Swapping nissan or toyota diffs into a jeep tj

[zzzz]

Some will say this is blasphemous
But I am happy to use anything that works.
I am investigating a dana44 (beefed) front and dana60 (35 spline) rear at the moment and want to see what other options there might be.
Don't think anyone has really asked this specific question before so any help would be great.

This would be for 38" and bigger tyres.

Which are the desirable diffs and years from toyota and nissan?
What is the appoximate cost of these second hand?
What is the cost of upgrades to beef them up? longfields etc.
What is the approximate cost of lockers and gears?

What width are they wheel mount to wheel mount?
What material are the housing and tubes made out of?
Do they have spring pads or anything cast into them at all?

What yoke size and unis do they use for driveshafts?
Where are the pumpkins located? Passenger side front and centred rear would be best, but I can go low pinion front drivers using a dana300 or atlas if need be.

What size wheels fit on them?
Are they drum or disk?
General backspacing of wheels or an idea of how wide from outside of wheel to outside of wheel with 12.5" wide tyres would be good.

What bolt pattern do they use?
What brake line types?
How is the steering setup?
What size Tie rod and drag link ends?

etc.
etc.

Any and all information would be appreciated.

cheers

Zach

[Bitsamissin]

Hi Zach, a tad worried about those 36"s
The problem is with the front all Jap live axles have the pumpkin on the drivers side. The Dana axles have the pumpkin on the passenger (left)side. Mitsubishi copied the Jeep set up with slip yoke propshafts and the front pumpkin on the left side.
Maybe the cheepest option is to find a wrecked Scout which has Dana 44's front and rear and swap them in.
The new Jeep Rubicon has D-44's front and rear ??
This is the biggest stumbling block for me to do a SAS, it really has to be a D-44 or the whole thing will be just too expensive. But D-44's are not too common except from a Bronco. It's alright for the US dudes they can pick up D-44's from the Waganeer etc for a few hundred bucks complete.

[zzzz]

Hi Zach, a tad worried about those 36"s
The problem is with the front all Jap live axles have the pumpkin on the drivers side. The Dana axles have the pumpkin on the passenger (left)side. Mitsubishi copied the Jeep set up with slip yoke propshafts and the front pumpkin on the left side.
Maybe the cheepest option is to find a wrecked Scout which has Dana 44's front and rear and swap them in.
The new Jeep Rubicon has D-44's front and rear ??
This is the biggest stumbling block for me to do a SAS, it really has to be a D-44 or the whole thing will be just too expensive. But D-44's are not too common except from a Bronco. It's alright for the US dudes they can pick up D-44's from the Waganeer etc for a few hundred bucks complete.

Frank,

Not worried just like insurance
Thanks for the info.
I have no problems doing a dana300 (or an atlas 2 ) swap which gives me a drivers side front output. Just need to keep the front diff low pinion to avoid issues with the housing or driveshaft hitting the oil pan on the bottom of the motor.

Scout 44's might be the go but I really want a rear 60 and have a line on a wagoneer 44 (drivers side drop) and a 60 rear. Only real problem with these is the 44 is 6 on 5.5 bolt pattern and the 60 is 8 lug. Also the small issue of steering, alloy shaft upgrades, changing to 35 spline rear end etc. etc.

Rubicon 44's suck,
Can't remember all the details but they have cut corners with them.

I would really like to get some good info regarding yota or nissan diffs.
It would also be a good post just to get some tech info on the diffs into one area.

cheers

z

[zzzz]

Hi Zach, a tad worried about those 36"s
The problem is with the front all Jap live axles have the pumpkin on the drivers side. The Dana axles have the pumpkin on the passenger (left)side. Mitsubishi copied the Jeep set up with slip yoke propshafts and the front pumpkin on the left side.
Maybe the cheepest option is to find a wrecked Scout which has Dana 44's front and rear and swap them in.
The new Jeep Rubicon has D-44's front and rear ??
This is the biggest stumbling block for me to do a SAS, it really has to be a D-44 or the whole thing will be just too expensive. But D-44's are not too common except from a Bronco. It's alright for the US dudes they can pick up D-44's from the Waganeer etc for a few hundred bucks complete.

Forgot to say, you might be interested in a dana30 out of a jeep XJ.
They are a high pinion diff and are passenger side.
Can be upgraded with CTM uni joints and warn axles.
All depending how big you want to go with tyres they could be a good option. If I was doing a tj again I might of gone with an XJ dana30 from day one as they bolt straight into the tj.

All depends what you want at the end of the day though.
Mogs ??

[LEXX]

Why not just find a rig you're happy with i.e. Scout etc and transplant the TJ tub ontop, may work out cheaper?

[RUFF]

Scout D44 is a RH drop centre not LH.

[Matt N]

Zach,

Don't be cheapskate and just buy my rear D60.

Then you can sink all your time and energy into sorting just one end -- the front, and you'll only have to ask half as many questions.

[zzzz]

Why not just find a rig you're happy with i.e. Scout etc and transplant the TJ tub ontop, may work out cheaper?

Too much time, money and energy put into the TJ to go swapping vehicles now

Half the fun is in building a rig anyways.
Jeeps are built not bought

[zzzz]

Zach,

Don't be cheapskate and just buy my rear D60.

Then you can sink all your time and energy into sorting just one end -- the front, and you'll only have to ask half as many questions.

Didn't even know you were selling it?
Why and how much?
Shoot me a PM on ausjeep or here and give me some details.

cheers

z

[LOCKY]

Zach, I have a bare rear GQ Housing with all brackets cut off. At East Burwood, more than welcome to have a look at it.

Locky
0407 864 548

[bj on roids]

Hi Zach, a tad worried about those 36"s
The problem is with the front all Jap live axles have the pumpkin on the drivers side. The Dana axles have the pumpkin on the passenger (left)side. Mitsubishi copied the Jeep set up with slip yoke propshafts and the front pumpkin on the left side.
Maybe the cheepest option is to find a wrecked Scout which has Dana 44's front and rear and swap them in.
The new Jeep Rubicon has D-44's front and rear ??
This is the biggest stumbling block for me to do a SAS, it really has to be a D-44 or the whole thing will be just too expensive. But D-44's are not too common except from a Bronco. It's alright for the US dudes they can pick up D-44's from the Waganeer etc for a few hundred bucks complete.

most scouts i have seen are drivers drop (aussie drivers) so they wont go to well either. try a bronco or a 4x4 f-truck.

[Wooders]

Only prob with a bronco or F truck is they are bloody wide - so you'll have to narrow the thing.....NFI about getting it engineered if you kept it full width (although that would be nice).
Anyway I'd be interested (as mentioned previously) in the Nissan diff dimensions.

[greg]

The problem is with the front all Jap live axles have the pumpkin on the drivers side. The Dana axles have the pumpkin on the passenger (left)side.

Hey Zach,

One of the fellows in the zook club has recently been adapting a set of MQ diffs to sit under a LWB suzuki body - he found a place in melbourne that was able to extend the diff / axel housing for him so that it would fit happily under the car...

You may find it cheaper / better to try doing this sort of mod to a set of diffs that you are able to get your hands on around here.

I can try to find out the diff workshop that he went to for the work to the diffs if you like.

Cheers

[zzzz]

The problem is with the front all Jap live axles have the pumpkin on the drivers side. The Dana axles have the pumpkin on the passenger (left)side.

Hey Zach,

One of the fellows in the zook club has recently been adapting a set of MQ diffs to sit under a LWB suzuki body - he found a place in melbourne that was able to extend the diff / axel housing for him so that it would fit happily under the car...

You may find it cheaper / better to try doing this sort of mod to a set of diffs that you are able to get your hands on around here.

I can try to find out the diff workshop that he went to for the work to the diffs if you like.

Cheers

Surely he will have to get custom made axles for them as the lengths on each side will not be stock anymore.
I know you can change lengths with 44's and 60's so as to design the width of each side so it matches an axle that is already in production.

Can this be done with a nissan diff or would it be custom?

If you have a contact for him or the shop that would be cool.

cheers

z

[greg]

Surely he will have to get custom made axles for them as the lengths on each side will not be stock anymore.
I know you can change lengths with 44's and 60's so as to design the width of each side so it matches an axle that is already in production.

Can this be done with a nissan diff or would it be custom?

If you have a contact for him or the shop that would be cool.

He got an additional long side axel, then had the short side of the housing extended (i think 200mm) and had the spare long side axel shortened down to suit. Or at least that is my understanding of what he did.

It's LJ Extreem (he's on this board)...

Shop name is Central Diff - it's in Cheltenham - (03) 9555 0933

Cheers

[Matt N]

Zach,

Don't be cheapskate and just buy my rear D60.

Then you can sink all your time and energy into sorting just one end -- the front, and you'll only have to ask half as many questions.

Didn't even know you were selling it?
Why and how much?
Shoot me a PM on ausjeep or here and give me some details.

cheers

z

Check out the for sale forum on Ausjeep. Just checked, my post is at the bottom of page 4 atm and moving back fast!

http://www.ausjeepoffroad.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6473

[Wendle]

somewhere in the nissan section on this board is a thread about making a LH drop nissan front axle, pretty easily achievable I reckon...
don't buy anything off matt, you will only be fueling the fires of his plans of dictatorship and media propaganda.

[LOCKY]

Zach, any decision on diffs.

Rockjocks look good.

[Matt N]

somewhere in the nissan section on this board is a thread about making a LH drop nissan front axle, pretty easily achievable I reckon...
don't buy anything off matt, you will only be fueling the fires of his plans of dictatorship and media propaganda.

No I wont..
I promise
(add that money to my rule the wold fund, that is)