[NWStever]

I tow a small fiberglass trailer that weighs around 3300 lb fully loaded. I also carry a significant amount of gear in the bed of my 2010 SWB 4WD CC LE with a Leer fiberglass canopy. I replaced a 2001 Ford Ranger 4WD SC last fall with the Frontier. The Ranger had a 2700 lb rated rear axle (the comparable Explorer comes with a 3200 lb axle). Last year I had an almost catastrophic bearing/axle failure in the middle of nowhere NV at 115K miles. The good part of the story was the mechanic I limped into in Delta UT fixed me up with 2 new axles, bearings and brakes for ... get this... only $700 total and my wife and I were back on the road on our vacation. Long story short, the Ranger axle is a semi-floating bearing design with no inner race. The bearings run on an induction hardened surface of the axle. The Ranger bearing surface is narrower than that on the Explorer hence the lower rating.

It appears from the factory service manual that the Frontier C200 rear axle has a full floating bearing with an inner race. (Interestingly, the M226 axle appears to be a semi-floating design.) So here's the question for the rear axle specialists on this forum: how durable is the C200 axle with heavy loads? I'd always figured the tires were the limiting factor on GAWR until the bearing experience with my Ranger. Any recommendations for axle lube? I'm thinking about replacing the factory 75-90W with Amsoil 75-90W for better oil film strength.

Thanks,

Steve

 

[dubie2003]

Just to clarify, you have a c200k and not the c200. Only 1st gens and some other older Nissans have the c200.

I believe the only person to really kill a c200k has been Andy and I think it was his spiders that sheared (same think happens with the m226 axles too).

I would believe that if you stick to the GVW spec with bed load and hitch tounge load you should be good. Just don't push it to its limits.

Now for the gear oil, using Amsoil or Redline or M1 or etc.... is a good choice. If you are really paranoid, change it more often (20k or less) and if you are really really paranoid, pull the cover to look at the gears to ensure they are not grinding or wearing odd.

 

[NWStever]

Marginal GVWR is the problem

My bad - C200K it indeed is. I wish I could stay at GVWR but the payload on a fully optioned LE CC isn't very much. Especially with the addition of the fiberglass canopy. Per the placard, GVWR is 5815 - 198 = 5613lb. GWR front axle = 3296lb. GWR rear axle = 3331lb. I have added Firestone Ride-Rite air bags and use a weight distributing hitch with my trailer that has trailer brakes. I don't do any technical off-roading with the 4WD. I've added a to-do to weight the truck including each axle separately with and without the trailer hitched to see exactly how much payload (persons & gear) I actually can carry at the GVWR. I still think the tires are the weak link but wonder about the durability of the rear axle, especially the bearings.

 

[2019Frontier]

Hi, Steve. Sorry to bump this thread 11 years later, but I’m wondering what your long-term durability ended up being, given your loading and towing stresses?

What oils and change intervals did you use?

This, since you appear to be cognizant of what’s happening with the truck, might be a good case-study for the C200!

 

[RyanD1966]

Hi, Steve. Sorry to bump this thread 11 years later, but I’m wondering what your long-term durability ended up being, given your loading and towing stresses?

What oils and change intervals did you use?

This, since you appear to be cognizant of what’s happening with the truck, might be a good case-study for the C200!

Stever was last seen 3 yrs ago so I'm thinkin the chances of an answer are pretty low.
I use Motul myself which is one of the most expensive around, they're a huge presence in Europe but not known much in the States outside the motorcycle racing community. But for reals, Mobil1, Valvoline, Redline, any top-shelf synthetic's going to be a smart pick, I'd go with probably 50 - 60k intervals unless you're really running the truck hard, like towing right near max weight every weekend.

 

[2019Frontier]

My old gen-1 (2004) had a 233 rear and a 200 front, with a manual trans. The 2019 has a 200 (auto trans) and it’s heavier.

I was wondering, given Steve’s borderline loading situations, how he made out over the life of the vehicle.

I’m a fairly gentle driver, however I have a long wheelbase with the dual driveshaft, which you may know is prone to sticking when you stop (the slip-yoke - already been greased, which helped for just a while) and then clunking when you pull away. This is a shock-load to the rear. I try to be careful, but...

I do the occasional two scoops of wet topsoil or mulch from the local landscaper, which is WAYYYY overloading the truck (sitting on bump-stops, brakes glassy - unsafe...), but that’s slow, careful and local.

I also may in the near future be towing a lightish car on a flat trailer with a wood floor, combined weight right at the limit, plus load in truck.

So I was wondering, since Steve seemed to have a loading profile similar to mine, whether he ever had any problems and what kind of preventative maintenance he did, including which oil.

I have to say that the C200 does seem like kind of a small differential for the size, weight and intended use of the vehicle. It’s similar in size to what you used to find under low-powered rear-drive passenger cars. The ones that blew up quickly when you upped power - lol

 

[shift_RUSH]

IFF NWStever has his email notifications still on, we might just hear back from him......................

 

[bajasam]

Just to clear up an on going C200 misconception. The C200k runs a unit bearing on each R-L axle shaft, the unit bearing is sealed on both sides and contains grease, the gear oil in your differential does NOT lube your axle bearing, it only lubes your center pumpkin bearings along with R&P gears. The unit bearing is attached to the axle ends by 4 bolts and are not inside your axle housing like most semi-floating axles.

 

[2019Frontier]

I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a unit-bearing used on a straight, non-steering axle. Is this common or unusual?

If/when the unit-bearing fails, does the resulting vibration / misalignment cause problems in the pumpkin? Trash seals?

How robust is the whole deal? Sure would like Steve input.

shift_RUSH: Was ‘IFF’ an old Turbo Pascal reference? If and only if - lol...

 

[bajasam]

First time ive ever seen this set-up, explains why nissan dealers just replace the whole unit rather than attempt repair.But they are repairable and parts are available if you look around, however much more time consuming then throwing in a new bearing and seal on a 12 bolt chevy pick-up diff which you could do in an hour. I only have the 150hp 4cyl so it should be fine but behind a 260hp v-6 I'd worry, especially getting on it in a turn when heavy load is placed on the little spider gears which seem to be the highest failure item.

 

[2019Frontier]

All in all, I’d be a lot more comfortable with the Dana 44...

 

[shift_RUSH]

shift_RUSH: Was ‘IFF’ an old Turbo Pascal reference? If and only if - lol...

I learned IFF = "if and only if" in my college Logic class back in the early 80s.

 

[RyanD1966]

I learned IFF = "if and only if" in my college Logic class back in the early 80s.

Don't ever put a branched logic function loop in ANSI COBOL. Ask me how I know. LOL

 

[2019Frontier]

I also am a refuge from the 80’s. Graduated HS in ‘84, so I actually remember punchcards and TRS80’s. And when D&D was played with dice and a board - lol

 

[RyanD1966]

I also am a refuge from the 80’s. Graduated HS in ‘84, so I actually remember punchcards and TRS80’s. And when D&D was played with dice and a board - lol

ROFL, welcome back to big hair bands. '83 graduate Vineland High School, we had TRS80 ( Trash-Eighty ) Model IIIs for programming class, ANSI BASIC. Ah, the good old days eh?
And D&D every weekend with the cousins and their neighbors. I was dungeon master prob about 50% of the time. I think we hijacked this thread.

 

[2019Frontier]

Hahahaha!!! I think this is the very DEFINITION of a hijacked thread and should be put in the rules as an example of what not to do!!

 

[rlholland]

Just to clear up an on going C200 misconception. The C200k runs a unit bearing on each R-L axle shaft, the unit bearing is sealed on both sides and contains grease, the gear oil in your differential does NOT lube your axle bearing, it only lubes your center pumpkin bearings along with R&P gears. The unit bearing is attached to the axle ends by 4 bolts and are not inside your axle housing like most semi-floating axles.

Today I tackled the seal change. I removed the axle and then went to the nissan dealer to get the seal and with o'ring. When I got to the parts department, I ask the parts manager how the bearing was oiled, beings how the seal is in the axle housing and the bearing is on the outside of the seal. He said that the bearing is a sealed bearing, but you can see the rollers in the bearing. The axle is solid, so does anyone know how the bearing is lubricated? My fear is that the differential oil/grease, that leaked pass the seal, washed the grease from the bearing, and the bearing will now fail in a short time...

 

[2019Frontier]

Unit bearing.

 

[bajasam]

Gorilla axle breather mod will help integrity of inner seal, your worrying to much.

 

[2019Frontier]

Others have noted that since that kit uses a $3 off the shelf motorcycle fuel filter and is therefore open to atmosphere all the time, additional condensation forms inside the axle. Someone on this thread said they had a milkshake.

Someone else (sorry for not going back and finding the individual posts) said that a good way to utilize the stock valve is to simply relocate it higher (such as behind taillight). That way you keep stock level of isolation from ambient and it is also above (hopefully) any water you might encounter.