LSD options 93 5 speed 2wd

[Path1204]

I’m new here and doing the research and looking through all through out the group for info. I seem to have a hard time finding what I need and decided to post. I have 1993 Nissan Pathfinder XE-V6 5 speed 2WD. I do believe mine does not have LSD after checking the pumpkin for stick and doing the spin test. My thing is what are the variants of these years. My Pathy has bull bars and lights with tire rack and spoiler mechanical windows. I’m looking to swap compatible LSD into my differential from other models. Plug and play type parts preferable. I was looking into LSDs that are aftermarket  but no luck on specifications due to my lack of mechanical knowledge…… I’m hoping the group could point me out to what options I can look at and as well as what upgrades I can do to make my Pathy more off-road capable as a daily driver. Thank you all for letting me in the group I hope to learn plenty here.

[Slartibartfast]

 

2WD and off-road capability are a tough combo, but yes, LSD should help a lot. I have the LSD in mine and have no complaints about it. Much better than an open diff, but still good road manners. If you're looking for an actual locker, selectable and ratcheting lockers do exist for these, but they ain't cheap, and you will have to learn how to set up gears on an H233B, or find someone who does.

 

To get the LSD, you can swap the entire axle assembly, or just the 3rd member. The axles are a little different depending on which brakes they've got. Drum has single-row bearings and a thrust block in the diff; disk has double-row bearings and no thrust block. I think you can swap 3rds between the two, but you would have to swap that block in or out. If you have drums, and want disks, I would grab a complete disk rear axle assembly (get the parking brake cables too!) rather than playing mix-and-match. Otherwise I'd look for an axle with the same brakes as yours and just swap the 3rd. If you swap 3rds in a drum axle, check your axle shaft end-float afterwards. You may need to swap some shims around to keep the wheel bearings happy. (This adjustment is covered in the service manual.)

 

The bolt pattern on the 3rd member changed in '89, so look for a '90-'95 donor. WD21 (Pathfinder) or D21 (Hardbody) 3rds should be the same AFAIK. Four-cylinder trucks got the C200 rear end, so watch out for that (make sure the diff you're pulling looks like yours). Also check the gear ratio. Should say HG43 or HG46 on the data plate near the wiper motor. (Might be worth swapping in deeper gears if you plan to run larger tires.) Most of the later trucks have 33-spline axles (ours are 31-spline), so don't bother with those.

 

Download the service manual ('90 off Cardiagn.com if yours is square-dash, '95 off Nicoclub if yours is round-dash) and check out the RA and PD sections (rear axle and propshaft/diff). This writeup also covers the H233B LSD, specifically building a later one up to the higher breakaway torque found in the W/D21--less useful in your case given the axles you'll be looking at already have the good stack, but still useful to see how it all comes apart and what makes it work. It is possible to stack it a little tighter than stock (My1Path played around with that a while back), but it sounds like you end up with a full spool and/or broken parts if you take it too far.

 

If you're not used to driving with LSD, keep in mind that it does tend to make the truck a little tail-happy on slick surfaces, which may be why the LSDs were nerfed in the later trucks.

 

Don't forget the oil additive! I used a tube of CRC's limited slip goo in mine, mixed with conventional 80W90. I have heard of them chattering and breaking stuff if run with straight oil. I have also heard that they don't grip for crap with synthetic oil, which is why I used conventional in mine.

[gamellott]

I would keep in mind that there are Disk and Drum brakes available on some of these things. Swapping from one to the other will pose additional problems/costs that you may not have anticipated.