Started this weekend with the front differential/axle unit. Removed the skid plates, lifted it up on jack stands in the front, removed the tires. Set a floor jack under each lower ball joint for peace of mind. Unbolted the front CV and drive shaft and used a transmission jack to lower the front drive unit down. It's a R200 that was used for decades as the rear differential in Z cars. The First Gen Xterras and pathfinders really have a super stout drive train. The transmission jack made it much easier to lower out of there. I cleaned up the outside to try to keep the threat of grit getting everywhere, and popped the cap and drained it, and moved it to my bench, where I removed the housing axles and bearing caps and pulled out the carrier.

I went ahead and put it in a vise and removed the old 4.6 ring and put on the 5.13 ring, though that required a trip to get some red threadlock, and some research to find the right bolt torque. The front drive doesn't get much use and the bearings feel perfectly smooth so I am going to keep the originals in place. I bagged that up for reinstall.

While I was under the X, I found a loose exhaust bolt at the header flange, and decided to drop out the exhaust section with the cat I had fabbed up a couple years ago to weld it properly. I had clamped it before but was never satisfied with the fit and it had some leaks, so I pulled that out and welded it all up and removed the clamps, then put it back. No more chugging.

I can also see I have a rear main seal leak, but dropping the transmission without a lift is probably beyond my abilities, so I will pay someone to do that at some point. Might tolerate it until the next clutch replacement.

Back to the front unit, I had to fab a tool to bolt to the pinion flange so I could loosen the pinion nut, and I ended up making a pretty nice little lever that should fit the rear flange also and between that and a 6 foot cheater pipe on my 1/2 wratchet, the pinion nut had no chance. I did have to make a trip to harbor freight for a 3 arm puller as the 2 arm one kept just going cockeyed, but I popped the flange off and decided I was done for the day.

Next up is pulling the pinion and removing the race and shim and swapping the new pinion in. I may use new bearings but the factory ones still seem pretty good as well. I'll finally get to use the 12ton press!

My biggest challenge is going to be setting the pinion depth right in as few tries as possible. I don't have any type of depth gauge, so I can only go off contact pattern, but that requires getting into ballpark range to start, so I am hoping the existing shims will be s tolerable starting point.

Weekend 2, didn't have much time to work, but knocked out the pinion, pulled everything off it, and put together the new pinion setup with the same spacer. I also put in the carrier for a shim resistance test. It's supposed to take about 3-4lb force to turn it, but only takes 1. Hmm. Problem is I need a bunch of shims to fix this that aren't made any longer. I might be able to get a bunch of generic ones off of McMaster Carr that fit ok but probably not perfectly, so it may just be better to leave it as is as I don't use 4WD that much. I got it back together with the pinion and carrier in and realized I had no compound to test the tooth pattern. Hopefully I get lucky with it because the backlash feels pretty good as-is, and re-shimming like I said, is going to be a pain.

I ran some marking paste on the ring and spun it through the pinion. Does this contact look OK, or is it a little too high on the face still? I can add another thin shim on the pinion to drop it a smidge more, but to be honest, it looks pretty well centered, just not dead centered. Expert opinions?


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Decided to get order some yellow marking paste as the blue seems difficult to read the contact pattern. I'll try again and see what it looks like with that. I figure in the mean time I can check the current backlash.

The pattern looks OK, but the backlash is only .002". Needs to be about .006". I ordered shins to move the carrier slightly to the passenger side and hope the contact pattern is still good, and maybe tighten it up a smidge. If I end up having to add a shim to the pinion again, so be it. This is the part-time front diff. It doesn't need to be as absolutely perfect as the rear will be.

Post pics with the yeller

Once your pinion depth is set, minor backlash changes shouldn't really change the pattern.

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Waiting for shims to come in. I started installing the ARB compressor. I found a good location up under the body on a frame rail and built a mounting bracket. It should be easy to run the control and power wires back up to the cab.

Pattern does look a tiny bit high. Not sure if its worth correcting though.

I'm going to move the carrier a tiny bit passenger side and shim it in a bit tighter to get the specified resistance and backspace, and see how it patterns then. If it is a bit off high at that point , I'll add a couple thousands of shim to the pinion and re-test.

I got the compressor installed and working this weekend for the rear locker. I mounted it to a bracket above the rear crossmember and ran the control and power cable up through the same gasket as the fuel pump and under the carpet and cabling to a little storage cubby that was built in below the radio in front of the stick. I got the panel off and the cubby unscrewed in the back from the panel, and was just the right size for three ARB switches side by side. Awesome: one for the compressor, one for the rear locker, and one for a future upgrade.

I needed a piece of aluminum plate to fab a mounting plate for the switches that would fit in place of the cubby, and didn't have one handy, but I did have some old license plates. Perfect. I cut and ground a backing plate with three switch inserts and fitted it to the console molding and fitted the switches in, and then wired up the cabling from the compressor.

While I was in there, I ran another power lead to the battery with a 15 amp fuse and cleaned up some older cabling and wire work in the process. End result is the switches light up in use, and engage the compressor and solenoid properly.

I should get the shins this week to finish the front diff, and maybe get it back on.

Got my shims today. Effing iPhone spell check is too stupid to know shims is a word apparently. I tried one set tonight to shift it 0.05mm and see what that did, and the backlash didn't move much, but it is right on now. I'll re-pattern it tomorrow and see where the contact is. If it still looks decent, I'll go with it. It if moved too much to the face top then I'll have to move the pinion. I might have to use a slightly thicker shim on one side to increase the carrier preload. It seems a bit under spec. These shim adjustments are so tedious.

The pinion preload only reads about 7-8 inc pounds instead of 9-12. I also would like to move the pinion in slightly. This is a shim and spacer pinion, not a crush one. If I am thinking about this correctly, if I pull the pinion and add a very slightly thicker shim above the inner bearing, and then put it back together, that will also have very slightly decreased the length of the rest of the pinion shaft relative to the current setup, which would slightly increase the preload without having to change the preload shim. I think that's on the menu for this weekend.

(I'm sort of journaling this here so I can keep my plan straight in my head)
The plan is this:
Pull the carrier. Keep the current shim setup for now.
Pull the pinion.
Break down the pinion.
Measure the height shim and replace it with the next most slightly thicker shim set.
Press the bearing back on, replace the same spacer and preload shim
Install the carrier only, and measure the carrier preload, adjust carrier one shim thicker on passenger side to increase and retest. 7.7-8.8 lbs pull to turn.
Remove the carrier
Install the pinion, no seal.
Reinstall the carrier.
Retest pinion and flange for 9.5 to 12 in/lb torque to turn. Say F it, close enough if it is even a bit better than 8.
Check the tooth pattern one last time.
Pull the flange and add the seal and flange back, replace the other seals, put it all back together, reinstall.
Yeah, tedious work is in my future.

I did all the work on the front differential, and probably should have brought the pinion out a little more than I did, but all the measurements ended up within spec except the carrier preload, but I was tired of hammering in and popping out shims and I I finally decided that it wasn't worth that much trouble getting it perfect.

The pinion preload and backlash are good, and the runout is barely within spec, but within spec. Tomorrow I'll get it put back in place, and then it is time to move on to the rear differential, which will be a bit more challenging as it will involve installing the air locker.

The front end is back together. A transmission jack is hugely helpful in doing this. I had some major trouble at first getting the front drive unit positioned properly to reinsert the bolts, then finally noticed I had accidentally let the passenger CV flange get wedged in the way, and had to lower things back a bit and loosen the UCA to get it out of the way, but after that it all went back together smoothly. I tested the front end and everything seems to be working great.

I also replaced the bump stop caps and the rear hatch lift supports and test ran the engine a while. It sounds better now that the exhaust leak is fixed.

Just out of curiosity, how much slack is normal when turning the front drive shaft before the wheels begin to turn? I get about maybe a 45 degree turn of the drive shaft before the wheels start to rotate. The backlash was set dead center of range at 0.005". I figure it is slack with the front lunchbox locker plus the cv joints plus manual hubs all added up? It kind of surprised me it wasn't a bit tighter but I suppose having it engage almost immediately might be too tight. I'd just never hand spun the drive shaft before and it was a bit of a surprise.

This weekend I got the Xterra out, Parker it down the gravel drive and washed and scrubbed the rear axle and differential down so it was clean, then parked it turned around under the carport so the back end is closer to the garage and further out of the weather. Didn't too too much, basically put it up on jack stands on the rear axle and took off the rear wheels, popped off the drums took aboard the drum brakes, and then detached the rear drive shaft and pulled the spindle assemblies after draining the diff. Much easier so far than the front. The H233B axle and diff comes apart as a separate carrier and housing, so I can leave the axle housing in place, and just have to work in the carrier.

Popped the carrier housing off and broke it down after testing it. Preloads were all off, but that's to be expected with 250,000 miles of wear.
First things first, I bought some washers and nuts and bolts and steel rod and welded a side adjuster tool for the preload adjustment nuts. Then It was pulling off the carrier and removing the ring gear bolts. I won't need any of the factory LSD carrier or the old 4.6 ring because it's all being replaced by an ARB locker. Getting the bolts off was a pain.
Used the oven to warm up the new 5.13 ring and that helped it slip on the ARB carrier much more easily, then bolted it down. Torquing it was a PITA due to the smooth sided carrier, but a vise, rubber pads, and using my arm and shoulder to push the torque wrench while holding the gear with both hands worked. Used the press to push on the bearings, and set it aside.
Punched the old races out of the housing, and used the press to push the old bearings off. I learned cages are fragile and wasted the old bearing in the process, but I had a new one anyways. I was lucky that a section of 2" metal EMT tube I had fit the bearing inners perfectly so I could press the new one on.
Put the pinion back together in the housing to check the preload with the current shins and it was way low. I also noted I got some dust in the new inner bearing, so after popping the pinion back out, I set it aside as I will have to clean the crap out of the bearing.
That's all for now.
Waiting for a shim set to arrive.

Keep up the good work!

I've been able to determine a container of mineral spirits is the best way to clean the bearing. Slosh and stir it around in there and let the grit come loose and sink to the bottom. Might as well clean up some other parts while I am at it.

That worked pretty well. A good washdown in the mineral spirits takes off all the old oil and grease and anything with it. The parts look almost new.

Busy weekend. I must have broken down the carrier and pinion 20 times trying to get the right preloads and pattern. Turns out, I had it just about perfect on the third try, but trying to get it better cost me several hours. I ended up having to weld up a second adjuster as the ARB kit replaces the factory one on one side with an ARB one that has a different "key" size, of course. That took a while as I mismeasured at first and had to do some extra welding and grinding to get a decent fit. This would have been just about impossible without the hydraulic press and a big ass brass mallet. I finally have the entire carrier all set to spec, and have the ARB actuator installed. I just need to install the fitting, and pop off the flange one last time to install the new seal. A big 3 jaw puller makes that easy.

One lesson I did learn is always, ALWAYS clean the shims and where they will go last thing right before assembling. I had a tiny brass flake from my mallet or drift get in between two sims once, and I couldn't figure out how the preload got looser instead of tighter when I had reduce the shim pack. I found it when I was re-checking my work.

This week I'll mount the pass through fitting and put it all back together. I might even clean up and paint the drums, and it all goes back together this coming weekend.

AUUUUGGH!

I have the differential set just perfect sunday night. Just I hadn't put in the pinion seal. I decided to put it on. Removed the flange and put the seal on under it and tightened the flange back down over it, and now the pinion preload is WAY out of range.

And I go to check the backlash and it is suddenly at 0.001 instead of 0.006 where I had it set sunday night. What in the flying #$%$%&$.

I have an idea on the seal: Maybe using the flange to "seat" it wasn't a great idea, and it didn't get pressed in fully, and is putting a lot of friction on the flange itself, and I need to remove the flange and redo the seal.

I reset the backlash. Maybe I need to check that damn seal.

That was it dammit. The seal wasn't fully seated the way I did it and it was rubbing on the flange. I used a mallet and wood block to seat it properly, and preload is correct. now I have to redo the final preload from the adjusters but it shouldn't be too hard.

I know what you're going through, I started building my axle on 5/24/18 and finished 6/19/18. Granted I didn't work on it everyday, but I worked on it many hours.

I definitely spent most time getting my pinion preload set...ended up having to order a 2nd shim set to accomplish it. With the initial set, I would have 0 in/lbs with all shims in position and when I took out the smallest shim (.01"), I'd have 40 in/lbs. 14-19 in/lbs was the spec.

I'll hoar out my pattern some.

Yeah, mine finally looks a lot like that. It took me a while to decipher what they meant about low and high. It wasn't the contact position so much as how centered the widest contact part of the pattern was. Now I'm trying to get the backlash to .006 in a .005-.007 range while only increasing the preload a teeny bit, but I think I just about have it.

The backlash is at .007 and the preload is at 15in/lbs, both at the edge of spec, but within spec, and WAY better than the .015 and near zero preload that they had degenerated to by the time I first took it apart. I reinstalled the ARB actuator and clip, and pulled the copper air tube through the bulkhead. ARB shows installing the bulkhead first, but then it would be nearly impossible to get the tube to it. It was WAY easier to pull the tube in first and then thread the bulkhead fitting over it and screw it in to the housing with the tube end already through it. Tomorrow is trimming the tube to final length, sealing it in place, and bending it so it has minimum clearances. Basically after that, its just reinstalling it and putting everything back together, and then running the air line to the compressor. I will use the cheap crappy kit air line for now, but will probably replace it with something better eventually.

Got the air line trimmed and inserted and sealed into the housing fitting last night. A couple of bend adjustments and it is ready for a "bench test", and installation.

$%& inner shaft seals. If you have a full float axle designed like the one on my xterra, the inner shaft seal is seated pretty deeply in the rear housing. And OF COURSE, the metal body for the seal is pretty thin, so that even with a couple of good seal pullers, the seal lip just starts to bend instead of the seal coming out.

I had to do it the ugly way: very carefully with a little cold chisel, split the metal seal body without gouging the seal housing around it, and then peel and pry it out.

I've thought of a tool design that would make pulling these easy, or easier, anyways. I wonder if I should file for a patent.

Anyhow, got the rear diff assembly pressure tested to make sure the ARB locker was working, then installed it back in, reattached the rear drive shaft flange, and got one side of the axle re-sealed, and have the shaft reinstalled and the drum brake reassembled and set.

Tomorrow, I do the same on the other side, then do the final air hose hookup and bleed the brakes, and hopefully, a test drive.

It is finished. All went back together without any major issues. I tried to use a vacuum pump to bleed the brakes but it just kept sucking in air bubbles so I had to do it the old fashioned way with a piece of tube and a bottle. They're a tad soft still so I am going to bleed them a bit more later this week to make sure I got every last bubble.

I have a break in period to go through on the new gears so I can only do short trips for about 500 miles or so, and then I'll have to drain and refill the diffs, but it drives great, and feels a little more responsive with the gearing ratio to tire size back at factory spec.

The other little stuff I fixed is nice too, and the locker works great.