31-spline swap (or, How to install a rear mechanical locker in the R50)

[hawairish]

So hawairish, you also mentioned you were ultimately switching to front and rear air lockers, what was your reasoning / wants / needs?

 

Honestly, costs. Deals were hard to pass up (saved $600 over the costs of two new ARBs), and when all is said and done, after buying parts and selling things off, it'll be a cheap(ish) upgrade and still several hundred under the costs of two new ARBs alone. This was probably a long-term upgrade, but it's tied into some other projects that I can tackle now (like a rear disc swap).

 

Hi Guys,

There is some good axle shaft info in this thread!

It's good to see that in depth tech info is still being shared on this forum.

 

As far as the locker goes, Just Differentials is the only ones that lists the lockright for the 33 spline diff. Following the tech note, I don't see why it wouldn't work with the 4 pinion case. However in my experience the 33-spline side gears in a 4-pinion case are pretty rare. I'm used to seeing LSD's or single piece 33-spline carriers.

 

Also just a side note, I'm having Revolution Gear & Axle make H233B gears 5.57 and 5.89. in both standard and reverse rotation.

These ratios were previously available through Nissan but only in standard rotation. Having the reverse rotation gears will now allow for patrols to have more gearing options as well as open up more gearing options for SAS rigs.

 

 

Thanks Steve!

 

So does a 4-pinion open carrier with 33/s side gears with the teeth cut like 31/s actually exist? I couldn't find any proof for US models, but there are too many Patrol variants and no convenient way to cross-ref. But even if re-using the 33/s side gears (which presumably all have rounded teeth, judging by cross-referenced side and spider gears on multiple platforms), I would think they would be damaged by, or cause damage to, the LR-3220. Unless there's a 33/s equivalent to the 31/s side gear, I still think it's a misapplication.

 

And that's some good news on the gears, but if I read that right, it's for the H233B fronts only (including your Diamond Axle SAS), right? No hope for some reverse cut 4.90 or 5.13/5.14 for the R50 R200A?

[hawairish]

So I made one more discovery tonight about R50 axle shafts...there were actually two shafts.

 

In the axle shaft comparison pics I posted previously, the R50 shaft shown is specifically from a 96-99 model (p/n 38164-0W000). That part was eventually superseded (p/n 38164-VE060), which is used on 00-04 R50, 99-04 D22, and 00-04 WD22. The only difference between the shafts is the wheel flange...the older R50s have a 7.25" diameter, while everything else is 6.5" diameter.

 

It's irrelevant for this particular swap, but just thought I'd mention it since I covered other axle shaft variants. It's relevant for the rear disc brake swap project I'm also working on...

[SteeevO]

 

Honestly, costs. Deals were hard to pass up (saved $600 over the costs of two new ARBs), and when all is said and done, after buying parts and selling things off, it'll be a cheap(ish) upgrade and still several hundred under the costs of two new ARBs alone. This was probably a long-term upgrade, but it's tied into some other projects that I can tackle now (like a rear disc swap).

 

 

Thanks Steve!

 

So does a 4-pinion open carrier with 33/s side gears with the teeth cut like 31/s actually exist? I couldn't find any proof for US models, but there are too many Patrol variants and no convenient way to cross-ref. But even if re-using the 33/s side gears (which presumably all have rounded teeth, judging by cross-referenced side and spider gears on multiple platforms), I would think they would be damaged by, or cause damage to, the LR-3220. Unless there's a 33/s equivalent to the 31/s side gear, I still think it's a misapplication.

 

And that's some good news on the gears, but if I read that right, it's for the H233B fronts only (including your Diamond Axle SAS), right? No hope for some reverse cut 4.90 or 5.13/5.14 for the R50 R200A?

 

I'm actually not sure if the 33-spline split carrier exists.. atleast in the US. I've never seen one. I just looked in FAST WD22 & R50, it only lists 2-pin Carrier and LSD.

However I did just do some digging in FAST and found 2 piece/4-pinion open carriers in the late 90's patrols, which are likely 33-spline but it's hard to say for sure.

I have thought that the Just Differentials listing was a mistake but there is still a small glimmer of hope that it's true overseas.

 

[Cuong Nguyen]

Might just have to pop in and ask the Kiwi and Aussie folks for sure.

[adamzan]

 

Personally, I think Nissan really crapped the bed with everything after the 2005MY. The VQ40DE is a stroked VQ35DE, but was plagued by the SMOD (strawberry milkshake of death). The aluminum front R180 case (previously steel and similar to the R200 case) had a tendency to self destruct. The M226...see above. The R51 Pathfinder got a narrow-box center-mount R200 with long CVs and IRS, common in style to those only found historically on Nissan cars...the Armada went the same route, but at least had a differential (R230) on par with the H233B. Even the C200K found in Frontiers and Xterras was subtly different enough from the previous C200/R200A. Lastly, comparing the ring gear size of the R52 Pathfinder with the H233B is like comparing a tennis ball to a bowling ball.

 

It all just reads like 2005 = downgrade to me. Admittedly, I think the looks improved, though. But, I'll never stop believing that 1988-2004 is the Golden Era of Nissan trucks. Even my 1998 Frontier 2wd with H190A rear only just failed a few months ago after 18 years and well over 200K miles, going through a "fun" period (my late teens and early 20's) that saw a 20% larger tires (that's a 31" tire from a stock 26") on stock 3.9 gears, suspension lifts, tons of jack-rabbit starts and washboard roads, and a few clutch burn-ups trying to get unstuck from obstacles. Yet a "Dana 44" can't survive half those numbers with a locker designed to be used in a slow speed, low-gear applications with more torque? It indeed blows thou mind.

 

Long story short: I wouldn't use anything other than an H233B on the truck.

 

I think most times I've wheeled with 2nd Gen xterras at least one person has a problem with the diff, or the locker not turning off, or the diff cover getting bent on rocks, losing all their fluid. My H233B has 438,000km (I've owned it since 240,000) on it and it has never been opened up AFAIK. I bought a complete set of 4.9 xterra gears from a member here so that will be the first time it has come out of the truck.

 

The 2005+ trucks feel cheaply made and I don't think the extra power is worth the headache of the timing chain guide issues, and whatever other problems they have. People can pry my wd21 and wd22 from my cold dead fingers lol.

 

[TowndawgR50]

@MLML