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ANY 2WD GUYS RUNNING AIR LOCKERS?


Gusthebus
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I HAVE A 2000 SE 2WD AND I'M CURIOUS IF ANYONE HAS ANY MOD TIPS FOR IMPROVING OFF ROAD CAPABILITY. I'M LOOKING AT INSTALLING AN ARB AIR LOCKER BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THE PERFORMANCE GAINS ARE GOING TO BE WORTH THE COST. ANYBODY HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE OR ADVICE?

ALSO, CAN ANYONE TELL ME HOW TO ID WHAT REAR END GEAR PACK I HAVE?

 

AS ALWAYS I THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!!!

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Lockers of any kind, or even an LSD rebuild, will improve offroad capability immensely. For gears I am 99% sure about this: there should be a plaque inside the engine bay on the firewall that will say (either HG46 or HG43) which will designate if you have 4.636 gears or 4.363 gears. I haven't looked at mine in a while so I can't remember exactly where it is... To determine if you have an LSD or not you can look on the diff cover, and it will have an orange sticker that says "LSD Oil Only" if it has an LSD.

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You can confirm the gear ratio of your rear diff by checking the VIN plate in the engine bay near the wiper motor. Look for HG43 (4.363:1) or HG46 (4.636:1).

 

An ARB locker fully replaces the diff carrier. The original ring gear bolts right up to it.

 

As for what kind of performance gains you will see with a locked 2WD Pathfinder, that really depends on the type of off-roading you do now and what type of off-roading you would LIKE to do. For example, a locked 2WD will still lack low-range gears for rock-crawling, so it won't help much for that type of off-roading.

 

I assume you've already done some other off-road performance modifications, such as a lift, longer rear shocks, more aggressive tires, and removing the rear sway bar. These will help immensely, with and without a locker.

 

For steep bumpy ascents, a locked 2WD can cause the rear end to step sideways and get you into trouble more quickly than a fully open 4WD.

 

If you're hoping to keep up with 4WD rigs on off-road trails, a locker isn't going to cut it.

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Thanks for the input fellas! I have done a 2.5"F/2"R lift, new springs all around, Bilstein 5125 rear shocks and 1.5" wheel spacers to fit the 265/75R16 Falken Wild peak AT's.

I've been driving this 2000 SE stock for the last 2 years. I decided to put some more aggressive rubber on and that has quickly snowballed into me replacing most of the steering and suspension.

I guess at this point I'm just trying to justify the lift and tires by possibly adding some more capability to the truck. As of now I haven't been doing much off road. I would like to change that though. I have no expectations of running any serious trails or trying keep up with the 4x4 trucks.Just want my Lil 2wd to live up to its full potential...whatever that may be.

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Back in the day, when I was young and my hair wasn't gray, I used to take my 65 2WD F100 all over the place. Why, you might ask? Because it was a truck! The simple advantage was that it was much taller than a car and designed for use where you wouldn't/shouldn't take a car. This being said, I DID have a Jack-All, come-along and a Tugum Strap on board, just in case I DID get stuck. Sounds like you've done enough upgrades to definitely to be able to go out there and "play" off pavement. You will soon figure out where the limits of ur buggy and ur driving skills extend. I'm sure you can find w/a 4WD owner in ur area to "play" with, that will overlook ur truck's shortcomings-lol. You will never know, unless you try! Get out there man!!

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There was a guy in Highschool that drove a 2wd S10 with 33'' Bogger TSLs a welded rear diff and a piece of mining belt across the front bumper to the crossmember to help it skid. The kid was also absolutely ruthless with how he drove it and could drive.... the truck became somewhat legendary until it's swift demise.

 

I mean a lifted locked 2wd will go places a stock one won't but it won't go anywhere a stock 4x4 wouldn't go either.

 

I'd be tempted to hunt down a 4x4.

No way I would put an $800 locker in one that took on board air either though. I'd go mechanical or rebuild LSD.

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Get yourself a tow strap, a couple of D-ring shackles, then go visit a place where you'd like to "off-road" and caravan with a buddy who has a 4WD. Be prepared to use that tow strap and know where to attach it on each rig. I think you'll be surprised where you are able to go if you know how to pick your line and use the throttle and momentum to your advantage. However, stay away from deep mud at all costs. You won't make it. And it's no fun slogging through the stuff to attach a tow strap after you've buried yourself up to the doors.

 

Recommending you spend $1300 + labor on a locker is bad advice if you've never even really been off-road before. You may also find it useful to pick up an inexpensive air compressor so that you can re-inflate your tires after you reduce your tire air pressure ("air down") to around 16-18psi for better traction and a more comfortable ride when driving off the pavement.

 

All that being said, when I was in high school, I drove my parents' Ford Econoline E-250 2WD van off pavement all the time, and I got it stuck several times, too. It really didn't deter my desire to get off the beaten path. After college, I even drove my '92 Sentra on some pretty intimidating unpaved roads. You just need to know what your vehicle capabilities are and have a backup plan for when the terrain exceeds its capabilities.

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I had a feeling the juice wouldn't be worth the squeeze. After checking a few things pointed out earlier in the post I have figured out two things;

1.-my path you is equipped with a 4.636 rear gear.

2.-it also has an open rear end...ugh...

 

Looking at the differential cover I can see an old white(ish) sticker but no legible writing. This lead me to think I might have a LSD. Jacked it up and spun the wheel. Other side spun in reverse.

Can I simply swap out an LSD from a yard or is it more complicated than that? I'm not very familiar with the finer workings of a rear diff.

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Yes, you can do a direct swap with an LSD-equipped third member whose gear ratio is the same as yours. The stock LSD isn't very strong, unfortunately, and in my opinion isn't really worth swapping if you hope to better your 2WD traction in a substantial way. As I mentioned earlier, try removing your rear sway bar, then when you load up your recovery gear and drive off-road (with another vehicle) try reducing your tire pressure to 16psi. Do this for a few months as you weigh how much you really enjoy off-roading. If you like it, sell your 2WD and buy a 4x4.

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