Advice Please

[maddogrc]

hey all,

i'm currently thinking of doing a somewhat impractical, but money saving project/plan.

after seeing a few REALLY cheap REAR d22 and patrol diffs on ebay with all the suspension and gear still attached to it i considered 2 options.

a. take the patrol diff, chuck an ARB air locker in it and bolt it onto the d22

b. take a patrol or d22 diff, weld all the gears and bolt it onto the d22 (and changing over to standard diff when i dont plan on using it for a while)

do these options sound like ok ideas? i've had a look at a few air lockers and auto lockers and in summary they are all expensive yet really good. as i'm strapped for cash by being a student i cant fork out over a grand for a diff lock kit

currently these are the only options i can think of and i'm favouring option b. though option a. would be a lot more practical and safer.

if i do take up option b. is there anything i should know about when it comes to welded diffs? also how do it go with putting oil in welded diffs, same as normal?

cheers,
george

 

[bob_the_welder]

my advice is dont weld a diff centre. next best thing to a locker is a LSD from a 4x4 d22, are you planning on doing this to your 4x2?

 

[Dion]

is there anything i should know about when it comes to welded diffs?

They have the life expectancy of a gnat and attract pigs like slop?

Swapping an axle every time you want to go for a drive in the mud sounds like a LOT of hard work, I'd stick with A if you really can't stretch to a dedicated Navara locker. Don't go too crazy with suspension mods though as if a loss adjuster can sniff an unengineered mod, say goodbye to all your insurance.

Which rear diff do you have, C200 or H233b or something else?

 

[tweak'e]

why bother with the patrol diffs ? you can get lockers for the rear navara diffs.
you could also fit the h233 diff out of the petrol (and older diesels) which is the same as the front patrol diff. also there is the option of the nissan frontier E-locker.

 

[tommy222220_0]

Or just shim the d22 diff, really tight!

$30 should do it for 2 shims and 1 afternoon on the tools

 

[maddogrc]

bob the welder....yes i plan on doing this to my 4x2 as at least it will give me something a BIT better than just an LSD. if i get caught with 1 wheel in the air at least i got the other wheel still rotating, not just sitting there with the off the ground wheel spinning. an lsd from a 4x4 nav, will it fit? they actually that good?

pro nav...i have a ca39 diff according to the chart in the engine bay, and after looking on a few locker pages like the arb locker and the auto lokka, neither have it for the ca39. if they do, please show me, lol. also i rarely do anything that requires a locked diff, but now that i got more free time i dont mind doing a axle swap, but thats just me.

tweake... mine aint a 4x4 so all the diff lockers i've searched into dont work with a ca39

all i can think of is doing a proper diff swap. also i dont plan on doing any crazy rear end mods, just stick the diff in, cept i've seen a whole rear end advertised locally from a patrol so i thought what the hell, might aswell chuck the whole lot in.

 

[maddogrc]

edit. just read the ca39 diff is also a c200 diff.

is this true? if so i just found this https://www.4x4parts.com/catalog/product_info.php?currency=AUD&products_id=1646

there were also a few other c200 lockers, but for different aged models eg. 1994-1999

 

[Dion]

an lsd from a 4x4 nav, will it fit? they actually that good?

pro nav...i have a c200 diff and after looking on a few locker pages like the arb locker and the auto lokka, neither have it for the c200. if they do, please show me, lol.

all i can think of is doing a proper diff swap. also i dont plan on doing any crazy rear end mods, just stick the diff in, cept i've seen a whole rear end advertised locally from a patrol so i thought what the hell, might aswell chuck the whole lot in.

Yes the LSD will fit.

Joshy's former rear end is living proof of the existence of a C200 air locker. In ARB's spare parts catalogue are parts to service the air locker to fit a C200. The only difference between the 4x4 and 4x2 pegleg diffs is the ratio they ship from factory with.

Unfortunately, it's harder than "just stick the diff in". A patrol rear diff is not compatible with your axle, so you need to do a complete axle swap. I don't think patrol rear axles are just plug and play, even if they come from a leaf rear cab chassis Patrol you're probably looking at moving the spring saddles, different chassis widths, maybe a different rear prop shaft flange pattern, Joshy can confirm?

 

[Dion]

edit. just read the ca39 diff is also a c200 diff.

is this true? if so i just found this https://www.4x4parts.com/catalog/product_info.php?currency=AUD&products_id=1646

there were also a few other c200 lockers, but for different aged models eg. 1994-1999

CA39: C200 diff, 3.9:1 ratio.

You have to pick the right age to score the right number of splines.

 

[maddogrc]

pronav, i wrote all of what i wrote before saying it had a c200 diff, but i didnt realise, i meant the ca39. but then i just read the ca39 is a c200, lol

sorry for any confusion if you read the posts i just edited

 

[maddogrc]

i was told that the diff/axle setup should be a direct fit from the guy selling it.

guess he's out to make an easy buck, even thought he bid is on 0.99, LOL

where would i find out how many splines it has? i'm guessing its the 31 spline diff though

 

[tweak'e]

c200 diff should have LSD as standard. otherwise ARB or auto locking (eg lockrite) will fit.

 

[maddogrc]

yeah, the nav currently has the stock LSD, but i've been told and have read that the LSD's just dont cut it.

anyone want to object to that?

i'll be doing mix of light to medium mud, majority gravel/dirt and light sand, just off the top of my head.

 

[Dion]

i was told that the diff/axle setup should be a direct fit from the guy selling it.

guess he's out to make an easy buck, even thought he bid is on 0.99, LOL

where would i find out how many splines it has? i'm guessing its the 31 spline diff though

No worries mate, you were right about the diff type in the first place before editing it. You can't just fit a patrol rear diff centre and/or housing to a Navara axle. It is possible that you could be able to bolt a patrol axle in place of a Navara axle but if it's a direct fit then I will firstly eat my hat, then secondly throw a free-booze party for every member of this forum to celebrate.

Best way is to count them. Second best way is to buy the locker marketed for your year vehicle.

 

[Dion]

You seem to be trying to compensate for the fact that your nav is 4x2. For all you'd spend making it more capable, you'd probably save money buying a rolled 4x4 D22 and putting your body and engine on that chassis.

 

[maddogrc]

the diff for sale includes:

gq patrol diff complete
gq patrol axle
rear shocks
rear leafs
rear drum brakes complete

and thats all already built/together.

for a buck off ebay ya cant go wrong, and if ya do, no loss, haha

 

[maddogrc]

You seem to be trying to compensate for the fact that your nav is 4x2. For all you'd spend making it more capable, you'd probably save money buying a rolled 4x4 D22 and putting your body and engine on that chassis.

yeah, really regretting not getting a 4x4 in the first place, but didnt have the extra 10K back then.

if i could find an 08 d22 4x4 roller then i'd snap it up and do a conversion, but i havent seen any new age rollers around. then again i havent really been looking...

edit.
just reread and you said just buy a chassis.

probs the best idea, but would be interesting to see what nissan says when i take it in for a service. what is supposed to be a 2wd is now a 4wd, haha

 

[Laith]

the diff for sale includes:

gq patrol diff complete
gq patrol axle
rear shocks
rear leafs
rear drum brakes complete

and thats all already built/together.

for a buck off ebay ya cant go wrong, and if ya do, no loss, haha

From what I can tell the only GQ Patrols that came with rear drum brakes also came with an open centre. No LSD.

I have had a few welded lockers in various cars in my day. None of them broke although my RX7 used to break axles when snatching 2nd. Got sick of it and fitted a tightly shimmed 4.1 Ford 9".

Welded centers are hard on tyres, hard on uni's and a PITA for everyday driving. If you went this path you would definitely be sorry.

Not trying to be rude but at the end of the day it sounds like you have a 2wd but want a 4wd.

I recon rather than dicking with a new Navara ute you would be better off selling/trading it on what you want when the funds are available.

Best of luck either way.

 

[maddogrc]

think i might ditch the option of buying the whole patrol rear end and doing a swap by what you guys have said, especially about the welded diff...

laith, you're totally right. i got a 2wd, but want a 4wd, but i'm stuck with what i have got for now.

i've had the ute for sale for around 4 months on a few sites, but no interest even though i knocked 6K off the purchase price and its currently not even a year old. trade in right now would bring me around 14-18K according to an evaluator, but thats a fair loss for a newish car.

either way cheers for all the input guys, gotta learn somehow...

 

[Dion]

Ebay it off, and get a D21 and make it awesome with the proceeds

Good luck with the beast, whatever you decide.