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View Full Version : How-to install the 300z diff w/out buying new flanges (and you wont need them!)


deltrr
07-09-2003, 01:59 PM
I picked up a whole rear section of a 93' 300zx NA w/ ABS from a local junkyard for $120.00. The only part I originally wanted was just the pumpkin (viscous lsd) but the guys at the junkyard were really busy and just told me to take the rear section instead of having them remove it for me. So, I threw it into the trunk of my car (with half of it sticking out, haha) and drove to work. Since I work @ a Nissan dealership, I have the god-sent privilege of being able to use the lifts on occasion for my own use. The plan was to buy output flanges for an S14 that had a LSD and replace them with the output flanges that were currently in the Z32 pumpkin. Why? because the bolt pattern on the axles/output flanges on the Z's is a 5-bolt-star-shape, which differs completely from the US-spec 240's 6-bolt-triangle-shape. A few days after I had dropped off the rear section, I looked up the part #'s for the 2 output flanges. Turns out that the prices combined for the two flanges were nearly $300.00(retail). Reluctantly, I special ordered the flanges. The expected date of arrival was that Friday(I had ordered on Wednesday.) I came into work on Thursday to find out that the left flange was coming out of Cali, and the right flange was on international back order. Naturally I was ****ed, so I canceled the orders and started thinking of a way to make everything work out so I could install the pumpkin on Friday(that way, I could compete in Hyper-fest that Saturday.) I won't go into detail on the ideas I thought of that failed, but the idea that I thought would work was the following:


Instead of changing the output flanges on the Diff, I would dis-assemble the inner CV-Joints on the 300zx axles, remove the inner joints, dis-assemble and remove the inner joints on my 240sx axles, and finally install the inner joints from the Z onto the 240's axles.
(Now, some of you are probably thinking "Can't you just use the 300z's axles?" Well, the answer is no. The Z axles are wayyy too long and the outer diameter of the spline grooves that go into the spindle are too big. Otherwise, it would work great.)

This plan is INSANELY easier said than done. I consulted both FSM's(Factory Service Manual) for a 93' 300zx and a 93' 240sx, studied the axle break-down diagrams, and came to the conclusion that this would most likely work. It was worth a try because it would be saving me $300.00
Friday same soon, and at the end of the working day, it was time to get down and dirty. I put my car on the lift, removed both rear wheels, removed the rear sway bar, unbolted and removed the stock diff, then removed both the axles and put one of the axles into a vice. I dis-assembled and removed the inner joint, exposing the bare drive-shaft end with the splines showing. I then put one of the Z axles up and removed it's inner knuckle, and then tossed the rest of the axle. It was when I tried to put the knuckle on the 240's axle that disaster stroke. The 240 axle is approximately 2mm smaller than the Z axle, and thus, the spline is 2mm smaller. This meant that the inner-most part of the Z knuckle did not fit in the spline and just spun around freely. After about 20 minutes of ****ing/moaning about this projects certain doom, I thought about possibly welding that part onto the axle. I aligned the bearing housing(this is the part that im talking about.. the part that splines onto the axle) where I wanted it, then took a cookie(plastic grinding disc) and cleaned up the area where I would be welding. Then, I went next door and fired up the MIG welder. I started a bead and basically just went around and made 2 rings around the bearing housing, securing it to the axle. Job well done! it looked like it would hold up. I took the axles back to my car and let them cool off for about an hour. During that time, I drained the oil from both my stock diff and from the LSD, cleaned everything up, and put the cover from the stock diff onto the lsd so that it would bolt up to my car(the Z's have a 2 bolt lineup on the back of the diff[like S14's] and the S13 has a 4-bolt lineup.) I also grabbed the same cookie and cleaned up the welds that I did because they had a few messy bits that looked like they would fall off and perhaps get wedged between a bearing and the housing and cause some trouble. Then, I re-assembled the joints onto the axles and everything was looking great. I re-installed the axles with no problem, then I raised the lsd and bolted it in. Everything lined up perfectly(the axles, drift shaft, pumpkin bolts) except that the two mounting bolts that bolt the pumpkin on its front side were not lining up. One bolt lined up, and the other one was about 2mm off. Luckily, that diff had rubber bushings suspending the bolt-holes so i used a screwdriver and got everything bolted in. Over all, my car looks JDM from the bottom now because of the 5-bolt-output-flange pattern, haha!

I dropped my car down and drove away into the night with absolutely no problems, everything works great! I even got to compete at hyper-fest in the drift competition as planned.

I just wanted to post this story because it saved me $300 and all I really had to do was a bit of welding to make everything fall into place. Reluctantly, I didn't take any pictures. =[ but I did all the work by my self and my hands were entirely too dirty to use a digital camera anyway. oh well!

cheers! (perhaps a sticky?)

Fastback180
09-04-2003, 12:12 PM
"Ey Bill! Get a load of rookie over here! He thinks he's tryin to put parts from a real sports car into one o dem little ole 240s! Ha he done thinks he's some kind of nascar driver or something goin crazy and doin his slidin across the roads"

Good write up james. I bet the rednecks in the parts department were proud!
:bigok:

drift freaq
09-04-2003, 08:57 PM
good write up. entirely unesscary , all you would have had to do was get a set of Pre 95 J30 axles (5 bolt instead of 6 bolt ) they are the same length as our 240 axles and bolt right in. ya you can get a pair from a wrecking yard for anywhere from $75-150 and you do not spend nearly as much time rebuilding your axles. If you had looked in the faq section there is a faq about this stuff.

240Driver39
09-04-2003, 09:35 PM
yeah, drift freaq is right, when i swapped a na 300zx vlsd in, i just grabbed a set of perfect j30 axles for bout 100bux shipped to my door, was actually 3x as much as i paid for my diff haha, but it made the install very easy and everything worked out perfect. But its cool that the way u did it worked for ya, have fun

jayc
09-05-2003, 06:22 AM
I just put an R32 VLSD in my car last week and everything bolted right in. The Axles and pumpkin fit right up to my car like stock. Here are some pics of the rear end I have. I still don't know if it's a GTR or GTS rear end.
http://web.ecomplanet.com/CHAR4077/ServerContent/MyCustomImages/CHAR4077CustomImage0025925.jpg http://web.ecomplanet.com/CHAR4077/ServerContent/MyCustomImages/CHAR4077CustomImage0055351.jpg http://web.ecomplanet.com/CHAR4077/ServerContent/MyCustomImages/CHAR4077CustomImage001999.jpg

AKADriver
09-05-2003, 07:52 AM
I can see "HCR32" in pink grease pencil - HCR32 is the GTS-t :) BNR32 would be the GT-R.

Good writeup! Not something I'd attempt because I can't weld for poop, but something for others to try definitely.

mbmbmb23
09-05-2003, 10:06 AM
I wonder if the Z32 NA axle hub splines can be shortened (grinded or cut)?



-m

crzycav86
03-13-2004, 08:37 PM
Resurrected....

I'm gonna try this. I have a z32 diff, z32 axles, and a set of s14 axles. It's going on my s13.. anyone have some advice? I have all the tools, I just don't know how to seperate the cv joints.. can anyone shed some light on this?

Thanks

kanekz
03-16-2004, 01:46 PM
Well if the z32 axles are 5bolt star and the output shafts of the diff are the same..you should be good. Change diff cover to s13 though.

Muzzy
03-16-2004, 02:10 PM
that shit is too invloved
i guess i say that cuz i cant weld..but either way....

couldnt u jus use the s13 vlsd shafts and press them into the 300zx LSD?

kazuo
03-16-2004, 03:14 PM
I have a JDM VLSD with R33 axles (5 bolt pattern)

Bolts right up.

R32 GTS/GTR axles bolt up as well IIRC.

crzycav86
03-18-2004, 06:49 PM
Well.. the project is under progress. I'll do the welding tommorow. Here's a little write-up: http://www.gbauto.net/crzycav86/axle_swap.htm

crzycav86
03-19-2004, 05:04 PM
All done. :)

Everything worked out as planned: http://www.gbauto.net/crzycav86/axle_swap.htm