5 KMs, it is intentionally a very overbuilt setup. The entire truck weighs 1800kg/3900lb. I realized that the C200 2-pin solid axle derivative of this differential was used as standard equipment as the MK Patrol, a much heavier vehicle with a bigger engine, and the outer CV joints share all the same dimensions/duties as the solid axle birfield. The IFS double offset joint looks remarkably similar too. The Nissan LSD is known for being one of the best available and the capability increase is like night and day. Recently I wanted to superpack the LSD with more clutches. I realized that the front diff can be accessed without the need for removing the case and cross members, which shaved quite a bit of time off the job. FYI I am running diff drop bushings but I doubt it would make any difference in terms of access The 4 bolts in red - for some reason they installed 2 of them in reverse from the factory. Get a thin cutting disc and cut those ones out. Support diff, remove crossmember bolts and 2x bolts in green. Get your 3lb club hammer and knock the crossmember off. Now remove the shocks. Unbolt the CVs and push them to the side. Remove the short side stub axle and set aside. Pull the long axle about 2 inches and support it so the inner seal doesn't get damaged. Now you can pull the front cover off. Unlike many Dana/Salisbury diffs, you don't need an expensive case spreader to remove/install the center: So mark bearing caps and remove: Now the fun part - split the case (8xbolts). Note this is a 4-pin diff which is a nice thing to have in the front. In my case, preload rings were split. This was not helping. New clutches please. Instead of just jamming shims in there, I also put a thick stack of new clutches. These had much more material on the grooves than the old ones. The idea here is to obviously make it clamp hard but also to increase the breakaway torque (point at which it reverts to open). And then to reassemble the center, put it in the vice. Now you can reinstall the center, and put bearing caps/shims back in place exactly as they were. Put cover back on, reinstall CVs, fill with oil. Grease up every mating surface on the crossmember, grab your clubhammer and massage it back into place. The front crossmember bolts can be replaced with new ones mounted the correct way around. Even when lifting a wheel, the LSD will now continue to redirect some power. It is by far the best off road performance mod I have made to this vehicle. It may as well be locked. In conjunction I am running an H233B rear with Aussie locker, both geared to factory 4.875:1. I have found the combo of superpacked front LSD, rear locker and 4.88s to be my most formidable offroad Pathy setup yet.

Could be wrong but I'm pretty sure the Mitsi of that generation had a mechanical locking center differential much like the Range Rover Classic/Disco 1. Allows for 4x4 on any surface and Can be mechanically locked to ensure 50/50 torque split front and rear.

Considering this but need some clarification with the steering box pitman arm issue - if my truck is a 1987 and the donor D21 2wd center link is a pre-1992, I should be good to go?

I've heard from several Lokka owners that 4wdsystems' advertising is pretty conservative with estimated install times etc. Even if theyre assuming you've already dropped the front member, its a lot of work. Precise preloads/tolerances definitely not for the socketset/screwdriver mechanic they say... Personally, I'm going to drop the front differential and take it to my local 4x4 shop for a couple of hours. Not comfortable enough disassembling and properly reassembling a differential yet. Then reinstall it myself with and throw in some Milemarkers while the hubs are off. Steering/front suspension upgrades aside, to me this combo is an essential front end upgrade. When I have the drivetrain properly set up - ie a 4WD system that will stay positively engaged and constant front traction regardless of where the wheel is, then I will look at some sensible 32" MTs, UCAs and steering. I think with the front Lokka, even on ATs, it will become quite a formidable machine. You've probably already seen this video but its a good demo of the Lokka in action:

I'm about to order a Lokka for the front differential in my D21. 505AUD shipped. Its made by 4WD Systems in Australia works very well. IIRC one of the designers was associated with Truetrac or Detroit at some point. Why do I think its better over ARB? 1. Less components to install, fewer moving parts, less to go wrong. Dont need to drill and tap diff housing, no air lines or solenoids or electrics etc 2. Outstanding reputation for durability and 100% positive locking action (same as ARB) 3. No distractions switching it on or off in challenging terrain 4. Solves the wheel-travel shortcoming of IFS 5. Price IMO a front lokka is the best upgrade for the best money if traction and off-road ability is the goal. Perhaps the biggest benefit is the ability to traverse terrain far more slowly and calculated and minimize drivetrain wear and tear.

I like a modest, properly engineered 2-3" susp lift and no body lift personally. But I totally see why people go for body lifts - immediately allows you to fit larger tires, and keeps the (relative) center of gravity down, ie the drivetrain (all the weight) stays low & factory susp geometry can be maintained. And it seems without proper front/rear custom bars, bodylifted trucks can look a little naff. I say lift it 2.5" with Rough Country UCAs and taller coil springs, maybe some manual front hubs, 31" MTs and you can have a lot of fun and learn a lot of driving techniques over a lot of different terrain. Any modification made to enhance off-road performance will (equally) compromise the trucks on-road habits - its the law of the land!

Hi Mate, I'm in Wellington. That would be awesome! Cell is 027 437 1788 if you want to discuss, otherwise joshellisnz@gmail.com Cheers!

Cool thanks, I had guessed as much, silly question in hindsight of course. Will probably visit a local shop, otherwise keen to talk about having one fabbed up and shipped. I love the D21 front end, very durable. Would just like to add a little extra strength to the steering. This is the fairly simple setup: 7.50x16/31.7x10 MT Manual hubs Rough Country UCA Reindex torsions Stock front shocks JGC rear Rancho rear Autolocker No body lift The engine is a different story - that warrants another thread altogether!

I'm currently in New Zealand and playing w/ a TD27ti powered PF/Terrano. About to order suspension goodies and wondering - Will the 4x4parts idler arm brace fit the RH steering setup?

Hi all. I'm looking at getting a Rough Country lift kit w/ UCAS & shocks for a D21 hardbody for $339. I figure I'll try to sell off the leaf shackles. My question is will the rear shocks for the HB bolt onto the Pathfinder? Or should I just look for a kit w/ just UCAs and (unfortunately) HB lift blocks.

Do any of you guys know if either of the D21 4x4 5 spd gearboxes (I think #s FS5W71C & FS5R30A) are cross compatible with both the VG30 & TD27? More specifically, if I was to pull the VG30i from an 89 would the bellhousing/clutch hydraulics need any modifications to accept a TD27 from an equivalent year and model terrano?

Ground anchor, warratah. Home made warratah setup PullPall Anchor

Has weight advantages, cant speak for the MPI though.

Next to the emergency light switch on mine (87SE), there is a switch that says 'INTERLOCK'. According to the manual, you can override this feature for off road conditions (stall, failed hill climb etc).

I had this issue, pretty sure there are 2 wires coming from the switch, one going to a 12v supply somewhere, and the other to a small intermittent 'push-button' switch under the clutch pedal that is activated at full travel. Maybe that little switch failed - loosen the 10mm nut and detach the cable clip and it comes out. I just pulled it mine out and bypassed the whole interlock thing, but I think the dash-switch would be cool in a future life, maybe to activate an airlocker or something.

Nice rig but insanely priced. They are about 20 miles from me I might go have a look. I got my SE for $1300 almost identical spec but with grey interior and 5spd, 170k on one owner and built in 87. So what, they detail it and slap another $3000 on it? Check these guys out on yelp, too.

Also the aussies have an out of it method for recovering vehicles, some balloon pump operated by exhaust gas that jacks the whole side of the truck up. Cant say I have or intended to try this method.

X2 the hi-lift conversion is a fantastic method when used w safety. You can also use chain instead of wire. Inch by inch, as kingman said in Bill's post, sometimes only a little nudge is all you need. A conventional hand winch is probably the closest to an electric winch as a direct alternative, though, no? You could get a HD hand winch for under half the price of a Warn9000lb I would think.

Yeah thats actually a good call sometimes a little nudge is all you need. And about cable breakage - sure I stand corrected... of course they break but I think this is largely preventable with rigorous and obsessive maintenance and sense/judgement. Selecting a strong enough cable, examining/cleaning the cable frequently, replacing it after 10-20 heavy recoveries. Setting it up correctly - avoiding downward pressure as it winds in, winching in a straight line, etc. A lot of line breakages happen because people exceed manufacturer load ratings. I feel like if the winch is nearing full load, the motor will generally give you an indication. If you ignore that and then push it further then I guess something has to give. Another option is nylon rope which some report as working really well.

A common formula for winch choice, assuming its purpose is to extricate the vehicle, is to double the GVW and then add 25%. This allows for overcoming terrain resistance, or 'the degree to which you are stuck.' So a 4000lb Pathfinder, I would go a 9-1000lb winch personally. I've read good things about rear mounted winches, they make logical sense in some situations, a lot of the time the only way out is back, instead of through. I think cable failure is very rare, although draping a old towel over the tensioned line should be standard procedure in any winching operation. At least this will absorb a lot of tension in the unlikely event of breakage. I believe the electric motor will generally give out before the cable does. Years ago we had a Warn 6000lb on a Series 3 Land Rover, as it took up strain the motor would whir at a lower and lower pitch. At around 6000lb load it would shut itself off. This wasn't nearly enough HP to remove the truck from some situations. Other trick, assuming you have enough cable, is to use a shackle & pulley-block to run the line around the recovery anchor and back to your vehicle. This will effectively double your winches pulling power.

Was this 4 spoke steering wheel not available in North America? I like it much better. Also JDM side mirrors are different, tougher and larger. I am going to try to score these items from NZ. Somebody from Aus or NZ plz throw up a pic of a non-chrome Terrano side mirror. We are missing out over here! (Objects may be closer than they appear)

Don't worry mate we've all been there!