Demonpath03 Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 Hey ppl I'm wondering what kind of diff I have in my 2003 r50...I know there's an op lsd Sent from my QTAQZ3 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawairish Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 Easiest way is to look for an orange sticker on the pumpkin of the axle, indicating the use of LSD oil only. You can also lift up the axle (both tires up, t-case in N) and spin a tire by hand...if the opposite tire goes in the same direction, LSD. If neither hold true, you're open. Couple other ways, too. You've got a 4.363 gear ratio, btw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demonpath03 Posted October 21, 2015 Author Share Posted October 21, 2015 I did look under but I didn't see anything... There are no tags on the diff and its really dirty...4.36 damn...better gears than my Wrangler had... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawairish Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 There's also a good old fashioned burnout... One round-about way that I've found is to use Nissan's parts website (parts.nissanusa.com), key in your VIN, and try to look up individual parts for the LSD (Power Train [F] --> Rear Final Drive [380] --> LSD (H233B) tab). You'll be able to see the parts explosion, but if you click a part (such as the label, 38303), it'll say "No Parts found...". This basically means your truck never had the sticker, or other LSD-related parts. I think your dealer can also do a more comprehensive VIN check. But lifting the axle up is the surefire way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demonpath03 Posted October 21, 2015 Author Share Posted October 21, 2015 Thank you for the info and help...my luck I don't have an lsd rear...also what tuners are available so I can calibrate the speedo when I upgrade tires? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawairish Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Ha...no tuners...at all. There are some ECU re-programming options, but not sure which (if any) do speedo recalibration. I've not seen any talk about it for R50s strangely, but on other Nissan SUV/Trucks, it was as easy as changing a speedo pinion on the vehicle speed sensor. I'm not sure if the vehicle speed sensor (VSS) has a removable pinion or not, though. Some did, some didn't. There was also a chart for the different teeth count, but it's probably been nearly 15 years since I remember seeing it. I'm sure I could dig up some info, though. The other option, of course, is to re-gear. However, you have exactly one option: 4.636 gears from another R50, which equates to about a 31" tire upgrade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demonpath03 Posted October 22, 2015 Author Share Posted October 22, 2015 What r50s have 4.63s?? Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawairish Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 96-02. Some background why 4.636 is your only option: http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/topic/40619-rear-axle-id/?p=760750. Long story short, you can pull rear diffs from other Nissans, but only R50 front gears/diff will fit an R50...so you have only two OE options. The rear axle model is H233B, and the front is R200, by the way. More info on the R200: http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/topic/40656-r200a-vs-r200awhats-the-diff. I'm working (albeit extremely slowly) on putting the non-R50 R200 into an R50 so that it opens gearing options (particularly those OE 4.9's). Since this will surely come in handy, the Factory Service Manuals are available online, btw: http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/Pathfinder/. Just download all the files for your 2003 to a local directory, and you're set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demonpath03 Posted October 22, 2015 Author Share Posted October 22, 2015 4.63 is a nice gear ratio...most jeeps go 4.88 so that's not far off and 4.36 for stock is better than a rubicon... Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demonpath03 Posted October 22, 2015 Author Share Posted October 22, 2015 So if I went to a junk yard what exactly am I looking for to get both front and rear r50 4.63s and what yr Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawairish Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 For the rear diff, any 96-02 R50, 99-00(?) Frontier, or 99-00(?) Xterra with the axle code HG46 (but check with the JY that the Frontier/X ones are indeed 4.636 and not 4.625 per my notes in that other link). For the front diff, any 96-02 R50 with axle code HG46. Again, no other Nissan diff or gears will work. My local JY sold them for $135 each. Getting them off of the vehicle is pretty easy...but probably a little more challenging when the JY doesn't allow floor jacks or jack stands for getting the front diff down. If the vehicle is listed as "locking" (ask the JY), then it has an LSD. But you should see that orange sticker on the rear axle. Since the non-locking (open) and locking prices are likely the same, may as well go for one with an LSD. Earlier Fr/X's had a small window of better torque numbers... Taken from another thread of mine: http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/topic/40280-was-the-factory-lsds-breakaway-torque-any-good/?p=758726. The Hardbody and WD21 Pathfinder diffs have different spline counts and won't work. The front diffs are all open, but if you're interested in locking it, a Lokka lunchbox locker is on sale still for $250 I think.(http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/topic/40513-lokka-automatic-locker-group-buy/) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demonpath03 Posted October 22, 2015 Author Share Posted October 22, 2015 Are there e-lockers available for 03 pathfinders?? Auto lockers drive me nuts Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demonpath03 Posted October 22, 2015 Author Share Posted October 22, 2015 I really do appreciate the help and info!! I was worried these pathy forums might not be as helpful as jeep ones Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawairish Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 Nope, no e-lockers unfortunately. In fact, terribly limited options. Be prepared: R50's are the bastards of the entire Nissan truck/SUV line-up! For the front, there is the Lokka and ARB. For the rear, ARB and TJM (air). The ARBs just came down in price, so both run about $950 now before OBA gear. The TJM engagement mechanism, in my opinion, would be a perfect candidate for a cable or elec. conversion, but it'd be entirely custom and probably not any cheaper than OBA. No sweat on the help! The NPORA folks here are awesome, and you'll get a ton more technical experience and feedback here...and without the Pirate4x4, JK-F, and JKO forum drama/BS/a-holes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demonpath03 Posted October 22, 2015 Author Share Posted October 22, 2015 Lol I wasn't on pirate 4x4 or jk-f...I was on jkfreaks.com and a local one called Tampa jeep krewe...well I guess I'd go air locker if it came to it...I ran Eaton elockers in my jku...tho I don't think I'll be wheeling this thing as hard as I did my jku... Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01Pathmaker Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 (edited) ...tho I don't think I'll be wheeling this thing as hard as I did my jku......you'll be surprised at the capability of the R50, especially with the right tires, driver and a fee well chosen mods. Welcome by the way! Easiest donor for the steeper gears are any R50 with the 3.3 motor, which are seemingly a dime a dozen around here, found in either local junkyards or Craigslist for cheap. Many also have LSD rears which you could repack for better performance (extensive write up on here), combine that with a lokka and manual hubs up front (again, some great write ups here on both) and you'll basically have a 4 wheeled mountain goat. Of course if money is not a major factor, then you'll get the true "best of both worlds" with air lockers. Oh, and Hawairish has provided some very in - depth write ups, documenting his trails, errors and findings when it comes to axles and gearing for our rigs. Edited October 22, 2015 by 01Pathmaker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demonpath03 Posted October 22, 2015 Author Share Posted October 22, 2015 My reason for not wheeling as hard is its a family vehicle and not as much time on my hands as I used to...thankx for the info on the type of r50 to look for... Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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