[Mitchy]

Sounds pretty bad but luckily I didn't plow the the front diff into a huge rock but rather bumped it into a tree stump while going over it backwards, only way out, was late for dinner too. So it just broke and moved from the mount. The bit that goes from the diff to the transfer case is rubbing against the bottom of the motor a bit but I think it's alright otherwise. Obviously I won't be 4wding untill it gets fixed, which could be a good thing. What model GV can I get a steel front diff from to replace this one and will it be expensive?
Thanks.

[royce]

I think its 2000 on manual GV and all 2003 on GV's

expect around $1000+ to do it

[cj_zuki]

All years of V6 manuals and late '03 auto V6's onwards and don't forget the same goes for XL-7's although their cross member mount is a little different so some modding is needed.

Putting too much load on it in reverse is what did it to yours. If you had a strap over it to allow it to be bolted down to the cross member on both sides instead of the single mount to one side as supplied by the Factory it may well not have broken.

[MART]

Don't know much about GV's , is that steel or alloy and is it cast , Cheers Paul.

[cj_zuki]

The steel front diffs are in the models I mentioned above. All others have the alloy housings with the exception of the diesel models in other markets.

[Grantlington]

shit ay? im getting mine done as we speak and the housing is only costing 250 plus freight

plus im getting new diffs (5.12) (remember i have a j20a) and the brakes done.

[Mitchy]

ok thanks for that. Will there be any gearing issues?

[Mitchy]

Also how would I go about getting one, and one that's decent? Thanks again.

[Grantlington]

go to a suzuki supplier. the one im getting is brand new but i am just getting the housing. if you do this they will swap your gears in the diff into the new steel one.

[royce]

which bit are you getting? the housing part the axles slide into or the carrier part that the gears go into and mitchy has broken?

when you get em post the part numbers up

[rodw]

I'd like to know more about breaking front Diffs. Hopefully from others experiences, not my own!

So where Mitchy broke his (at the mount), is that where they usually bust or do they break elsewhere if you lift them?

Has anybody got pics of the modified stap mounting cj describes?

Would you be game to put a front locker in an aluminium housing that has the strap mount?

Thanks guys.

[Mitchy]

So a local wreker has sourced a couple from NSW and Vic but they're asking for a ratio...what would that be?
Thanks again.

[Mitchy]

Anyone??? Do I need a specific diff ratio to swap a Vitara front diff with steel GV diff?
Thanks.

[royce]

no cause youll have to put the guts from your diff into the steel part anyway

[rodw]

Mitchy,

What sort of money for the steel diff housing have you been quoted to get them up from down south?

THis mod is on my todo list...

[Mitchy]

ahhhh ok thanks. Yeah they didn't give me a quote 'cos they were waiting on a reply from me, hopefully this'll all cost under $1k though. I'll update again later...

[Mitchy]

Another question, I need to get the terminology right. A guy in NSW has a housing with the gearing pulled out of it. Would that be exactly what I'm looking for?
Thanks again.

[royce]

there is the housing which normally refers to the 'front' part that the axles normally slide into and the actual centre bolts into

then there is the carrier, which is the bit all the gears go into and normally snap

[Mitchy]

Right so the carrier would be the big alloy bit that I want to replace with a steel one.
Thanks again.

[steve]

yer i think Bruce went through this drama with wreckers, they all have a different understanding as to what things are, and give prices on the wrong things.

[royce]

really you want to replace both bits but the carrier is the part the gears are on and has the mount that bolts to the crossmember and snaps off

[Mitchy]

hmmm ok well now I have a laymans and techical explanation, should be no worries, thanks.

[cj_zuki]

If anybody has swapped their R&P's into a steel housing, do you have a 4.3 R&P that came out of it kicking around that you don't want? If so PM me.

[TheOtherLeft]

Mitchy wrote:

Right so the carrier would be the big alloy bit that I want to replace with a steel one.
Thanks again.

So the carrier is the bit that sits inside the ring gear?

If that is right then power goes thru the following: pinion gear -> ring gear -> carrier -> axles -> wheels

Is that correct?

[royce]

no thats the hemisphere

carrier is the part the pinion and hemisphere bolt to

[Mitchy]

Hmmm well they're asking for the diff ratio again, 4.3 for a manual is right? But the go is that the guts get swapped around anyway isn't it?
Thanks again.

[royce]

yeah dont worry about ratio, or get a 4.3 and help cj out

[rodw]

Mitchy, You only need the housing 'cos you will re-use your guts. See Pic.

They probably don't want to sell just the housing so you got to get the lot, spare guts included.

[Mitchy]

Well the wreckers here have sourced one in Vic for about $900 all up, sounds very expensive, includes about $200 of freight. He's ordered both of these parts labeled in the pic and I think that's what he called them. Is that too expensive? I've asked for both parts since they're both alloy and both exposed...
Thanks again.

[cj_zuki]

Mitchy wrote:

Well the wreckers here have sourced one in Vic for about $900 all up, sounds very expensive, includes about $200 of freight.

That's not cheap at all. I wouldn't want to be paying more than about half of that. Who's that through?