Hello,

I have a 78 280z and i knew the diff and half shaft were not stock.

By looking at pictures i think its an R200 300zx Turbo LSD diff.

My problem is not as much identifying the diff rather than what is going on with my half shafts.

The axle stub that goes into the diff does not seem to be retained inside the diff at all. I can move the axle stub in and out of the diff. I cant pull it completely out since its connected to the wheels, but i dont think they are supposed to do that.

They also look like they are very close to the inner pivot point of the lower suspension arm and i am afraid with the axle stub being so loosely in the diff that it will make contact with the lower control arm.

Can anyone help me and tell me how the damn axle stubs get retained in the diff? Both sides do the same thing.

pic 1 is thr axle stub inside the diff. Does not seem to be fully seated and is not retained inside the diff

pic 2 is other side of half shaft. Cant be seen in the pic, but the part that is to bolt the cv shaft is welded to the stock 4 bolt flange.

pic 3 is diff cover.

 

Thanks

There's a clip in a groove inside the diff.  The clip drops in to the groove in the axle shafts, if everything's right.  The clip stays in the diff when the axles are removed.

Later, with the VLSD's in the 90's and maybe the opens too, Nissan put the clip on the shaft and chamfered the diff groove so that it would stay on the shaft.

Sometimes people get them messed up if they're used to one style.  

Those look like 280ZX CV shafts (3x2 bolt pattern).  So there must be an adapter on your wheel side.  They still retain the clip in the diff though.  but somebody has been mucking about back there so you'll probably have to take the axles out to be sure.  you can buy the clips and insert them using a socket to drive them in until they hit the groove.

Are you sure it's an LSD?  People say you have to remove the cover to be 100% positive, but generally the "both wheels move the same way" test is a pretty good clue.  Somebody might have dropped a VLSD in to your carrier also.  I thought about it but it was too much work.

If those ring clips are missing, Nissan still carries them.

Thanks for the feed back. Its an LSD from what i know. Wheels spin in the same direction so that says lsd to me. Dont know what type though. 

I would need to completely remove the stub axle to see the clip? 

After i take the axle, ensure clips are in the groove, i just insert the axle all the way in and it will clip itself in, correct?

You say they look like 280zx axles, and yes there has been modifications to the wheel side, there is a round piece that was welded to the square 4 bolt stock flange.

This Hybridz thread covers your problem, almost exactly.  

http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/113771-quaife-qdf7l-r200-missing-part/

Thank you. I will take out my half shafts and look for the clip. They are probably missing or i am just not pushing hard enough

Finally was able to get the half shafts off. It looks like there are no clips in there. Pictures attached.

ok guys. I am stumped. I thought this clip thing was going to be easy, but its a PITA. 

i bought the part number from the thread from Hybridz. I put them in the diff and it kinda just dances around there. Also, the ID makes it very difficult to slip it over the axle to get to the groove. I know youre not supposed to install them on the axle first, that was just a test. When i put the clip in the diff it the axle just hits the clip and no matter how hard i push it does not click, move, nothing. Also, i dont even know what axles i have anymore, i think they might be the 280zxt. The diff seems to be the r200 CLSD type, it looks just like the whitehead performance CLSD with another diff cover to mount it to the 280z. What axles is this supposed to run? Please help, i am out of ideas as to why the clip does not work and the axle does not fit in.

1st pic-Clip on axle, you can see it would be hard for it to slip all the way to the groove

2nd pic- Diff, passenger side, no clip

3rd pic-Diff, passenger side clip

With the clip installed, i slide the axle in and it moves the clip to rest all the way against where the splines begin in the diff.\

Also, as you can see, you cannot see all the way thru the diff, there is a piece of metal in there, that piece moves in there if you tap on the axle. It seemed really far towards the driver side and the axle looked like it did not go all the way in (no clip installed). I taped it with a hammer and it moved in further. 

What part number did you get?  Your clip looks like the later style, from what I've seen on a later style diff that I have.  Round wire instead of flat meal.

You want part #18, I think.  http://www.carpartsmanual.com/datsun/Z-1969-1978/power-train/differential-gear/r200/18

Wouldn't be surprised either if a parts guy just assumed that they were the same and gave you the later clips.

 that's the part number I got. At least that's what the label says. 

Any thought in the cv axles? Are they the.correct.ones? Long one goes on passenger and short on driver side? 

They look like plain old 280ZXT or 2+2 CV axles. Made for old-style R200 diff.  I have a pair in the garage.

Could be that your diff internals are damaged.  The grooves look a little bit beat up in your pictures.  Not sure what the fix is.  Stick your tape measure in the holes and match up the groove distances to be sure on the sides.  

Edited June 24, 20177 yr by Zed Head