Anyone know????

2002 +

I have a 2003 XE...check your door jam sticker

Uh, drivetrain section question ya think?

Anyway, 2002+ non-supercharged V6. SC models keep the 4.636 ratio.

Brent

Why'd they change the ratio in the rear for the 2002???

Dunno. Maybe they felt that the non-SC models seemed too sluggish vs. the SC so they gave the non-SC a shorter ratio to keep them from being too disparate.
The 4.90 gears showed up in 2001 on the Frontier. For the king cab, the SC models had 4.363, non-SC XE models had 4.636, and the non-SC SE models got the 4.90. Desert Runners got the 4.636 on XE and SE, SC had 4.363. Crew cab is the same as the KC but only the 4x4 SE got the 4.90s. Not sure about 02, but 03 has the same spec for KC and CC as the 01 CC.

Brent

2002+ got bigger tires, a lower gear ratio would keep performance the same... Just a thought.

Now, other than the orange LSD sticker, how can one tell if the diff is limited slip? Stickers have been known to come off...

MV

Ah, that's right, 02 brought the 31" equivalent tires too. D'oh!

Testing for the LSD, I know that's been covered here before, bet it's in the drivetrain section (where this thread should be moved, hello mods?) but I'll add it again before someone screws it up:

Jack up the rear of the truck and put jackstands under both sides of the rear axle so the tires are off the ground. Put the vehicle in neutral (important!), then use your hands to rotate one of the rear tires. If the other tire rotates the same direction, you have the LSD. If it rotates the opposite direction, you have an open diff, a really worn out 00-02 LSD (not likely), or maybe even a non-worn (but pathetic) 03-04 LSD which Nissan de-tuned vs. the 00-02 one so much that I wouldn't be surprised if it were easier to over-ride the LSD clutches than it would be to make the entire carrier drive the pinion...

Brent

Well, yeah, I know how to tell if the vehicle is in the air.

I was hoping someone (read: Brent) would know of another way. Perhaps another axle code, something in the VIN (unlikely, but possible), perhaps a build label located somewhere in the vehicle. I was hoping, anything easier than jacking up the vehicle...

MV

My copy of the parts-desk software is from early 02, but if it were current I could put your VIN in it and tell you.
However, here's a better idea: know what specifications include the LSD... For the 03, it was (as always) standard on the SE trim, and included with the Sport package on the XE. The Sport package includes the fog lights and front tow hook. It also required the Power package (windows/mirrors/locks/keyless/security etc.) so I think it should be obvious.

Actually, I know mine has it (and a good one to boot! Wonder if it's a leftover from earlier years...). The question has to do with my buddy's Xterra(s). His is an '02 SE/SC, hers is an '02 XE. We're trying to figure out if one or both are LSD, he's got 4.6 gears, she's got 4.9... If her's are LSD, swapping diffs from one to another could be interesting. Hers never does much 4x4, and being an automatic, wouldn't suffer much. His with the larger tires and the manual would probably reap greater benefits. He also likes to accelerate, so the gears would help him there...

It's a thought. Don't know if it will go much further than that. But its an interesting thought. Perhaps I should start a thread about it and gather some opinions...

MV

I switched from 4.6 to 4.9 gears on my 2000 recently. Can't say as I noticed much difference. I noticed that it holds lockup in 4th gear (automatic) better on grades and such and doesn't kick down as early, but my wife (who drives it during the week) did notice it had a bit more pep. I swapped the complete rear third-member (gear carrier) and front diff from a wrecked 2002, not too bad a job.

Brent