Offroad-Express

Right, project for the year, SAS on the old bitch . Have looked at all the north american sites have a general idea of what I am after. Eventually running 33" Simex on trail, wanting coils all round, load carrying capability for extended remote sth island adventures and the ability to do some serious rock climbing. Then fitting lockers and 4.8 ratio diffs. Heard a rumour that a guy in Oz used a safari axle?what type, anyone know or heard same rumour? Any suggestion on who could do work at good price(cold hard cash of course) with myself as the dog's body(CHCH) Would not want truck off road more then month. Desielboy, any thoughts being an old terrano man. Could have first one in NZ, excellent project.
Al

If you want to keep it all nissan, safari axle would be the way to go. Standard ratios for a GQ are usually 4.1 but you can get 4.8 crown wheel and pinions out of aussie for around $600 i think.

Draw backs to using the safari would be its width and they can bend if you are doing heavy off road work of trying to squeze them into hilux width ruts but it isnt a big deal to strengthen them. Once strengthened they are pretty much unbreakable though.

Ill have a complete front axle/diff setup with brakes for sale in a couple of weeks if you are interested. Its out of an 88 GQ

Would I not be able to fix the size problem by cut and weld, is that certifiable? If I'm strengthening, in my mind I should be able to cut and weld to size. What side is the diff on this axle you've got? I,ve got a h233b in the rear. If the housings can match, the diffs will be no problem as I can get them no probs.
Al

Yes i have heard of people narrowing them. Measure the difference in width of a safari and your pathfinder and if it isnt much i wouldnt bother. Strengthening is as simple as welding a couple of bits of 10mm plate in where the axle housing narrows down to where the cv's are.

The front diff is on the Drivers side.

Not sure what the code is but the diff in the front of the safaris is the same size as in the rear of the pathfinders. I have been told that pathfinder rear lockers go in the front of safaris.

to perform solid axle mods al you dont need to be a cert welder

you also want to look at maybe a body lift ,cos i think youre gona struggle with up travel when you try and mount the spring/shock towers.




if you want my opinion al,i would be going to the hilux /prado........................
1, easy to get low diffs (factory of the shelf!)
2,narrower track(no need for custom axles etc)
3,well priced for parts
4,the cvs are the same size as gqs
5,to widen track (wheel spacers are cheaper than custom axles)
6,a prado diff and radius arms on already to go in,and hidden idler arms!

The guy in OZ used a MK/MQ modle patrol diff which is the correct width for the Terrano.

They are the patrols built up to 86/87 and had leaf springs.

He cut and welded the axle tubes so that the diff center was on the correct side for the drive shaft.

He used the spring platforms, radious arms, steering links and panhard rod from the GQ coil sprung modle 88-97 to convert the diff and Terrano run coils.

I would look into some other design of radious arms, say range rover ones, as the GQ arms are pretty restrictive in design.

GQ parts are every were, and dirty old mk/mq Safari's are parked on peoples lawns all over the place rusting away.

If it has a SD33, or SD33T motor, its what your looking for. (3 litre 6cycl diesel)

Hope that helps.

Pete.

GQ shock towers and spring platforms on a Terrano:



The MK Diff and the GQ links and springs etc

doddzee wrote:Not sure what the code is but the diff in the front of the safaris is the same size as in the rear of the pathfinders. I have been told that pathfinder rear lockers go in the front of safaris.

According to lockrights site the rear terrano locker is the same as the front of the safari...

Correct, the LSD carrier out of a WD21 Terrano will fit the front diff of a Y60 Safari.

The carriers are the same.

The MK/MQ Carrier almost fits straight off, but the holes in the carrier to bolt the crown wheel to need machining larger.

So there for, with a small amount of work, the 4 pinion open carrier from the MK patrol would fit you rear diff, and that would mean you could have a rear lokker with out having to track down Terrano open carrrier, which i believe are rare over here. Well, to an extent.

You would then have the same locker front and rear, which must have beneift when you do damage on a trip!!!!

Niiice... good to see a few more SASd wagons on the board. I'd go with what EF said... you can turn the Hilux axle over, then rotate each knuckle 180 degrees to give the right diff head side, and 4.8LSD Toyota diff heads are all over the place.

The parts are cheap, and they are easy to work on.

I wouldn't go Prado tho, as the control (radius) arms are ground draggers... they go waaay down before they go back up to the chassis again... look at using Range Rover arms... neater and better clearances. Since you're going to have everything custom anyway it won't really add to much to the work required.

Steve.

The Prado is high pinion which is stronger then hilux, it also has its tierod behind the diff which makes for easier panhard mounting as less congestion. However this is why the arms swop down.
The Prado arms are also better for artic with the eye style rear mount.
However the Prado axles are different lengths to hilux and are less common so whilst cutting and welding offset the head for hilux inners.
Measure your rear track, IFS have a wide track and you may be surprised
J Top

Thanks for the thoughts guys. Plenty to think about. Being a purist I think I will stick with Nissan and maybe look at the rangie radius arm. Can't have toyota parts in U571. You make perfect sense Desielboy, now just got to find someone to do it. I get on well with a nissan wrecker so could do a deal getting all of the parts through him(just a thought). If you have any more thoughts please add them or come across any good links.
Al

So Al, whats happening here... doing it before easter? What parts are you going to use? Where are you doing it? Coils or leafs... details

Steve

It will be after June as I have a couple of club trips to lead before then. Will definitely be going coils, I love them so much. Gear to use: will stay Nissan, can't have a hybrid now, I'll get even more shit . Probably use the safari Y60 diffs and axle as my current rear is the same and I can get heaps of them through Jamie out at Rangiora. Going out this weekend to talk with him about it. Any room in the shed out there that I could rent as I would be interested, who do I see? Will be attempting it myself, with lots of help, I've got some volunteers. Lots of cutting and grinding. Just looking around for a cheap gas axe to buy. Youn interested in doing any work and whats your rate? Also can I make a booking to get my alarm done next month. Bought it, looked at the instructions and went SHIT
Al

Al,
I can get a gas axe set, don't buy one

Theres heaps of room at the shed at the moment, the V8 cruiser is done (and certed on tuesday, so legal even) and Riks truck should be Fox nitro-charged 5-linked by then.

My rate? God knows... I make it up as I go along ... might be better to get together and lie on the ground staring up at the underside of it for half an hour or so and come up with a plan then work out a price.

The shed - at the moment I am looking at building a workshop at home, but every time I get close I find something else to do with the money. I would say I will be there till at least mid-year now so shouldn't be a problem. How does $40/wk for space, light, power, and use of my tools (although there is a you-break-it-you-bought-it policy, and you use your own grinding/cutting discs) sound? Thats not an open invite to everyone btw, just people I know... had the odd random person use and abuse the shed last year which annoyed me a bit.

Not sure about having to work with Nissan gear tho Might be a hard ask, but hey you and DB can't be all wrong, so there must be something good in the old datsuns somewhere Besides, its ripping out IFS, regardless... and I feel thats the mission I was put on earth to achieve

Steve

No worries Steve. Any chance we could catchup this weekend to go over the finer points and stare at the underside for half an hour. As for the shed, done deal.
Al

Sounds good... flick me a txt on 021 637 600 and we'll key up a time.

Oh, and assuming my MU is legal and I haven't sold or killed the bighorn, you can use that while we're doing the sas if you need wheels. It was part of the plan in buying it... a sas loaner

Steve

Meet with Steve sat. Too much too think about, he's trying to persuade me to toyota SAS so that in itself leaves more room for discussion. Even going hilux/prado axle=cutting and welding. mk/mq=no welding of axle except to position diff housing to correct side. Not sure if we can turn it upside down for same, comments. We are going to move the axle forward for better approach angles. Looking at rancho9000 shocks with maxitrack coils all round(50mm lift rear). We are also going to strengthening and lenghten some of the rear axle mounting points as well. Will fit lockrites front and rear so that takes all debate out about difflocks. Will be running two sets of tyres as well, but will need to change rim offsets. DB any thoughts on the engine mounting point that will need to be re-engineered form the one that joins the front diff crossmember
Al

Can't help with the cross member, but it is possible i might have some pictures of what a guy in the US did with his when he did a SAS.

I think i have them saved some where.

http://www.4x4parts.com/public_html/shop/index.php3?page=shop/truck_month

Hmmm, this is the vehicle, and the write up is on a Ford Bronco Forum. I'll keep looking:

Interesting Read....

http://www.nissan4x4.co.za/forum/forum_ ... +axle+swap






http://www.purenissan.com/new_page_2.htm

Theres actually heaps on this site:

http://www.nissan4x4.co.za/forum/forum_ ... +axle+swap

http://npora.ipbhost.com//index.php?sho ... #entry3041

http://www.off-road.com/nissan/feature02.html

I'm still looking for the big write up. I'll have to do a search onthe Early Frod Broncho site for ya.

Seen this one:

http://home.4x4wire.com/erik/4runner/sas/

Is this what your aiming for Al? The surfs might get a big jealous.

87' nissan pathfinder SAS'd. sitting on 42x15 super swamper tsls. lots of goodies all custom homeade

Of course will be nothing on the LR

Mike

Shit, info overload Will check out all those sites when I have alittle more time, over the weekend. Went to the library this arvo after work and got a few nissan patrol/safari manuals. The MQ model is a C200 front axle and I need to find out what ratios they come in. They are leaf sprung. The 88 97 models are the same as my rear H233B rear axle in 4.375 ratio. I would assume that terrano diffs ie 4.8 ratio would be interchangeable, please correct me if I am wrong. It is also coil sprung, which is what I am after. What year is yours DB, and if within above, what have you got in the front, and what width is it from hub to hub(outer)? Both would require the relocating of the diff housing to the left side, or could it be turned upside down? Yeah this is really starting to sound good.
Al

TOYOTA oweners donot do this sort of thing

dieselboy is this the one http://www.classicbroncos.com/forums/sh ... hp?t=55362

just adding this as i had bookmarked it ages ago
for yotas http://www.brian894x4.com/Solidaxleswappt1.html