[watermouse]

During my recent trip away I encounted the dreaded air diff slip problem that the early GV's have. I have heard this happen before but always thought it was old cvs when turning full lock while in 4wd.

I have all the parts to swap a vitara center with 26 spline gears in to the front but I may have to grind the drivers side gear out to shorten the CV spline engagement like this thread
http://www.auszookers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=46464&p=824903

I have tried swapping the gears out of an air engaging GV center but they don't work. The splined gears are too thin and don't mesh on the spider/pin gears properly.

But back to the air operated diff, here are some photos of its private parts.

The air actuator in the open diff position


blow some compressed air into it and it looks like this


which pushes on the blue steel ring



which directly pushes on the crenelated ring you can see inside the center and engages into the spider/pin gear carrier.


This center I have is in great looking condition. It does not look like the teeth have ever skipped. I don't know the age of the diff but it may be from a later model where Suzuki addressed this issue.
What happens when it starts slipping is that the air pressure on the actuator is not enough to hold it engaged, it pops out and with each pop the teeth start rounding over. Its frucked by this stage. As soon as the teeth are beveled or rounded there is no reason for it to stay locked in when under a lot of differential load.

Since I have free wheeling hubs and was planning on using a standard Vit center I have an idea to weld the side teeth ring in the engaged position so that it can never pop out far enough to slip. I can also turf the actuator. There would be 4 lines of welds in each cut out where the ring slides through the center housing

So after that long winded intro, my question:
Would this be a good solution so I can use this center rather that modifying side gear of the Vit one? Would it be any more reliable?

[fordem]

There are a number of threads in the ZukiWorld forums where people have done what you seem to be suggesting - push the plate into the engaged position and then tack welded it engaged through the four openings - it seems to work.

[Scrawny]

Quick noobie question. Easiest way to remove bearings from centre? I'm just replacing air actuator and can't remove the bearing

[bangn]

be VERY careful blowing compressed air into that.. delt with many w/shops who have done the same to it and its rooted them.

[watermouse]

bangn wrote:

be VERY careful blowing compressed air into that.. delt with many w/shops who have done the same to it and its rooted them.

Yes, You can actually blow into it to make it move. Manual says 5psi for testing. Needs a few more psi to push on the ring though. Anyhow, I don't ever intend to use the air actuator when I get around to swapping alloy front to steel.

Thanks Fordem, I will see what I can find on ZW.

[watermouse]

Scrawn wrote:

Quick noobie question. Easiest way to remove bearings from centre? I'm just replacing air actuator and can't remove the bearing

I made a hole in a 3mm split plate (two bits of 3mmx 50mm mild steel flatbar) that slots under the bearing and reinforced it with a bit of pipe (cut in half) that is just large enough to go around the bearing. Then I could set it up in a hydraulic press to "push" it off.
Sorry, I don't have a photo of it right now

You maybe able to use a puller but they can be quite tight.

[Scrawny]

watermouse wrote:

Scrawn wrote:

Quick noobie question. Easiest way to remove bearings from centre? I'm just replacing air actuator and can't remove the bearing

I made a hole in a 3mm split plate (two bits of 3mmx 50mm mild steel flatbar) that slots under the bearing and reinforced it with a bit of pipe (cut in half) that is just large enough to go around the bearing. Then I could set it up in a hydraulic press to "push" it off.
Sorry, I don't have a photo of it right now

You maybe able to use a puller but they can be quite tight.

I ended up hacking at the air actuator with a grinder till I could get my puller onto the inner race. It came off easy once I got it moving

[watermouse]

I welded it . No going back now.

[Bosco15]

Looks like that'll do the job.
Nice weld.

[watermouse]

Bosco15 wrote:

Looks like that'll do the job.
Nice weld.

You are being polite.
That was the best weld of the four. Certainly not my best TIG effort.

But I am confident it will hold. I have the Vit center backup plan just in case