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300ZX diff swap and whats needed?

29K views 28 replies 13 participants last post by  BoostinIX  
#1 ·
I have a '97 SE, but it didnt come with ABS or LSD. I have the option of buying a 300ZX diff for a pretty cheap price. What axles would I need to use? I heard that I need the 300zx LSD axles as well?

Thanks in advance!


'97 Kouki
Pearl White
 
#2 ·
dosquarenta said:
I have a '97 SE, but it didnt come with ABS or LSD. I have the option of buying a 300ZX diff for a pretty cheap price. What axles would I need to use? I heard that I need the 300zx LSD axles as well?

The 300z axles will NOT work. too long. You need axles from a pre95 J30. Other than the axles it will bolt right in. As long as it is from a n/a 300z
 
#3 ·
yellow_jacket said:
The 300z axles will NOT work. too long. You need axles from a pre95 J30. Other than the axles it will bolt right in. As long as it is from a n/a 300z
They will work with 300zx hubs.

You need to do one of two things. Either get 240sx output flanges and stick them in the vLSD to use the stock half shafts, or get 300zx hubs and use the 300zx half shafts.
 
#12 ·
Rownan said:
They will work with 300zx hubs.

or get 300zx hubs and use the 300zx half shafts.

Do you have this setup on your car? The 300z hubs don't make a difference. I've got 300z axles and a rear end. The reason I didn't use the axles when I installed the differential is because the compressed length is too long for the 240. I carefully measured both sets of axles out with a helper to make sure they were not the same length.

IIRC the 300z tt rear end doesn't work because it is much bigger. If you search on it you should be able to find some decent info. As for sourcing pre95 j30 axles, just go to one of the places online or have a local yard order them up for you.
 
#13 · (Edited)
OK here's the end all post. This "get it and get this output flanges and then do this and while you're at it go to Mexico stuff" is too crazy do this.

1. Buy the diff
2.Go to Autozone and tell them you need like 92 J30 Axles (~175-200 I think)
3. Install the diff and the axles (it all bolts right up...I know b\c I did it to mine).
4.Take your old axles back to Autozone as the core. They knowingly knew it came from another car and said they would take them and give me the full amount.

EDIT: ADDENDUM: As far as the NA vs TT Diff, I was under the impression they were the same "size". If you think about it, they would be. Why would they make two subframes between the two cars. They wouldn't. What is different is the gearing. The NA is same as the 240 final drive, where as the TT is a little higher (quicker acel, but lower top speed) but not by much.

I used a 91 300z ABS Diff
with a 95 240 non-abs
and 93 J30 Axles.

Oh if you go this route call up courtesy nissan (www.courtesyparts.com) and tell them you need the diff to axles bolts (10 of them) for a Z32 (300ZX) as the the non-lsd bolts are a 6 bolt pattern (thus smaller) on a 240 and wont lock the new axle-diff joint down securely. I had to put in temporary bolts and it clunked until I got the actual bolts in there.

My total install cost was:
Z32 Diff $60 :p
J30 Axles ~200
Z32 Bolts ~10

Total ~275 :jumpjoy

:Family Guy Voice: Alright!
 
#15 ·
Toddles82 said:
OK here's the end all post. This "get it and get this output flanges and then do this and while you're at it go to Mexico stuff" is too crazy do this.
Ahhhh thank you very mucho :) So you say the TT diff will actually make me have a LOWER top speed? From what i gathered from some of the other posts is that the TT diff would make my gears longer?

Also one last thing I didn't mention, my car is automatic. Does this [play any role? Is the driveshaft the same?

Thanks!
 
#16 ·
yellow_jacket said:
Do you have this setup on your car? The 300z hubs don't make a difference. I've got 300z axles and a rear end. The reason I didn't use the axles when I installed the differential is because the compressed length is too long for the 240. I carefully measured both sets of axles out with a helper to make sure they were not the same length.

IIRC the 300z tt rear end doesn't work because it is much bigger. If you search on it you should be able to find some decent info. As for sourcing pre95 j30 axles, just go to one of the places online or have a local yard order them up for you.
Yes, I have this setup on my S14. It will fit with Z32 hubs.
 
#17 ·
Toddles82 said:
EDIT: ADDENDUM: As far as the NA vs TT Diff, I was under the impression they were the same "size". If you think about it, they would be. Why would they make two subframes between the two cars. They wouldn't. What is different is the gearing. The NA is same as the 240 final drive, where as the TT is a little higher (quicker acel, but lower top speed) but not by much.
Got it backwards... Final drive is LOWER in the TT, meaning slower acceleration and higher top speed. And it IS by a lot.. Car will bog. Even on a high horsepower car you will be losing acceleration.


BTW, your instructions are even longer than mine. :rolleyes:
 
#18 ·
Rownan said:
Got it backwards... Final drive is LOWER in the TT, meaning slower acceleration and higher top speed. And it IS by a lot.. Car will bog. Even on a high horsepower car you will be losing acceleration.


BTW, your instructions are even longer than mine. :rolleyes:

My bad on the final gear, that was misinformation on my part. I always flip the lower = slower accel thing.

What I meant by the lengthy instructions, is the complexity of it. The buy the diff, then swap the output shafts is more complex to someone who is concerned about an "easy swap". It's much easier to just put the diff in with J30 axles than to it is to find output shafts and the take apart the diff to swap the output shafts. Then there was talk about the using the hubs and stuff like that. I just felt my explanation was simpler. No offense was intended.

The total price is about the same if I had to take a guess.

The bolt issue I would assume still holds true tho. 6 bolts holding the previous power, and the new output shafts are 5 bolt. So you'd need the new bolts anyway.
 
#23 · (Edited)
Toddles82 said:
EDIT: ADDENDUM: As far as the NA vs TT Diff, I was under the impression they were the same "size". If you think about it, they would be. Why would they make two subframes between the two cars. They wouldn't. What is different is the gearing. The NA is same as the 240 final drive, where as the TT is a little higher (quicker acel, but lower top speed) but not by much.
Yes they would make two different subframes if one has four way steering (HICAS on the Twin Turbo model). The 300ZX Twin Turbo differential is an R230 which is bigger, the N/A is an R200 which is the same one the 240SX uses. When 300ZX Twin Turbo guys swap out their diffs for the R200 4.08, they have to swap the entire subframe (and lose four way steering, which weighs a bit anyway).
 
#24 ·
whateverjames said:
Yes they would make two different subframes if one has four way steering (HICAS on the Twin Turbo model). The 300ZX Twin Turbo differential is an R230 which is bigger, the N/A is an R200 which is the same one the 240SX uses. When 300ZX Twin Turbo guys swap out their diffs for the R200 4.08, they have to swap the entire subframe (and lose four way steering, which weighs a bit anyway).
Well I stand corrected and educated, I've never heard of anyone saying that their diff wouldn't fit in a 240. So even with different subframes on the 300ZX, both 300ZX diff's fit in the 240 (same mounting location was what I was really getting at).

At this point, I think I might just shut up.