Front LSD....

Ok since I posted the previous question about a non air rear locker and it seems as though such animal does not exist. I dont want to Lock the differential, I think i am going to Opt for the Calmini Front LSD. I have the stock LSD in the back and I figure this way i wont break anything by locking, there will still be allowable slip. My question is, does anyone here have this on thier truck with only an LSD in the back and if so was it worth the money, just for the part, I can install it myself, but 450 is alot of green.... THanks

I'm going to give you a useless answer so bear with me:

Yes, I have Front and Rear LSDs. Yes, it was worth the money (paid $75 at a yard). Good luck finding a deal like that. Otherwise the Calmini part is nice, cheaper than a locker and somewhat less of a hassle to install.

And only if you are really lucky will the backlash come out okay when you swap carriers like I did. Otherwise you will have to pony up some cash to the dealer for new shims after you figure out which ones you need.

I have not wheeled with the setup yet, but I already know the front LSD will help a bunch since my rear LSD is already worn out (at 45K). Sooner or later I will pull it and throw in new clutch plates, for now I need new tires!

I thought this thread was about buying hallucinogenic drugs on front. NM

Aero_Steve should chime in as he has the front also. The calmini is very strong actually and it performs nearly like a front locker. From watching Steve climb rocks and suff I plan to get one of those before I get a rear locker. Cheaper and a bit easier to operate.

Does anyone know if the Calmini LSD unit is the same as the 1990's 300zx Twin turbo LSD unit (finned alum. cover)??
Im sure you can get a used 300zx lsd for cheaper than the calmini one..

It is from the Z not sure what year though. There is some other fitting issues that calmini does to make it work on the Xterra I believe.

4/87 through 89 turbo Z has the same unit, but you'll have to swap the retainer nut that goes in the driver's side side gear from your front diff to the LSD.
FYI, you'll have a hell of a time finding one, nearly all of them get snatched up by the rice-boy crowd to swap them into their non-LSD Z31s, and other R200-equipped RWD Nissans. The ones I've seen pop up on Ebay go for well over $400, and every single one sells.

Brent

I have a connection that can most definitely get me one for pretty cheap. I just need to know if its really worth it.
I have the stock Nissan LSD that came with my X, thats about all.
I'm going to be doing the transfer case gears come january. should i really do the front diff too? I am not locked at all.

Bottom line.. Is it worth the money to replace it with a 300zx LSD unit? Or should I go with the Calmini LSD? And while I'm at it, I might as well do the front diff drop kit from SLR.

L8r

The Calmini unit is the exact same thing, just brand-spanking new and super-tight vs. a questionable used unit that may or may not be a bargain at half the price.

Brent

I ran the CALMINI LSD up front and a modified stock LSD in the rear for a while, really liked this combo The additional traction to both axles was more cost effective & beneficial than just adding a rear locker to me. Steering will be a bit tighter especially at standstills with a front LSD and it takes a while for a new unit to loosen up.

Of course you will be putting more stress on the steering system, CV joints, hubs, etc and your chances of breaking something increase. At the minimum you should consider a steering system replacement with a front LSD or locker and manual hubs are also recommended for both. Also going with the fuseable hub rings like LAX runs is also cheap insurance against certain types of CV breakage.

No LSD no matter how tight is near a full locker IMO but there a good comprise and helpful in certain situations.

As far as used one…more than likely you will need to rebuild it since all the ones I've seen have been pretty much worn out and the short side axle will need the retainer pressed in for it to work.

Looks like I'll be getting an LSD from a Z32 (90+) non-turbo Z installed in a couple of months. It's a viscous unit rather than a pure clutch type, and I'm hoping it characteristics lend itself well to off-road use. The Z31 unit has a cam mechanism in it that tightens the clutch pack under load. The Z32 viscous unit also has a clutch pack but does not have the cam mechanism. Instead it uses a special additive to the fluid that reacts to wheelspin (and the resulting friction/heat in the fluid) to make the clutch pack respond.
My gut has been telling me that this isn't ideal for off-road for a while, but the more I think about it it might actually do nicely. The price I got the LSD makes it worth a shot.

Brent

Brent,
Can you post pix and a write up of the install for your front "Z" LSD? While you have the diff out, are you installing the SLR diff drop kit?
In case you decide to do a sus. lift down the road.
Thanx.
L8r

I won't be doing the front diff, I don't have access to the tools needed and such, nor do I quite trust myself to do it if I did. I'm more game to tackle the rear, it's much easier to set up and deal with.

I hadn't really thought about the diff drop kit, but that's a good idea. Another $150 to scrape together though...

Brent

The only problem I can see with using that VLSD is the fact that the spline penetration on one side of the VLSD diff is much longer than a normal R200 diff or LSD. Reference the Hybrid Z post below:

http://www.hybridz.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=19471&highlight=vlsd

I'll have to think about that, but my gut tells me that it should be OK unless for some reason there's a difference in how far the side gear splines are recessed in to the VLSD carrier. The offset front R200A will of course have different shaft lengths from the flange to the end of the splines, one a bit shorter and the other much longer than a centered rear R200. As long as the carrier has the same relevant dimensions, it should be fine.

Brent