differential side flange problem

Nissan 350z / Nissan 370z general community discussion forum
Arjay8
Posts: 14
Joined: Sun Dec 27, 2015 3:22 pm
Car: 2003 350Z touring
1974 260Z (long, long ago...)

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2003 350Z touring. I don't know if the diff is stock...

The left side flange, with the ABS "teeth" has slipped out of the diff enough that the ABS sensor is not reading it properly. I can slide it back and forth a bit.

I'm thinking it may be easier to remove the diff and work on this out of the car. I don't have a lift so if I did this in-car I''d be on my back with the car on stands or ramps. I assume I'll need to replace the seal before pressing the side flange home. And I assume I should flush the oil to try to clean out whatever may have gotten in.

What unforeseen problems might I encounter? Any advice? Special tools required?

TIA!


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evildky
Posts: 14713
Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2004 9:23 pm
Car: 71 240ZT, 87 300ZXN/A-T, 06 350Z GT, Tundra TRD RW
Location: Louisville, KY
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Welcome to Nico!

It sounds like the issue is the circlip that retains the axle shaft. On each output flange shaft there is a grove and a circlip rides inside that groove to retain the shaft in the differential housing. You stated you weren't sure if you had the stock differential and that introduces another variable.

The base model received an open differential with equal length output shafts, all other modes received the viscous lsd which uses different length output shafts to drive the viscous coupler inside the differential. The shafts will slide into the wrong housings just fine but the circlips will not engage at the right spot.

Replacing the seal and popping the output shaft back in is a simple job and can easily be done with the diff in the car. You however might want to pop the diff out completely so you can look inside for the groves that the circlip engages, on one side it's fairly shallow on the other side it's quite deep, and the shafts are obviously different lengths, and this is what you should find on a touring model. On an open diff the groves are the same depth on both sides and the shafts are the same length. In either case the shafts should have a circlip in the drove and if not look inside the diff as they sometimes stick in there, if you have one missing altogether then you simply need to replace that circlip. if however you find that you have an open carrier and viscous shaft or vise versa you'll need to get the corresponding components to keep the shafts from walking out again.

Arjay8
Posts: 14
Joined: Sun Dec 27, 2015 3:22 pm
Car: 2003 350Z touring
1974 260Z (long, long ago...)

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Thank you for such a clear description! I'm confident now that I can do this. But there is one tool that is used in the FSM -- it's a "protector" # KV38107900 (J39352) that apparently protects the new seal from the shaft that's being inserted. I don't have such a thing and wonder how best to improvise.

Thanks again.

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evildky
Posts: 14713
Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2004 9:23 pm
Car: 71 240ZT, 87 300ZXN/A-T, 06 350Z GT, Tundra TRD RW
Location: Louisville, KY
Contact:

Post

If you can't manage to get the shaft into the hole without damaging the seal without aid of a special tool you lose your man card ;) never heard fo such a thing, just use a seal driver or large socket to drive the seal in without damaging it, lube the lip and in the words of David Coverdale, "slide it in".

Arjay8
Posts: 14
Joined: Sun Dec 27, 2015 3:22 pm
Car: 2003 350Z touring
1974 260Z (long, long ago...)

Post

Okay okay, I get it. I was just worried about doing damage by not following the "rules". I'll lube it up and slip it in without protection all the while holding on tightly to my man card.

Thanks for the help!


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