Shimming an R200 or J30 vlsd

[SirSilvia]

Originally Posted by UNISA JECS

Does anyone here use a micrometer to measure the old shims to determine what size shim to go with when doing this mod or is everyone doing inni minni mini mo...???

I broke my old one and never use em enough to justify buying a new one.

[bardabe]

sorry to bump and aold thread but looking at the parts list it shows the 01/1990+ Twin turbo and 07/1990 N/A to use the same shim.. I'll be giving this a go in a few weeks. i wore down my VLSD pretty bad at inland Drift... i was doing 1 tire Fires at the end of the night.

[nsn240]

Is a r32 gts-t diff the same as the r200?

[SlowPokeCoupe]

Originally Posted by nsn240

Is a r32 gts-t diff the same as the r200?

I am wondering the same thing. I just traded my welded dif for an r32 vlsd and am thinking about shimming it... I wonder if the shims everyone else is using will work.

[let5l1de]

Originally Posted by UNISA JECS

Just felt like adding some other pics I though would be nice to include on this thread:

2003 350z

To compliment your illustrations with a j30 vlsd...

btw: changing the shims to thicker or doubled up shims only increase the gear engagement on the internal spider gears ( 4 of them) which may be the blame for a ratcheting rear diff. This noise goes away once you have worn new patterns into the side and spider gears. in other words, Grinds The Metal and increases the friction/grip.

when you take the tolerances out of the factory gear setup, who cares what side the shims go on. should be the same long term result.

it does make a cheap 1.5 at the expense of a long living rear diff...

your choice.

~m







EDIT: this ring gear is from a 240sx 49:12. j30 come with 47:12

[niteridaz503]

Hey guys quick question, this is my 1st time cracking a diff open and im not to mechanically inclined so as im putting the diff back together i cant put the shafts that go into the VLSD back into place i can get one side in but not the other. Does this maybe mean when i put the 2 phillips screws back into place i unaligned the ring gear some how? any info would help alot thankz....

EDIT UPDATE:
Its freakin awsome just did a few figure 8's and its good to go. I had some issues with the splines because the viscous coupler splines ended up shifting to where the shafts that go into the VLSD wouldnt line up but re-did everything and its really worth it and a great mod by far and recomend it to anyone who cannot afford a fancy 1.5 or 2 way like me....

[nsn240]

just picked up a shimmed j30 for pennies, dropping it in as soon as i get coils.

What are ya'll runnin for oil? 75w90?

[gregom]

Sorry to bring an old thread back to life but i'm really considering doing this to my 350Z. My concern is the spider gears overtime... has anyone opened their diff back up after using this mod for a few months or more after track day abuse? Unfortunately my Z is my daily driver so I don't want to do anything that could affect really reliability.

Now if the spider gears will indeed get worn over time, can they be replaced rather easily? Also why kind of issues can I expect trying to drive with worn spider gears?

[gregom]

No one??? Who has had this mod on their diff for at least a few thousand miles or more? Any negative side effects or problems?

[Spring Break '92]

This is also interesting for me, I would like to hear from some people who have daily driven on this modification since they last posted and hear what they have to say about the longevity. That being the only thing to stop me from doing this. I think that if I do decide to do this mod that I am going to buy 3 or 4 shims in the middle range, measure the one that is in my diff now and base my decision on which one to use off of that. Thing is, what thickness was the original one in the diff of the o.p.?

[gregom]

Com'on guys someone has to have this mod in their drift machine...

[rb20hatch]

how long does it take to brake in the thrust washer? i just did mine wednesday and it still feels like a welded diff.

[rb20hatch]

i did some drifting that night after i got done putting it in and its raining all day and night tonight so im going to drift the shit out of it tonight, i dont mine the welded diff feeling as longs is it goes away because i know it needs to be broken in, i also daily drove a sc300 with 2jzgte swap and that wasnt fun at all

[SoSideways]

I'm pretty sure that's the whole point, for the VLSD to feel like a welded diff, except only spending a few bucks and a few hours of your time.

[gregom]

Still wondering if anyone had any probs with this mod... I'm going to be changing out the bushings on my diff next weekend and am considering doing this mod while i have the diff out.

[motegineon]

there are no problems besides people whining because their diff is locked

[Spring Break '92]

I'd still like to hear from someone whos had this done for a considerable time frame, a year or more, to see how their diff is now compared to when it was first done, problems, etc.

[gregom]

Does this mod make the same clunking sound as a real LSD does at low/tight cornering speeds?

[datsunnazi]

Originally Posted by irax

automatics have multiple clutches, though i am not sure if the nissan 240 automatic trans is that type..

it could also be a typo

go home! you're retarded! they are talking about the clutch type rear differential. not the clutch or the automatic clutch packs... learn please!

[Carbomb]

only way to learn is to do it yourself.

shim it up.

[Sil-Eighty SE-K]

Im about to do this to my z32 diff..... same part no. washers?

also im looking for a hard lock but still streetable setup as its a DD

should i just add a .8 shim to the one in there or get a 1.49 (or 1.25?) and replace the one in there

[jonathan.bayspeed]

great write-up

[Mtndrifter14]

To all the questions. I forgot how long ago I wrote this thing, I have since sold my 240 over a year ago but the current owner is running the same diff and it has 10k+ miles on it and he is loving it. Except he blew up my sr :-(

[Carbomb]

Im on mine still...
love it
this is a few days ago. and I did the swap yr ago?
I drive daily. put on 15k from nh to boston every few days.
GET SOME!
B on Vimeo

[Slidin' Sam]

Yes, r32 diff's are r200 casing.

I can't believe that nobody here actually measures their tolerances with a micrometer. If you add too many shimm's you could grenade the diff.

Also, where is everybody getting this 1.5 way stuff from? You will rather have a open diff, VLSD, or a fully locked diff with a little bit of play compared to a welded diff. A true shimmed diff is often considered the two way of a locked diff world...that is to say it is more forgiving than a welded diff, but by no means a clutch type diff as far as daily driving characteristics.

I have had several shimmed diffs now and never had any problems. I use one in my solely dedicated s14 race car. I had it in my old s14 that was a daily driver/weekend drift car too. It can be a bit of a pain in the ass daily driving, but if find that if you physically shift into neutral (not just pushing the clutch in) and coast around a corner, it is 100 times smoother than just trying to drive around a corner with a shimmed diff.

The only problem I have seen with a shimmed diff was the shimm wearing down and the diff stopped locking (only spun one wheel). To me, this is much better than having a welded diff go bad, because you can still drive home!

Remember, people have been shimming diffs in Japan for a LONG time. People don't weld diffs over here very often (as welding is a bit more pricey) and probably because shimmed diffs are safer/reliable. In fact, the only people that I know who run a welded diff are some D1 drivers.

I hope my input helps answer some of the questions and doubts that I have read in this old thread.

[Slikk Logic]

Originally Posted by Toadstool

Im on mine still...
love it
this is a few days ago. and I did the swap yr ago?
I drive daily. put on 15k from nh to boston every few days.
GET SOME!
B on Vimeo

i think i need a bigger backyard so i can do that^ but which shim sizes did u use?

[SicBastard]

So the replacement shims vary from 0.80 to 1.49 mm. I've been told that adding just one of the thinnest shims will be nothing like a 2-way, but just more like a new VLSD. Which is exactly what I want. This car is purely for grip, and will never see a drift event. I want as little decel effect as possible. Should I just steer clear of this, or go for the single 0.80? I could also try and come up with a combination of shims that are only 0.40-0.60 thicker than whatever stock shim is already in there.

[Slikk Logic]

idk but ima put the .8 shim in and ill let u kno.im on a open diff now :/ prolly lyk next week ill throw up the vlsd

[Slikk Logic]

btw the .8 gave me a completely solid rear.(welded feeling) hopping and skipping.very rough kicks into drifts great though lol

[jigga1boy]

hey guys, I picked up a vlsd recently, but people convinced me that it will just turn into an open diff faster than i can blink. after reading this I would like to go this route as I am not a total baller like some.

I drive a s13 93 hatch open diff uni driveshaft 6 bolt output shafts

I picked up a s14 95 abs vlsd.

Ive done some research an the abs vlsd pumpkin shouuld be too long to fit under my car with no clearance for the drive shaft to fit.

I thought about swapping internals, would this be ok?! any problems or fabricating I will run into? I know I have to swap back covers, and need half shafts if they didn't fit but I got the half shafts and also the axles just in case.