[henno]

This may be a stupid question, which is why I have thrown it in the N00b Talk forum.

I might be checking out a Grand Vitara in the next few days. What is the easiest way to identify the steel or alloy front diff once I roll my arse under the thing? Or will it be blatantly obvious?

I used to work in the aluminium industry, so identifying an alloys is not a problem. I guess I'm more concerned that there may be factory rust proofing goop and/or other seller shenanigans going on that might hide whether it is steel or alloy?

Is there an easy identifier to look out for or is it going to be really simple once I lay my eyes on it?

[alien]

Use a magnet on it?

[atari4x4]

steel diff is pretty obvious going by the way it looks/scratches etc as you said.

but the other way is the lack of webbing in the casting of the diff, the alloy one has a heap more around the pinion mount area & also a few that run along the LHS axle "tube" & if it's a later GV one it will have the mount shown next to the broken one.

randon pics

steel


alloy


late model steel vs alloy








shit XL7 diff for sale, pretty much NBG to anyone. http://www.auszookers.com/forum/viewtop ... el#p785470

[henno]

alien wrote:

Use a magnet on it?

I'm a fucking idiot, clearly. *facepalm*

atari4x4 wrote:

but the other way is the lack of webbing in the casting of the diff, the alloy one has a heap more around the pinion mount area & also a few that run along the LHS axle "tube" & if it's a later GV one it will have the mount shown next to the broken one.

Despite my obvious brainfart (re: magnet) this sounds like it'll be stupidly obvious to identify anyway.

Thanks team. I just wanted to make sure I had my ducks in a row before I started down a path of actually thinking about throwing some money around.

[atari4x4]

yeah you'll spot an ally diff from a mile away.

even easier if they've never had a coat of all over car yard chassis black.