Attn: Titan/Armada owners

[MPREZIV]

Just thought it would be pertinant to check up on you guys and let you know about a prob. I've seen here recently.

The first run of trucks had a standard steel rear diff cover, and standard dead dinosaur fluid. These rear diffs are subject to overheating. The paint on the rear cover starts to peel, and now that we've got some trucks in the area that are getting up to and past 30k miles, we've seen some with teeth broken off of the rear diff ring gear!

Although this hasn't represented itself as quite the epidemic that the brake shudder did, we have gotten a small handful needing new rear ends. Nissan decided that it wasn't an issue big enough to issue a recall for, but to only repair the vehicles that customers came in to complain about. The repair was to replace the rear cover with an aluminum one with cooling fins, and replace the fluid with synthetic, all of which comes standard on newer Titan/Armada vehicles.

Basically, I just wanted to let anyone with an A60 know that this may become a problem if it goes un-noticed. If your truck has the standard steel rear diff cover, come in asap and have it changed out for the updated parts.

If you do have the updated parts already, or even a newer truck with them standard, I'd still like to tell you that you should keep an ear open, so to speak, for noise from the rear diff. Anything unusual should def. not be ignored. I'd hate to hear that anyone got stuck on the side of a road somewhere because the rear diff took a crap on them!

Just a heads up from your resident Nissan Tech!

[ShawnS]

Good lookin out Cory.

[MattR]

Cory, I have the Aluminum Finned diff cover, and I have heated my diff up trying to pull a ford out of a ditch, but overall, I think mine is behaving pretty well. I'l probably have the fluid changed next time I have it serviced just to be safe. thanks for the heads up.

[sperry]

This info is all over the Titan forums, with people bitching about their "shitty rear diffs". If the Titan forums are anything like the Impreza forums, I'm guessing the Titan rear-end is about as fragile as the WRX gearbox. i.e. 1 out of ever 100,000 might have a real issue.

But it's nice to see that, unlike Subaru, Nissan is willing to make some changes and then update those that didn't get those changes from the factory. +1 for Nissan.

[MattR]

Originally Posted by sperry

If the Titan forums are anything like the Impreza forums, I'm guessing the Titan rear-end is about as fragile as the WRX gearbox. i.e. 1 out of ever 100,000 might have a real issue.

That's the impression I get, it's really been blown way out of control. In fact, I read one post on TT that went something like....

"I lost my rear Diff this weekend...I was towing my utility trailer full of roofing tile...weighed about 14,000 lbs...had to go up a very steep hill. What's with this crappy diff?" People just don;t get it.

[sperry]

Originally Posted by MattR

That's the impression I get, it's really been blown way out of control. In fact, I read one post on TT that went something like....

"I lost my rear Diff this weekend...I was towing my utility trailer full of roofing tile...weighed about 14,000 lbs...had to go up a very steep hill. What's with this crappy diff?" People just don;t get it.

"All I was trying to do was move a 38' trailer full of lead ballest out of frozen mud, WTF!?"

[MattR]

Originally Posted by sperry

"All I was trying to do was move a 38' trailer full of lead ballest out of frozen mud, WTF!?"

Yeah....It's very reminiscent of doing donuts in your Sti in the dirt when it has 500 miles on it, then blaming the tuner for a blown out motor. etc...

I know I heated my rear-end/ Diff up A LOT when I was trying to get Jessie's ford out of that ditch, but I keep a close eye on it when towing and stuff, and it doesn't change temp at all.

[sperry]

Originally Posted by MattR

Yeah....It's very reminiscent of doing donuts in your Sti in the dirt when it has 500 miles on it, then blaming the tuner for a blown out motor. etc...

I know I heated my rear-end/ Diff up A LOT when I was trying to get Jessie's ford out of that ditch, but I keep a close eye on it when towing and stuff, and it doesn't change temp at all.

I thought the temp sensor was for the tranny, not the rear-diff?

[MattR]

Originally Posted by sperry

I thought the temp sensor was for the tranny, not the rear-diff?

You are correct...It's for the tranny.

[sperry]

I wonder if a rear-end temp sensor would be worth it... all you'd have to do is tap the lower drain plug and wire it up.... just like the STi's rear end.

[MattR]

Since that is the big source of issues for everyone, I would imagine it would be pretty useful.

[MPREZIV]

Yeah, it hasn't turned into a huge issue yet, and the majority of people who've seen problems are the ones who pay NO attention to things like maintenance, or towing capacities.

Just wanted to give kind of a heads up, and let you A60 owners, and soon to be owners, know to keep an eye on it. I don't want anybody to worry or think they're truck's gonna take a crap on them!

With the drain plug in the rear diff being in the bottom of the diff, my worry would be snagging it and ripping it out, off road, or even just on road debris. The fill plug would be "safer", but I dunno if you'd get a decent reading, with the fluid level being just below that plug when sitting. Of course the fluid gets thrown across the entire case while driving, so it might work... Def. would be a good idea tho.

[sperry]

I never looked at the drain plugs... I assumed there was an upper and lower plug in the rear or side of the case, like the STI, so it wouldn't be a problem to tap the lower plug.

Doesn't the off-road package have a skid plate? I wonder if they boys over a Primitive would be willing to fab up a rear-diff skid plate, or if there's already one on the market for the Titan.

[MPREZIV]

Haven't seen one in aftermarket, but there's likely one out there. The off road pack has one on the front, and the x-fer case, but not on the rear diff.

Yeah, the drain plug sits facing straight down, in the bottom of the case, so protection would be pertinant, but something that's easily removable so you can service the fluid.

[sperry]

Originally Posted by MPREZIV

Haven't seen one in aftermarket, but there's likely one out there. The off road pack has one on the front, and the x-fer case, but not on the rear diff.

Yeah, the drain plug sits facing straight down, in the bottom of the case, so protection would be pertinant, but something that's easily removable so you can service the fluid.

If the plug is the type that takes a big allen wrench, or a 3/4" socket to remove, you'd have to get a new plug w/ a standard external head to drill and tap. So yeah, it would be hanging out there quite a bit and would probably need a guard plate of some sort.

Putting the sensor in the top of the case probably makes more sense... even if the sensor won't be submerged in the gear oil.

...unless there's a nice thick spot in the case itself to drill and tap... but that's an expensive mistake if it weakens the case, or leaks, or something.

[MPREZIV]

It's a little bugger. It's got the inset 3/8 inch drive head on it. Both the drain and fill plug. I'd agree that the top plug would be safer.

I would personally be scared to drill into the case elsewhere. Especially if you have the locking rear diff. It's real tight inside that sucker!