Well I have to start by saying that I did a search and its not exactly the information that I was looking for. What I would like is just a rear locker. Non air. I dont want to have the hassle of carrying an air compressor. I currently have the LSD and if you are gentle it will kinda work, but not like what I would prefer. Is there even such animal as a non air locker for the X? and if so Why not? I see they make a front LSD, why dont the make somehign for the rear other than with air?... ok thats enough...

Calmini is working on a mechanical locker... but it's only for a non-LSD axle...


The ARB air locker is the ONLY locker that I know of currently that will work on the Xterra... and the air ones are better anyway... all of the advantages of a locker when engaged with none of the disadvantages when it's disengaged.

would you enlighten me as to the disadvantages of a mechanical locker over an air locker? e.g. are they loud or do they grind? i mean, for like $250.00, it sounds like a good deal to just pass-up and since my Xterra is open diffs all the way, this is a feasible option for me...

thanks for any info in advance,
david

A mechanical locker will often keep the axles locked on low-traction surfaces in turns. So when you're on snow/ice/mud etc. the rear end is quite prone to side-stepping. Otherwise, there's a little extra tire wear, and they can make some minor noises, but they're great.

Brent

either way just make sure you get a new steering setup on the front end before the install of a locker up there

i know ox makes a popular non-air locker. they don't have one for the xterra though.
look on the bright side, if you get the arb air-locker you can use that as an excuse to get a larger air compressor for airing up your tires when you go wheeling (after airing down of course ).

You'll never see an OX locker for the H233B, no rear cover to replace. The front diff's cover is also part of the mounting, won't see an OX there either.

Or a Powertank. I've been using my tank to run my ARB since April.

Not needed for an ARB locker IMHO.

Toy Man

Thought I heard that OX is out of business.

Toy Man

a calmini steering system is a good idea before putting that front locker in as the stock parts are not strong enough to take the added pressure that the locker brings with it. i'm not saying you have to do it, but not having it could leave you stranded.......

Toy Man has no lift, hence has no need for calmini steering! BEsides he is OLD and drives slow!

Just messing with you Dad!

Must be getting old if I forgot to mention I had no lift.

However my point was that with an air locker, you will seldom have it engaged and thus no strain on the steering system.

And yep - with lockers you CAN drive slow.

Maybe I should drive faster on the pavement.
That way I would have missed being broadsided in an intersection last month. Right rear, put a crease dent just to the rear of the gas cap, tore the plastic rear quarter panel cladding up. Looked like the wheel/tire took most of the blow. Just a couple of VERY faint scratches on the wheel but replaced it 'just in case'. $1800 later - no problem.

The front of the Ford Escape was toast.

Toy Man

Hey now, ToyMan is an X pioneer, he was the first to roll one off-road

Brent

I know trachtec (of detroit locker fame) makes an auto locker for the H233B, but I don't know if they make an auto locker for the front axle. As a heads up if they do happen to make an auto locker for the front axle and if you put one in MAKE SURE to do a manual hub conversion. You have to be able to be ABSOLUTELY sure that your front axle still isn't hooked up when you try normal driving. It's also nice that you can have a "2 lo" position if you need to do some tight maneuvering off road. It also makes it handy when you can unhook one axle so you can drive in 4hi on normal roads (insert snow, rain, whatever) and not experience steering or front axle bind (inheirant to an auto locker). The bind can be enough that it will absolutly destroy a conventional U-joint and the attached axles, so imagine what it'd do to a CV.

Justin

tractech/ detroit has not yet designed a locker for the h233 33 spline nissan axle, unless you know something i don't. would be great if they did though. there's been talk going on about it for a few years now. probably won't happen.

Oops, I misread. It's for the H233 31 spline frontier axle. This presents the next question. What about swapping the frontier axles onto an xterra so you get the use of the auto locker? They'd be a little weaker, but for you average wheeler a 31 spline would be plenty strong.

Justin

Sure, find a '98/99 2WD rear and go for it. 4WD rear is spring-over, FYI.
Some 2000s have 31-spline diffs, but not many.

Brent

All the 2wd trucks in 98 and 99 ran H190s and C200s, are the narrower track axle, and did not have the axle ratios to match what the Xterra have. 1999 4wd V6 trucks have the right H233b, but you would have to weld on new spring perches to do the spring-under mount. The 2wd Desert Runner and Crew Cabs debuted for the 2000 model year and have the axle you'd be searching for, although that was the year the spline count changed and not all of them will have 31 spine axles.

I'm not talking swapping the housing, i'm just talking about the axles themselves. Is the O/D of the outboard axle bearing the same between he 31 and 33 spline axles and are the axles the same length? I'm sure the I/D is different, but if the O/D is the same there'd be no cutting or welding of any perches, just swapping two shafts and the putting the 31 spline locker in.

That's right, I forgot that 00 was the first year for the V6 Frontier and the H233B came along with it.
As for swapping the shafts from a early 2000 V6 Frontier, odds are it will be a no-brainer. However, there is no way to know if they're 31 or 33 spline shafts other than by inspection. It's not a lot of work to pull them and check, but in a junkyard it might not be much fun. Heck, there might not even be enough room between the truck and the next vehicle to get the shaft out far enough...
The number of them with 31-spline shafts appears to be pretty low too, odds are against you already.

Brent

I think I'm going to go check local yard, see if any frontiers happen to be around. If the cars are too close together i can pop both axles and drop the third meber to count. Figure it won't be that bad as there probably won't be many frontiers in the junkyards. I had to do this same thing looking for f-series length 28 spline axles for a ford 9". They aren't exactly common (or desireable), but there are tons more 9" equipped vehicles in the yards than frontiers. Spent probably 8 hours with a slide hammer in my hand counting splines before i finally found a set.

Justin