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4.6 diffs Nissan safari

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2017 10:25 am
by 4x4rookie
Hi
Since the 4.6 safari diffs are getting rarer and rarer - what else fits and can be used instead and are they as strong ?

Heard today Nissan pathfinder autos are 4.6 ratio - is the head the same as safari.....does it bolt straight in and axles fit etc ?

Any other diffs do the job - Hard out winch truck so whatever replacement needs to be strong.....any idea ?

cheers

Re: 4.6 diffs Nissan safari

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2017 12:03 pm
by lax2wlg
4x4rookie wrote:Hi
Since the 4.6 safari diffs are getting rarer and rarer - what else fits and can be used instead and are they as strong ?

Heard today Nissan pathfinder autos are 4.6 ratio - is the head the same as safari.....does it bolt straight in and axles fit etc ?

Any other diffs do the job - Hard out winch truck so whatever replacement needs to be strong.....any idea ?

cheers


The bugger is finding gears for the high pinion front.
I have a set of factory 4.875 gears available that would go straight into the rear diff (also a Lokka that would go straight into the front). You could then get some brand new 4.875 gears for the front from Marks (http://www.marks4wd.com/partfinder/prod ... ategory=11)

That way you'd have lower gearing and better condition equipment for a similar price to a set of thrashed 4.6s.

Re: 4.6 diffs Nissan safari

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2017 12:20 pm
by MihiT
Someone will come along with more info, but they put quite a few different cogs into the H233b so should be plenty out there.
I'm not 100% but:
They were in everything from the MQ to the GU series safs;
I believe the rear of a navara (WD21 and D22) has a 4.1:1, may have also used 4.6 for their V6 auto??;
Both aftermarket and OEM pinions& gears are avail to replace originals if you somehow managed to break them!;
Earlier ones had 9 bolts and laters had 11, but all the internals can swap over;
The only thing harder than a saf diff is changing a woman's mind...

Re: 4.6 diffs Nissan safari

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2017 12:46 pm
by lax2wlg
4x4rookie wrote:Heard today Nissan pathfinder autos are 4.6 ratio - is the head the same as safari.....does it bolt straight in and axles fit etc ?


IIRC Pathfinder R50 (the unibody model) has 33-spline rear which will fit straight into your rear housing. But then the front is still the problem. Some guys run staggered ratios to keep the front wheels turning faster (keep the front 'up') in mud holes etc, but IMO 4.1 front and 4.6 rear would be a bit too much of a jump on high traction surfaces, the transfer case might start acting like a 2 year old.

4.6 front/4.8 rear you could probably get away with but then again theres the issue with finding high pinion gears. Could eventually go low-pinion front if the tierod was above the knuckle.

Re: 4.6 diffs Nissan safari

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2017 10:00 pm
by 4wdstuff