Posi-traction

[gorillamel]

Quick question- does the Gen 2 X have posi-traction in it? People from my off road club were curious, and after they asked me, so am I. Realised I never really paid attention to that. Anyone know?

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[RacerXXL]

I must cry ignorance to the 2nd Gen driveline but Posi-Traction is just another name for a limited slip differential that was available in the 1st Gens.

 

[J Everett]

With the exception of the Off-Road and Pro-4X models all second gens have open differentials.

However, all second gens are equipped with ABLS, or Antilock Brake Limited Slip, which applies the brakes to a rear wheel that slips, sending torque through the open diff to the wheel that has traction. Effectively, this is a pretty decent alternative to a mechanical limited slip differential. Get in some sand or mud, turn off the VDC and stomp the throttle, and you can see it at work. I can not attest to it's effectiveness on rocks, but I know a couple of Armada guys that swear by it.


*4WD Xterras are equipped with 4-wheel ABLS, activated when 4WD is engaged. 2WD Xterras are equipped with rear wheel ABLS only.

 

[Bluedog]

They take the fun out of it by closing the throttle when it is activated. Makes it hard to beat traffic when turning. It works great on ice and snow covered roads though.

 

[J Everett]

Throttle only closes when it's activated if the VDC is turned on. With VDC off the truck handles exactly like any RWD vehicle with a limited slip diff. Granted, it handles like a tall, bulky RWD vehicle with LSD, but then, it is over 6 feet tall and weighs over 4000 pounds.

 

[Cyclemut]

Look at the big brain on Everett!

So Mel, the posi isn't a physical one, like on an old Nova, but a new computer controlled unit through the brakes (reverse ABS situation actually, activating the brakes when you don't have the brakes applied) to slow the slipping wheel.

So, yes, but not in the way your off road buddies are thinking.

GM did this several years ago (more like 20 years) on the Camaro. When the Colorado State Patrol got a lot of Camaros for their cruisers, we were the only authorized repair facility for them (when I worked for Chevy). Those troopers would bury their foot in the throttle while trying to launch out of the median. We replaced more rear brakes and rotors on those things than I can count. But I do remember the test drives.

 

[J Everett]

Yeah, yeah, look at me.

I drove a Caliber SRT-4 that has this set up on the front wheels instead of the Quaife helical gear mechanical LSD that was in the Neon SRT-4. Stomp the gas in a turbo Neon and you can feel the torque being vectored from side to side in the steering wheel as it scrabbled to find traction. It's an eerie sensation, but it works. Cut to the new (at the time) Caliber SRT-4, and it would hook up and go straight when you pinned the throttle, at the cost of replacing pads and rotors under 20k miles if you drive like a hooligan. And let's face it: SRT cars are driven almost exclusively by hooligans, especially the SRT-4's, since they're the most affordable for younger guys. Here's hoping the new Dart goes back to the mechanical LSD if Dodge decides to do an SRT-4 version (and it's looking like they are).

 

[Cyclemut]

I'd give my left nut-sticle to harsh on an SRT-8 for a couple of months.

 

[J Everett]

Me too.

 

[gorillamel]

Thanks for the replies, guys! That answers a lot.

Yeah, I'm not so mechanically inclined, so I have quite the lengthy learning curve for the X, esp when no one around me knows much more than me on the X *cough Jeepers everywhere cough*

The main reason I asked was that I'm considering a locker and wanted to know various options out there (aside from the ARB and e-locker on the m226). Man, lemme tell ya, I spent HOURS researching the axles, spider gears, flanges, lockers, gearing ratios and all whathaveyou on 2nd Gen X's the past week. Whoa, talk about brain overload. But at least now I know my shiznit (I think) and have made a (somewhat) educated decision.

 

[J Everett]

Sooooo? What was the decision?! You can't leave us hangin like that!


Sent from high Earth orbit via Telstar I.

 

[gorillamel]

Well, I've been wanting a locker since I have the "S" model. I also have 160k on my truck. I've spoken to a few owners with 2nd gens who have high mileage as well and what they did when they added a locker.

My X is not my daily driver, which is a large factor in my decision-making process. It is my play toy, plain and simple. I would like to re-gear the X since 3.13 is just not really doing it for me with a lot of the wheeling types that I do. Ideally I'd like to have the 4.10 gears. BUT the only way to re-gear is if I put an m205 in there since that is the only axle the new gears fit in (based on my research). I did not really want to Titan swap my X though. So, the plan is (someday):

Rear: Swap c200 with m226 from an OR
Put in grizzly automatic locker
Re-gear front to 4.10

Front: swap r180 with m205 from Titan/Armada/Infiniti thingies
Re-gear front to 4.10
Titan UCAs, extended brake lines and all that hulabaloo with a TS
--problem: no locker for m205 :-(

Or I could just re-gear to 3.36s for a bit and wait on the 4.10s so that I don't have to get the m205/TS. This option would definitely be cheaper, at least for the short-term solution. If I do not re-gear to the 4.10s, then I could lock the r180/front. Bah Catch-22s! Granted, none of this will happen for a very long time since I am poor as pucky (I need my sugar Daddy stat!).

Feel free to correct me if I am wrong. I may have mixed up a few numbers/letters in all this stuff when researching.

 

[akinc]

Mel- what is your daily driver?

 

[gorillamel]

It is a POS 1999 Oldsmobile Alero. Bought my parents a new car back in January and swapped it for their old one.

 

[akinc]

No problem with that. Gets you from a to b. that's all that matters.

Thread jack over. Sorry.

Sent from down in the valley

 

[J Everett]

Looks well researched to me, Mel. It's a good plan. Another option with the Titan Swap is to use CV shafts from a V8 4wd Pathfinder (they're the same length as the Xterra shafts, but bolt to the M205), and keep all of your Xterra upper and lower control arms, brake lines etc. If you can find affordable Pathy half shafts, that is. You won't get the track width or suspension travel that you get with the full T/S, but you save a bit of money.

 

[jmnielsen]

If you swap in an m226 in the rear it would have a locker already, so all you'd need is to wire it up. I think OZ has a good write up on doing that as well. Unless you wanted a mechanical one.

 

[gorillamel]

Some m226's don't have a locker. I do not want the e-locker. I'd rather have the ARB or get the grizzly.

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[jmnielsen]

The only m226s without lockers are some manuals.

 

[J Everett]

Manual Xterras that weren't Off Road or Pro-4x have M226 axles with open diffs. There's probably just as many open M226's as locked.

 

[gorillamel]

^Yes, exactly. They have a slightly different housing than the e-locked version. I have yet to find out if the Grizzly fits the locked or open version of the m226. Ah well, I won't be doing this any time soon. So it gives me time to do more *sigh* research.