Topic: Rear axle swap project

[JFanaselle]

Update 1/27/17: party is officially cancelled. It's virtually impossible to align schedules enough to get a decent turnout, even if you plan it 6 or 8 weeks out. Totally understand, every one of us have busy lives, jobs, kids, spouses... and little free time for wrenching and socializing with friends. I'll just be tinkering with this project until it's done, which shouldn't take too long hopefully. The plan is to do the rear axle swap first, then tackle the front diff down the road. I'll continue to post project updates in the second post of this thread as they're available.

Update: project date is officially set for Saturday 2/18/17. This is President's Day weekend, which is optimal for me because it provides a couple extra days in case the project turns into a cluster f*** and requires time to acquire replacement OEM parts or repair damages or something. I understand it also means people could have plans and/or might be out of town, but I'm hoping we can get at least a few sets of hands/genius minds here to help out.

I plan to feed lunch to everyone coming out to help. Not sure if it'll be BBQ (maybe Carne Asada with all the fixings) or Costco pizza - depends on how many people plan to show up, and what the weather looks like. I'll also have plenty of bottled water, and cheap and medium-priced beer on hand. If you prefer anything "special" (you know who you are, beer snobs) or something non-alcoholic, please bring your own. I'll have a couple of coolers and ice in the garage for your drinks.

I'd like to start at 9:00 am as a group, but plan to get started myself even earlier (probably even the night before) with removing skid plates, removing tires, etc. Just stuff that tends to make your project take forever to get off the ground. So feel free to show up a little early if you'd like.

Please post up if you plan on coming, that way I can make sure there's enough food and beer for everyone. It's a kid-friendly venue as well, and my 4 year old will surely be in the mix and getting in the way of everything. Gavin has tons of toys in his play room and loves when other kids come over to play, so feel free to bring your little ones too (as long as you're able to keep enough of an eye on them to prevent them from running in the street or something). I'll send everyone a PM with my address and phone number once you declare that you're "in."

Thanks again!



Original Post:

As some of you already know, I've been acquiring parts to swap my rear axle from a C200 to an M226 with an e-locker. The process will also be taking me from 3.13 gears to 3.36, which means I need to do something about the front end. After thinking long and hard about a Titan swap, I decided I'd be better off to just swap in a 3.36 factory R180 and save the T swap for another day (mostly because it'll break up the expense of the project for now).

I've acquired most of what I need and I'm ready to schedule a date for the project. This is where I could really benefit from the expertise of this community, and I'm raising my hand for help. I'd be willing to take the project anywhere else, but I'd prefer to do it at my own house because with a front differential, complete rear axle, new leaf springs, and some other components, it would be quite an undertaking to haul it all somewhere else. Plus, I can prep some of the work ahead of time in my own garage and hopefully speed up the process on the day of the actual swap. That said, if someone makes an argument that it's a far better idea to do it at your place, speak up and we'll figure out the logistics.

At this point, my calendar is pretty much open for most weekends. I was shooting for the weekend of February 18th, as it gives plenty of time for people to commit to the date around any existing plans. Is there anyone that would be free to lend a hand on the 18th and/or 19th at my place in Murrieta? I'll gladly provide all the food, and drinks (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) that is required! I'm pretty sure I have all the tools I need, including a great 3 ton jack and an older 3 ton jack, a set of 6 ton jack stands, a set of 3 ton jack stands, sockets/wrenches, and a good air compressor/impact wrench/air ratchet.

The project will entail the following:

*Remove the C200 rear axle and existing leaf springs
*Install the new M226 rear axle and wire up the e-locker
*Remove and replace the R180 front diff

I've acquired the following parts so far:

*M226 rear axle out of a 2006 Xterra Offroad with e-locker, geared in 3.36
*New U-bolt flip kit
*New OME Dakar leaf springs
*R180 front diff geared in 3.36
*Driver and Passenger side front axle seals
*Factory wiring harness for e-locker
*OTRATTW dash switch for e-locker


Still need to acquire:

*Fluids for front and rear diff
*RTV silicone sealant to remove and reinstall the rear diff cover (looks to be slightly leaking anyway, plus I want to give the thing a quick look/cleaning inside), plus grease for the shackles and leaf bushings
*Anything else that anyone can think of that I need?

Other things I don't have much of on hand are grease/anti-seize, etc. I don't do a lot of major work on vehicles typically, so I don't have a lot of the "regular mechanic" stuff lying around all the time. Any of this that people can bring would be helpful (or maybe that's a great argument to do it at your place instead).

My plan is to wire up the harness and switch ahead of time, and maybe even work on pulling the old axle out the night before (or at least get starting on it - draining fluids, etc). I'll spray everything up with PB Blaster a few days ahead of time so the bolts are easy to work with, and I'll have the new axle as ready to go as possible. Most of the brake parts will need to be swapped over as well, so I might start some of that work the day before if I can do it by myself.

Any help from anyone experienced in this type of project is sure appreciated! Thanks in advance!

[JFanaselle]

Reserved for project updates

Project Update 1/17/17:

Today, I started the process of wiring up the e-locker harness. I tapped into the factory "Diff Lock" light in the instrument cluster so that I'll have the dash light to let me know when the locker is physically engaged. The light uses a negative input in the factory instrument cluster harness, which you can tie right to the end switch in the e-locker. That way, when the light is on, you know you have positive engagement of the locker.

I still haven't decided exactly where to install the switch, as all of my factory switch ports are in use (too many accessories and lights I guess). I'm tempted to mount it on the overhead console, in front of the sunglasses holder, and relocate the ARB air compressor switch next to it as well. That way, they're both up high on the roof and away from the dash, and would be nearly impossible to accidentally engage (this is a concern of mine with the locker directly wired).

Acquisition of parts for the project is well underway. I have just about everything I need, but there are still a few things left:

Rear axle swap project

Here's what I have so far:

1. New Old Man Emu medium duty Dakar leaf springs
2. Bushings for the leaf springs
3. New PRG U-bolt flip kit
4. Used R180 differential with 3.36 gearing (not pictured)
5. Used M226 axle with 3.36 gearing and e-locker (not pictured)
6. New OEM Nissan R180 axle seals (left and right)
7. New OEM Nissan breather nipple for axle (for extended diff breather mod)
8. 2 quarts of Royal Purple synthetic 75W-140 gear oil for rear diff
9. 1 quart of Lucas Oil 80W-90 gear oil for the front diff
10. 1 large bottle of DOT3 brake fluid
11. 2 cans of brake parts cleaner (the stupid California compliant kind)
12. New OEM Nissan bolts and nuts (6 of each) to attach the driveshaft to the rear diff
13. 1 can of foaming degreasing spray to clean up the M226 axle before installation
14. Used OEM Nissan E-locker harness
15. OTRATTW "rear locker" illuminated rocker switch
16. Cheap Harbor Freight special "seal puller." Not even sure why I need this, but it was only like 3 bucks and I've been told it makes it much easier to change the R180 axle seals
17. Fluid pump (for transfer case fluid change)
18. New drain pan (I already have one, but a second one wouldn't hurt for a project of this size)
19. A box of gallon-sized ziplock (freezer) bags for nuts and bolts and other parts, to help speed up re-assembly
20. Anti-seize and a tub of grease (thanks to RikRong for the loan!)

 
Other stuff I already have on hand/around the garage:

1. Two 3-ton floor jacks
2. A pair of 6 ton jack stands and another pair of 3 ton jack stands
3. Plenty of Fast Orange hand cleaner and Lava soap
4. Headlamps
5. Several rolls of shop towels and some rags
6. 3/8" Metric Hex Sockets (for drain plugs)
7. Air compressor, impact wrench and air ratchet
8. 1/2" drive torque wrench


Still need to purchase or borrow for the project:

1. Socket for the front axle nuts (will probably purchase one, since it's good to have one in the tool bag. Just need a good lead on one since I've heard that some are too thick to fit through the hole in the front hub assembly)
2. Another pair of jack stands - so we can work on the front and rear at the same time while also having the axle supported on a pair while brake parts are swapped over (would like to borrow a set from someone who is coming to help, if possible) Will no longer need these, as I've now broken the project up to do the rear first and then the front.
3. Transfer case fluid - I think I'll be buying the genuine Nissan stuff, unless someone can recommend a good aftermarket solution. I didn't want to buy the cheap store brand stuff, and that's all they had at the auto parts stores around me
4. Black RTV Silicone Sealant for the diff cover I used some gray RTV I had on hand already.
5. A new box of disposable gloves, as I'm getting pretty low I picked up a new box already.
6. Smaller 3/8" drive torque wrench for some of the smaller stuff like the drive shaft bolts (would like to borrow one from someone coming to help, if possible) Turns out I don't need one after all. I've been able to use my 1/2" drive one for the few things I'm torquing to spec.
7. A small pack of cloth shop towels I ended up finding plenty of rags around the garage to use


Project update 1/27/17:
I took the axle outside and gave it a bath in some foaming engine degreaser. Just wanted to get some of the brake fluid and other crud off of it, so it's a little easier to handle.

Rear axle swap project

After the bath, I brought it inside and got it up on some jack stands to be easier to work with. I popped the rear diff cover off and gave it a good inspection. Everything looks nice and intact inside, with no chips or pits in the metal on the gears. I let the old gear oil drain out overnight so that I was confident as much of it as possible was gone.

Rear axle swap project

Rear axle swap project

I installed my new breather nipple (to simplify the connection of the hose for my diff breather mod), and cut off/ground down the tabs for the abs sensor wires. This is necessary in order for the U-bolt flip kit to be installed (there is one edge of the outermost tabs that gets in the way of the upper plate for the flip kit). After they were ground away, I hit the bare metal spots with a spritz of black spray paint to hold the rust off as long as possible.

Rear axle swap project

Rear axle swap project

Rear axle swap project

Then it was time to reinstall the diff cover. This axle came with an aftermarket diff cover (I think it's one of the BTF ones, but it fits like a glove). I can clearly tell that this cover spent part of it's life in bright pink (and it even has an outline of a breast cancer ribbon in the old paint), so I gave it a couple coats of the same black "hammered finish" spray paint that I used on my skid plates. You can see the outline of the ribbon pretty good in the photo, but it's not nearly that noticeable in person. I used the same gray RTV silicone that I used on my previous diff cover install (on my C200 axle), and made sure to get a good even bead on it. I slid the jackstands off of the spring perches so that the yoke would turn downward, which allowed me to install the diff cover much easier than it normally is when your axle is already on the truck. I slowly placed it on the back of the diff, perfectly aligned with the holes. I then installed the screws and finger tightened them, allowing the RTV to set for about 20 minutes and firm up a little. At that point, I tightened the screws the rest of the way.

Rear axle swap project

Rear axle swap project

At this point, she's as ready for install as she can be, until I'm ready to actually start pulling parts off my truck. I'll swap most of the brake components over next (all of the brake parts on my rig are only about 20,000 miles old, vs. about 90,000 miles on this axle), but I can't really do that until I'm ready to actually swap the axle in since I need brakes. 

[RBduffer]

Sounds like quite a weekend Joe.  I've got grease and an extra bottle of anti seize.  If you can't find a can of Kroil, I will share mine.  (It's that good!) 
Any Feb. weekend but the 11th is good for me

[RikRong]

Depending on when the alien decides to show, and how Momma feels, count me in. I do have plenty of grease and anti-seize, I'll bring it if I come down.

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[Celt]

Put me down as a yes unless some kinda sumpthin gets to goin on.

[Ghost65]

I will put in a request for one of the weekend days off...depending on how work schedules those days I will commit to more the week of.

A couple of things to add to your list:

Brake cleaner spray

Headlamp...for hands free night work

Parts bins...old Tupperware or ziploc baggies (get thicker freezer version for durability ) so you can stay organized during demo and re-assembly

A handful of sharpies and grease pencils for marking your drive train and other parts

A small box of nitrile gloves to keep your hands...and Jessica's walls clean

Disposable and cloth shop towels...for cleaning parts and the job at hand...literally

A fresh tub of your favorite pumice based hand cleaner

A couple of catch basins for fluids (brake fluid, diff oils, etc) and a funnel...I can provide these if you don't already have them

Black RTV silicone sealant...for your diff cover.

A set of 3/8 based metric hex head sockets...for your diff plugs...I have these too and can provide

A BFS (36mm) to remove your axle nuts

Torque wrench...and research and print a list of the tolerances you`ll need beforehand, then tape it to your windshield for reference.  This will really speed things along during assembly

If I think of anything else Ill drop a post here or text you.

Oh, and...

A nice soft chair for The Duffman to supervise from...


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[Celt]

I have a torque wrench and impact wrench and can most likely bring the monkey for some youthful strength but I cannot take responsibility if he gets to free grazing in your fridge.

[Ghost65]

Extra extension cords and a power strip

[RBduffer]

Boy, that's a great list Ghost!  Including the nice soft chair.

I can also corral The Monkey when he's not 'Grunting' on something

I got cords and power strips if needed as well.

[occupantX]

I'd be interested to help depending on the date you select. Let's git 'er done

[Jayrat]

Have gloves , no experience , but I'm pretty Handy
My Dad was a Television repair man
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[JFanaselle]

Seriously Ghost, great list! I have pretty much everything on that list now, but I could use some extra supply of a few things for sure. I'll go through what I have and post up again with needs as it gets closer so we can fill in the gaps.

Thanks to everyone offering to help. Looks like we'll have PLENTY of hands on deck, so don't feel bad if something comes up and you can't make it. I was planning to BBQ, but with this many folks, I may just have to order pizza or something.

At this point, I'm thinking Saturday Feb 18th would work best, but let's not settle on a date until we get closer and know how everyone's schedules are lining up. I'd really like for Ghost to be there since he's done a rear axle swap on his old rig, so we'll see what his schedule shapes up like.

Thanks again everyone! It sure is nice to know you don't have to tackle a project like this alone. 

[Celt]

Have gloves , no experience , but I'm pretty Handy
My Dad was a Television repair man
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 Nice job Spicoli......

[JFanaselle]

The OP has been updated with the information below. The second post has also been updated with a status update on the acquisition of parts and some needs I still have (please speak up if you can help out with any of the items I need to borrow).

Here's what was included in the OP Update: project date is officially set for Saturday 2/18/17. This is President's Day weekend, which is optimal for me because it provides a couple extra days in case the project turns into a cluster f*** and requires time to acquire replacement OEM parts or repair damages or something. I understand it also means people could have plans and/or might be out of town, but I'm hoping we can get at least a few sets of hands/genius minds here to help out.

I plan to feed lunch to everyone coming out to help. Not sure if it'll be BBQ (maybe Carne Asada with all the fixings) or Costco pizza - depends on how many people plan to show up, and what the weather looks like. I'll also have plenty of bottled water, and cheap and medium-priced beer on hand. If you prefer anything "special" (you know who you are, beer snobs) or something non-alcoholic, please bring your own. I'll have a couple of coolers and ice in the garage for your drinks.

I'd like to start at 9:00 am as a group, but plan to get started myself even earlier (probably even the night before) with removing skid plates, removing tires, etc. Just stuff that tends to make your project take forever to get off the ground. So feel free to show up a little early if you'd like.

Please post up if you plan on coming, that way I can make sure there's enough food and beer for everyone. It's a kid-friendly venue as well, and my 4 year old will surely be in the mix and getting in the way of everything. Gavin has tons of toys in his play room and loves when other kids come over to play, so feel free to bring your little ones too (as long as you're able to keep enough of an eye on them to prevent them from running in the street or something). I'll send everyone a PM with my address and phone number once you declare that you're "in."

Thanks again!

[steve c]

Joe, if I'm not in Idaho, I'll definitely be there.

(not sure how much help I'll be, but usually something is heavy and I can help with that!)