nissan eletric disco? tell me more

 

Pretty sweet setup you got going on. Keep us updated. Im interested in how you shorten the axle housing. Did you just stick it under a chop saw?

 

The Nissan disco is a small rod with 1 heim and a rubber bushing, just like a normal connecting rod. It has a small remote motor which pulls the center locking pin out of the rod. Now the disco works like a telescope. A spring shoots the pin back in place, locking the 'telescope' turning it into a fixed lenght rod.

Works like a charme and no need to get out of the car. I used it for a year or 2 until I swapped it for some other parts from a guy in OZ. I got him 3 discos cause he wanted to use 2 of them up front (he still has IFS).

 

No chopsaw, just a jig and a grinder. Cutting an axletube straight does not guarantee succes. You always need a jig to align the tubes/diff.
You can see it a few post back.

 

Made the 2 brackets for the lower links today and started building.
Did some testing and found that the 4R 5 link sucks when it comes to maintaining pinion angle. The pinion angle moves with suspension movement, only a small amount of travel has the proper pinion angle. More droop or more stuffed and the pinion angle goes way off.
Can't do anything about that except maybe make longer upper links in the future. And adjustable ones.

Brackets tack welded:


Pinion angle checked:


Sideshot:


I've took the axle out again and started welding everything properly.
Tomorrow I'll do the remainig welding, fab some copper brakelines, primer and paint everything and take her for a testdrive.

 

Which nissans had these discos?

 

All the newer Nissan Patrols have these. Don't know if this is a option but I don't think so. So far every new Patrol I found had them.
Don't know if this model is available in the States, over here they all have the commonrail 3.0 TD.
Haven't seen one in a while at the wrecker cause more people know about the disco so I can only get one if the 'body is still warm' if you know what I mean.

 

Wow Roger, every day you impress me more...

Doing things like that in Europe is almost a lottery!

I passed yesterday my inspection and had to mount a lot of things I had taken off... Also did legal my 31's.

Next time I visit a yard will search for a Patrol GR. I knew they had the electric discos but never thought to fit'em in the 4Runner.

David

 

Good idea. Last time I was in Spain I saw lots and lots of Nissan patrols. Maybe they are wrecked more over there (remember, I have seen how you boys and girls drive )
Everywhere I check here they are allready gone.
Can you check for me also?
I know they are fitted on the newer 3.0TD, not the older 3.3 and 2.8.

My inspection is due on thursday. Time to remove some stuff temporarily.

Almost finished the axle today. All welds are made and everything checked and double checked. Made an effort with my jack flexing the 5 link in all the angles I could. Without springs offcourse.
Only problem I found was that the bracket for the panhard bar touched my left shock. Some grinding took care of that.

The axle is now ready except for the brake lines and the panhard bar.
The thread for adjusting the panhard bar is totally screwed Rusted stuck I mean. I could only unwind it like 3-4 turns with a 1 meter pipe before it started to lock up. Luckily I found some Heims in a box.
The brake line could not be made cause I sprayed the axle with zinc and after that I used some kind of tar as a saltproof coating. Unfortunately that stuff takes hours to dry and its really sticky. I did not think of that before I started spraying away...

I haven't done any testing if the swaybar still fits. Don't think so cause the middle 'hoop' is smaller than my diff. LOL

So I'll finish up tomorrow morning and see if it all works.

 

I would be really interested in some of those electric disco's too!

Thanks

 

Okay Blizzard, start calling around.

Remember, I was first.

 

Ahahaha, this afternoon I'm free of work, I'll call to the biggest yard in Catalunya.

David

PS: Do you remember my SAS for vacation indecent proposition?

 

Finished today! Made the brake lines and did a lot of small things. Had no time to paint the shocks cause they are also corroded badly. Those will have to wait.
The locker isn't wired up yet and the breather tube will have to wait also.

Did a few testruns and she runs smooth except for one thing. The brakes sometimes squeel like something metal is touching.
Also makes that noise while cornering. Maybe the pads need to wear a bit cause I allready think the noise is fading. Checked everything but think I will drive it for some time and see if the noise disappears.







The total track seems small but I have no spacers on the rear in the pic. I did order them yesterday so I will add 3 inches of track soon.

 

Definitively your inspeccions are different to our ones... But how is usually said... Spain is different (Sucks!)

Very nice setup, hope you pass the inspection without problems and take this beast to flex a little, and remember, with the digicam!

David