Hello, I have a first year Hardbody- year 1986.5, 2WD, D21, 2.4L, 4CYL, manual trans.

I am looking for advice on a way to replace or upgrade the current differential with something limited slip and geared properly for 31" tires, a ratio close to when it was stock should do. Cost is a factor.

The truck has been lifted a bit, has after market A-Arms, is in cherry condition, and has 31" tires. The stock differential is NOT limited slip and is geared too high for the big tires I am running. I heard later model 2WD differentials were LSD?

Stock wheel and tire info:
Wheel/offset 5-Jx14/1.57
Tire P195/75R14

My usage is general street/highway, I will be pulling a Sea-Doo trailer with it on occasion, about 1200 lbs, I don't really do any off-roading.

I am pretty lame on figuring out gear ratios so I need some hand holding on that. I am a fairly competent weekend mechanic.

Thanks very much for any direction on this.

Further:
After reading your How-To (which axles do I have?)
On the fender plate of my truck is stamped
HF37
Which translates to:
H190 - 190mm ring gear

You currently have 3.7:1 gearing.

You could drop in a 4.625:1 rearend out of another hardbody. That would give you a 20% reduction in gearing, which is almost exactly what you'd need for 31s.

The cool thing is that another rear axle should just bolt right up.

You'll probably want to grab a whole rear axle, as the 4.625:1 will be found in the H233b rear axle.

Hope you don't mind me pickin your brain...

Regarding the H233b rear axle, any advice on how to find one?

If you happen to know...
Were the H233b axles used on 2x2s at all or just 4x4 trucks? If only on 4x4 are you sure they will mate with my 2x2? Even regarding the 2x2, is the bolt pattern the same for all my model's years?

I know they are not difficult to change out, as long as they fit.

Thanks very much for your help.

quote:

Hope you don't mind me pickin your brain...

Regarding the H233b rear axle, any advice on how to find one?

If you happen to know...
Were the H233b axles used on 2x2s at all or just 4x4 trucks? If only on 4x4 are you sure they will mate with my 2x2? Even regarding the 2x2, is the bolt pattern the same for all my model's years?

I know they are not difficult to change out, as long as they fit.

The h233b i s found on all V6 4x4 HB and all Pathfinders(regardless of drive train). The only other truck to receive the h233b is the 2wd se V6 1-ton heavy duty hardbody. All v6 2wd were heavy duty models.

A h233b will bolt right up to your truck. everything is the same. bolt pattern is 6 on 5.5. All brake lines match up.

Weren't all the 2wd models spring under and the 4wd spring over? Would he have to remove and remount the spring pads?

On my vehicle I had a leaf spring added to give the back more lift. I was planning on using my existing leaf springs by swapping them out.

Hey Sliz, how far SO do you live in SOCAL?

On the 4wd trucks, like mine, the leaf springs sit on top of the rear axle. The spring perch is welded to the top of the axle tube and there is a plate that wraps around the bottom of the tube to hold the u-bolts in place and serves as a mounting point for the bottom of the rear shocks. I believe most, if not all the 2wd versions had spring under, where the leaf springs run under the axle tube. If using a 4wd axle on a 2wd pickup, you might have to cut the spring perch off and weld it to the top of the axle tube. Not too hard to do but not exactly bolt-on.

Hey vlsgmc,
You are correct in that my leaf springs attach on the underside of the axel via U-bolts and a plate which is welded to the axel tube both front and rear. Mine sounds the same as yours but with the fastening plate under the axle tube instead of above it. The shocks mount on each side's respective fastening plate then on up to the frame. Both shocks mount to the plate on the inside side of the leaf spring. The driver's side shock mounts on the front of the plate, and the passenger side shock mounts on the back of the plate (behind the axel tube), making them staggered a bit I assume for stability.

I noticed the way they did the leaf spring add-on was to make it the bottom most spring. It is about half the length as the other two. It appears as though they just slid it under the other ones. So it may be that I could simply loosen the bolts and slide it out and move it to the new differential. I think unwelding the leafs would be a pretty big job. The main thing is that the assembly lines up and fits my frame. For certain I would need shorter shocks, and the angle of the shocks would have to be functional.

I live down in Riverside. I'm going to try and get some pics up somewhere. I take it you can't attach jpegs here?

The board is a little different than html..

You'll want to use the following:

[img]http://a122.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/60/l_d483757803fc3d050290a5057fb086f1.jpg[/img]

Like this:

Thank you Admin for help on the pics.

Below- Front of the leaf frame mounting point




Below- Rear leaf frame mounting point




Below- Driver's side shot from the rear. You can see the additional leaf spring under the other two.



Below- Passenger side shot from the rear. Compare this with the picture above to see the locations of the shock mounts.

Takes a good amount of lift to get 31's under a 2wd hardbody.

Roger on that D.R. With 30s no problema. 31s I have to be careful if I have a passenger in the cab with the wheel cranked and hitting a rise like a steep driveway the tires will rub a bit.

Here is a pic of the beauty. Uh, I think my truck is in there somewhere too donning 30s. If you look hard enough you'll eventually see it.

I don't see a truck, where is it again?

something in that picture needs a spanking.

It ain't the truck.