Bad(ass) Axles

[mrmephistopheles]

ok, got this straight from the good folks at FreshAlloy and thought it was HIGHLY interesting.

Basically, you get hugeass axles and a lower (3.54) final drive ratio.
YOU WILL NEED TO COMMIT TO A 5-BOLT SWAP FOR THIS.
Here's the parts list:

Originally Posted by FA

90-94 Q45
- LH and RH rear hubs
- Complete differential
- LH axle to be used on the RH side of 240sx

Z32TT
- LH axle to be used on LH side of 240sx

Same information (plus pics) can be had here:
http://www.ka24development.com/vlsd.html

I'll go ahead and reproduce it below as well.

Originally Posted by Orion

Basically, if you want to use a Q45 diff with the lower ratio...have a good reason other than "I can find it locally".
+450rwhp, road racing for BIG courses, higher trap speed for drag racing (i.e. +140mph) etc...

VLSD sourced from: 	                Modifications needed: 	                 Notes:
  		
'97-01 Q45 	                           Need different axles... 	              Should be able to use '92-94 J30 axles.
		                NOTE: Different VLSD output shafts are NOT an option...
		            ...the spline count inside the diff is different.
		                  3.54:1 or 3.69:1 ratio...
'90-94 Q45 	Need different axles AND hubs - 	You'll need: (per Steve of S&M Racing)
		'90-94 Q45 (or Z32 turbo) rear hubs (5-lug)
		2 new axles: One from a turbo Z32, one from a Q45
		PASS. side of your S13/S14 uses a DRIVERS side Q45 axle
		DRIVERS side of your S13/S14 uses a DRIVERS side Z32 TT axle
		Input/pinion flange is LARGER - Need a different driveshaft or flange.

Here's a comparison pic from "Killjoy" of the stock open diff and a Q45 VLSD:

[mrmephistopheles]

If you have more info about stronger, more badass axles, post it here. Just don't post speculation and crap.

[Maeda]

I don't like how it makes it a 3.5 final gear...

:\

What kind of Q45 diff options are there?

[BaliLover]

If you use an R32 rear diff and axles, you'll get a higher 4.36 gear ratio and larger bolt in axles. Great for shorter curvy tracks and cars with poor low-end power. I can't tell you off the top of my head just how big the axles are, but they were quite a bit larger than my stock S13 axles. I'm running a slower spooling turbo (spools around 4500) and with the higher gear ratio I get to 4500 quite a bit quicker than with the stock 4.08 ratio. I hear this is also the rear end you NEED to put in if you go with an RB20 or CA18 swap and want it to feel like its supposed to. I've also read that the LACK of this gearing is why most people that do the CA or RB swaps complain that they don't feel too quick.

[Maeda]

Other then the fact that RB20s and CAs are slow?

Good tip on the 4.3 R32 rear end. I did not think of that at all.

[supportTHEezln]

That's cool, but I believe you mean lower gear ratio (4.3 is lower than 4.08 and 3.54 is higher.)

[s14slide]

Is the Q45 diff also an R200?

[quach]

i used to run an R32 vlsd and the axles were definitly alot beefier. the gearing was really nice because it made my KA feel alot peppier. also the heat dissapating fins are alot bigger on the pumpkin as opposed to regular open diff. i miss my r32 diff now

[S14DB]

http://www.driveshaftshop.com/240parts.ivnu
Basically the same specs as the 300zx models. You just have to call to order.
http://web.inetba.com/dss/item158471.ctlg

A little more expensive than junkyard hunting. But proven for drag launches.

[Johny5]

r32 is badass because its more along the lines of a true clutch diff i hear, sweet! john, go snag a 180sx diff w/ ca18det. 4.36 baby! they sell them on ebay all the time, 385+ shipping iirc? fucking steal!

[broken240sx]

sorry to go stay off topic, but... Can I get a 4.3 diff from the dealership

can we use a 4.3 r32 ring gear in our s13 pumpkins, say if installing a helical lsd? or a weldloc? since all the diffs interchange the ring gear should be usable if the bolts line up right? Anybody tried it?

If so, are there any r200 4.3 ring gears with USDM part numbers? that would be pretty sweet, since I don't plan on ever exceeding the stock axles and 400 bucks plus shipping is a lot, especially if you dont want vlsd/ have spare pumkins laying around...

PS> What level of torque is destroying s13 axles approximately?

[jedc]

On that FA link, they mentioned that the q45 rear end was still an r200 with beefier output shafts and axles. If this is true, shouldn't we be able to use q45 output shafts in any of the 240sx/z32/etc. r200 diffs? Assuming we used the right q45 and z32 axles.

[orion::S14]

No...the Q45 output shafts have a larger shaft, different spline count.

Maybe you could use the Q45 axles with a J30 5-bolt diff, so have the beefy axles and hubs, but with a 3.92:1 ratio...???

- Brian

[gmckey]

so if I'm looking to put a JDM 5 bolt LSD in my currently 6 bolt open diff S14, can I just swap the output shafts on the 2 diffs and it work? (will 6 bolt open diff output shafts work on a JDM 5 bolt diff). Orrrrr can I simply swap the clutch LSD out of the 5 bolt pumpkin and swap it into an 6 bolt open diff pumpkin?

[orion::S14]

NO.

Output shafts DO NOT interchange between VLSD and open diffs.

You can swap the clutch diff between carriers all you want, but if it's made to be used with VLSD outout shafts...you need new output shafts (w/ 6-bolt), or new axles ('92-93 J30) to bolt it in.

- Brian

[gmckey]

but here's the deal, I'm not sure if the 5 bolt diff was originally a VLSD or not, are there 5 bolt non-vlsd diffs as well?

[orion::S14]

Not typically...almost every JDM 5-bolt diff I've seen has been a VLSD.

Compare the shafts...if they are different lengths, then the 5-bolt ones are VLSD shafts.

If they are EXACTLY the same, but one's 5 and one's 6-bolt...then maybe it started life as a open diff, and had a clutch-type installed...but that's VERY, VERY unlikely from my experience.

- Brian