[Stuey]

Ok, I have all the necessary bits. Steel front housing, steel carrier off early grand vit and a front and rear 5.125 diff centre out of efi vit. I'm also about to order a set of diff drop brackets from outdoor auto to replace the Calmini ones that dont really suit my widetrack. But anyhow....

For those that have done a swap of diffs, repairs etc, I just wanted to see if you had any pearls of wisdom to offer to offer a novice before attempting such a project by myself. I'm pretty handy, have a good range of tools available at my disposal etc but want to know of things I should be aware of in performing such a project. The small oversights etc. Is there a right way to set up a diff and a wrong way? Making sure the teeth of the cogs mesh correctly, checking axel seals etc....anything. All help appreciated.

I'm not totally flying blind with this... I've just bought a Haynes manual as well, always a good backup and a friend will be helping out that has done diff swaps before but on american & aussie muscle cars. However.... you guys are the experts!!

Any help appreciated (the more the better and feel free to state the obvious in case I haven't thought of it).

Thanks in advance.
Stuey.

[royce]

take your steel diff carrier and your alloy 5.125 diff to a diff shop and get em to swap it all over, you need special tools to set the pinion height and preload correctly, you might be able to jiggle it to teh right spot but it might not last either.

[Stuey]

I take it then (as you only refer to the alloy carrier and replacement front steel) that this only applies to the front end? What about the rear diff? Does this not need the same treatment? The rear centre was given to me in what I can only assume is refered to as the "rear diff carrier" but I want to swap the centre into my rear carrier as mine is in better condition and keep the not so good one as the spare. Does that mean I will need to do something similar as the front one?

And sorry, I think I will be asking a large number of questions in this thread as I'm keen to learn and understand the workings of this stuff (why not learn?....I enjoy getting my hands dirty and it saves money if you are compotent at it right?) Royce, if you can explain, what is this pinion height and preload you are refering to? And what is its purpose?

I think my issue is the teminology. To a non mechanic its the doozywhatsit in a thingybob scenario. I Don't know if you want to use the picture to point out what you are referring to? I have taken on board what you have said, and if it needs to go to a shop, it goes to a shop. But I still want to educate myself at the same time.

Thanks again.

[Damo]

This should get you started

http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/tech/gear_setup/

FYI, the Toyota diff centre is very similar in design to the Suzuki one.

[Stuey]

Thanks Damo. That was a good read. It certainly taught me a thing or two. I've even got some of the jargon sorted now Reading that also helped clarifiy Royces responce. Measuring the backlash, checking distance etc is obviously an area left for an expert. Once the diffs are setup correctly, the process of bolting the front into the new steel front axel housing and re attaching to the rear axel housing should be pretty straight foward yes?

I'll make some noises with a diff shop this week and see what the damage price wise will be. I've been quoted 4 hours at $88/hour to complete the overall front end swap by Suzuki Shop. Thats by no means unreasonable, but when money is tight....you get the idea. Hence I'm keen to do as much myself as possible. But, not if my lack of experience will end up biting me in the arse and cost more $$$ to rectify a costly stuff up. But at Royces suggestion, the diffs will be sent to a shop to be set up correctly first. Then if I'm confident, I'll have a crack at the rest.

[PhillT]

Get a quote from Trevs Transmissions & diffs in Malaga. I had a good experience with them a few years ago. Did the right thing for me at the right price.

[royce]

yeah damo beat me to it, I started a reply yesterday but got sidetracked

the only bit you need to get sorted profesionally is getting the (I assume) 5.12 gears and non GV hemisphere (the bit the crownwheel bolts to and the axles slide into) fitted to the steel GV carrier (the big heavy bit everything bolts to then as a unit slips into the housing)

fitting that bit back into the steel housing, and fitting the axle and installing it into the car is pretty easy, youll be right having a go (its more fun if bruce is around to drop the diff on though )

for the rear, you have a GV centre to fit yes? youll have to do the same as the A frame bolts to the carrier on a vit, but you could go and find a vitara rear centre with the same ratio as your front easy enough

[Stuey]

Yup, that all makes sense now. but just to clarify, both my front and rear 5.125 centres were taken from an early 1.6 efi Vitara, not a GV, so the rear carrier could be bolted straight in if need be. Its just that the rear carrier originally on my car is in slightly better condition than the replacement supplied with the 5.125 gears in it so I wanted to use my original rear carrier. BUT, since that would mean taking that to a shop as well to get set up, I don't think I'll bother. I'll just bolt the sucker in. The mechanic at Suzuki shop already looked at the rear unit and said it was in good condition with minimal wear and backlash.

[Stuey]

Update: Crap, this is turning into a bloody expensive exercise! Apart from the initial expense of the diff centers, steel housing and steel carrier ($1500), I've just been quoted $300 plus parts to simply put one set of diff gears into the steel carrier and set pinion height, backlash etc. Does that sound right or am I being royally ripped off? Keep in mind the carrier and doner diff aren't in the car, they are already removed, nor am I asking them to reinstall later. I'd hate to think of the cost if the diff were still on the car! And I'm still yet to do the rear so I'm not going to get out of this for under $600. Then I'm up for good oil (probably Penrite Syn) and seals. I don't imagine I'm going to see much change from $2500 to do this ratio change and steel upgrade.

[royce]

$300 sounds pretty good!!!!!!! its a shit of a job and you do need to know what your doing, I dont shy away from anything but I would pay $300 for it to be sombody elses problem

just be sure they git the vit guts not the GV stuff with the vacuum free wheel shit.

[Stuey]

royce wrote:

just be sure they git the vit guts not the GV stuff with the vacuum free wheel shit.

Umm, please clarify? I'm hoping I'm not missing something. Just to re-iterate, I've supplied them with a steel carrier from a early model GV manual (with all internals removed except for the pinion gear which they will take out), and a doner aluminium carrier with 5.125 internals from a 1.6 efi Vitara. I've handed them to the bloke and more or less said "put those gears into that carrier". Am I on the right track? The wrecker (Suzishop) that I got the steel carrier from said I needed to blank off the hole in the GV carrier where the barb goes through for the air line as this is not needed for my vehicle. I was just going to blank the hole with a bolt of the same thread (would be a good spot to feed in a front locker air line later on). You have thrown me a little with your reply and I hope I haven't made a mistake somewhere.

Thanks,

[royce]

nope you are spot on, you can feed an airline for a locker there too but its a bit fiddly

[Stuey]

Thanks Royce.

[royce]

the bit I am talking about is bit 13 in your pic, on a GV they dont have freewheeling hubs they have a bit that unlocks a front shaft from teh front diff internally, so the front all still turns, you want the vitatra bit thats jsut like a normal diff, which is what you are using