Nissan Frontier Rear Differential

[MolaKule]

Well, my 2012 Nissan Frontier's rear differential has to be rebuilt. It is a torque sensing diffy similar to the Eaton TrueTrac.

I change gear lube each year before hunting season and this time a chunk of metal came out that looked like a gear tooth and indeed it was.

I had my mechanic put it on a lift and remove the cover and indeed teeth were missing from the drive pinion and the torsen gearing.

The axle assembly will be removed and sent to an axle shop that specializes in a rebuild.

No noise or cornering issues were ever noticed.

 

[The Critic]

How many miles are on it?

 

[BrendanC]

interesting. i wonder if the torsional gearing failed and sent metal through the ring and pinion. quite hard to hurt a ring and pinion if you’re not abusing a vehicle and keeping up with fluids.

 

[benjy]

sorry for your misfortune!! my 2011 fronty is a 6 spd manual so it has the dana-nissan rear, so far so good running Redline 75-90 lube. many parts on it are different so when my axle seal leaked i had to get some parts from local stealer $$$ but when the other side started i shopped on line using part #'s + saved $$$

 

[benjamming]

Did you ever do any UOAs on the fluid?
What's the estimated cost for rebuild?

 

[JeffKeryk]

I blew up the 3rd member in my 68 Vette. My brother set up the new 3:36 posi unit for me.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Sorry to hear. I was unaware that Nissan made a limited slip diff for those trucks. I thought they were only available with open diff, or with the E-locker, which is a positive lock? Learn something new here every day.

 

[MolaKule]

Sorry to hear. I was unaware that Nissan made a limited slip diff for those trucks. I thought they were only available with open diff, or with the E-locker, which is a positive lock? Learn something new here every day.

Me too, didn't know it had one until the rear cover was removed. I have asked for an open diff rebuild if it can be done since this is a Pro-4X4.

Mileage--105,000 miles.

UOA's? Occasional UOA's since about 35,000 miles have shown about 150ppm iron and other metallics since I bought it.

Estimated cost for rebuild is $3k.

BTW, this was an off lease and the leasee used it in the New Mexico oil fields so I am sure
it was not babied by any means. As I mentioned in a past post, the ATF was as black and thick as a 10W30 and it took 5 D&F's before it cleaned up. I do yearly D&F's but the tranny has been shifting as it should.

 

[MolaKule]

interesting. i wonder if the torsional gearing failed and sent metal through the ring and pinion. quite hard to hurt a ring and pinion if you’re not abusing a vehicle and keeping up with fluids.

I suspect you are right and that is what happened.

 

[MolaKule]

Oh and BTW, this has a gear ratio of 3.37:1. Kinduv of weird ratio, but Mec's said they had about 7 different gear ratio diffy's for this model year.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Me too, didn't know it had one until the rear cover was removed. I have asked for an open diff rebuild if it can be done since this is a Pro-4X4.

Mileage--105,000 miles.

UOA's? Occasional UOA's since about 35,000 miles have shown about 150ppm iron and other metallics since I bought it.

Estimated cost for rebuild is $3k.

BTW, this was an off lease and the leasee used it in the New Mexico oil fields so I am sure
it was not babied by any means. As I mentioned in a past post, the ATF was as black and thick as a 10W30 and it took 5 D&F's before it cleaned up. I do yearly D&F's but the tranny has been shifting as it should.

So if its a pro-4X it has this switch near the 4wd dial? If so its a full locker, not limited slip.

Schematic below, and a video showing its actuation locking the axles.

I have in fact heard of them blowing up - same diff in the Xterra Pro4X and the hard core off road guys had issues - not particularly abnormal with that crowd. Issue of course is its odd-ball, and Nissan sells no parts, so everyone ended up going with an ARB air locker on a standard setup and getting rid of the e-locker - again, the hard core guys who like to break things.

I think the gear ratio is 3.357 - or at least that is what I have been lead to believe is a fairly common Nissan standard. I believe that is what my 2011 SV has, but its a C200K open Diff (vs what sounds like you have the Dana e-locker variant).

$3K for a rebuild actually doesn't sound bad for that diff - from what I have been told, as sad as it sounds

 

[D60]

BTW, this was an off lease and the leasee used it in the New Mexico oil fields so I am sure
it was not babied by any means. As I mentioned in a past post, the ATF was as black and thick as a 10W30 and it took 5 D&F's before it cleaned up. I do yearly D&F's but the tranny has been shifting as it should.

I was a little confused until I read this. That's literally my back yard and the gas patch guys destroy trucks.

Back when you still could (as late as '97) the companies around me would smartly spec C6s instead of E4ODs in F350s. It's very difficult to kill a C6, but they'd still destroy transfer cases, leaf springs etc. You often need to chain up all four for the mud and ruts in addition to snow (obviously). They also order gassers because they tolerate abuse and neglect much better.

Those trucks have a hard life. Fortunately a Frontier probably didn't have a fully loaded utility bed

 

[MolaKule]

So if its a pro-4X it has this switch near the 4wd dial? If so its a full locker, not limited slip.

No, it's a torsen type LSD since I saw the pictures the mechanic took. For 4 wheel drive, the TC kicks in the front diffy. The selections are: 2 wheel drive, 4 wheel high, and 4 wheel low. There is a dash indicator showing your mode.

 

[Pablo]

Time to re-gear! What ratios are available?

 

[MolaKule]

Time to re-gear! What ratios are available?

I did not write down all of the optional gear ratios but one that was mentioned that I remember was the 4.11:1 and that's when I went, "Hmm."

 

[2strokeNorthstar]

Time to re-gear! What ratios are available?

Nothing more satisfying than ditching the stock economy gears.

 

[Pablo]

Nothing more satisfying than ditching the stock economy gears.

I went 4.88 in my MT Tacoma. 100% ideal.

 

[2strokeNorthstar]

I went 4.88 in my MT Tacoma. 100% ideal.

4.56 in my F150. Kind of wish I went 4.88

 

[dfarr67]

I run two Eaton TruTrac's, no issues here, but I take care of my gear. One in an old 4runner repalced open diff and one replace a broke assed GuvLoc in a GM 8.5in. One of the best operating diff's I've had- wonder what took it out.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Sorry to hear. I was unaware that Nissan made a limited slip diff for those trucks. I thought they were only available with open diff, or with the E-locker, which is a positive lock? Learn something new here every day.

I know the e-locker equipped one is the one that is apparently very unreliable.