[TheOtherLeft]

The reason I ask is that I am swapping my current 4.88 diffs for 5.12 diffs and at the same time replacing my front alloy housing with a steel housing. I've picked up a steel GV housing but I thought I had to get an XL7 housing.
I was told by the wreckers that my 5.12 diffs will fit but am still a bit unsure.
So will it fit? I seem to recall something about different bolt configurations between the 5.12 dif centre and the GV steel housing???

[royce]

just to clarify, you have the steel axle housing and the steel carrier (the part the crownwheel and pinion fit in to?

but yes Xl7 and GV are the same

[royce]

the rears are different and you need a full vitaras centre

where did you get the front one from and how much if you dont mind me asking?

[TheOtherLeft]

I have the steel diff housing and the alloy carrier (I couldn't find a steel carrier and I don't intend on doing anything too extreme).

[royce]

the housing will do nothing for you really, they dont brake

the carrier will though, I have seen 3 go in gv's on mild stuff

[TheOtherLeft]

Sorry, this is for the front only. I figure as this is the front then it will take more of a bashing and hence a steel housing will outlast an alloy housing. Concidering how many scratches I have on my alloy housing already it won't hurt chaging to iron. I'm told steel 5.12 carriers are quite rare so I'll take my chances with the alloy carrier.

Bought it from Suzi Four in Sydney.

[TheOtherLeft]

Of those 3 GV's that blew diffs, do you know what caused the breakage? Was it impact with the rocks or did it tear off lugs due to lockers/too much torque etc etc?

[casper]

dad (bruce) did one on a fairly hard hill he just climb abit to high and then came down on the diff and went to accelate and it just blow

[royce]

ben_gv3 wrote:

Of those 3 GV's that blew diffs, do you know what caused the breakage? Was it impact with the rocks or did it tear off lugs due to lockers/too much torque etc etc?

generally its from picking a wheel a bit, the free wheel increases in speed a bit and as it bites again the shock load creates sideways load on the pinion which literally tears itself out of the housing

the last one I saw literally lifted a wheel no more than 5cm off the ground and carried it about 15cm on a track numerous other cars had jsut gone up with no drama, happened before the guy even relised there was anything happening


you would be pretty hard pressed to physically bash the housing on a rock cause you would get stuck on the arms or crossmembers as well

[TheOtherLeft]

Well that's not good for me then since it appears hard to find steel 5.12 diff carriers
I'll give it a go regardless, unless I can find a replacement in the next week or so.

[Bruce]

Fitting a front air locker made a big difference on my GV as when you lift a wheel it only goes as fast as the wheel on the ground. This was one of the best mods I did after I blew the diff going up that dam hill. I am runnig 5.12 (auto)

[royce]

I dont think steel and 5.12 exist

you need to get a steel carrier and a set of 5.12 gears

if you can find a steel diff with 4.3 or 4.6 gears in it you may recover some costs selling the gears to somebody with a sierra

[BurnieM]

Alloy front diff housings that I have seen go are when the front has grip and the rear loses it.
All the drive goes thru the front, the alloy housing twists and BANG!

Interesting sound when you are just a car length away.

PS also understand you can use steel housing off 2.0li Vit

[steve]

yeap, all breakages i have seen are when it's being flogged, not just crawling. I have had the same with my hilux front IFS detroit, it'll crawl anything, but if you flog it, the stress created is bullshit. So i assume the same with the vits, i reckon they can crawl anything, but if you start flogging it and the you're in for some damage.