I have a 00 2.0L 4 door Tracker.  I blew the front diff in half and replaced it with a diff from a 2.5L 02 Vitara from the junkyard.  Little to my knowledge at the time each model, year, and engine size has a different gear ratio.  I have been doing some research, but has anyone already looked into this?

Right now I have 4.63 gears up front and 4.87 gears in back.  This makes using 4wd limited to extremely slow speeds.  I was hoping to find a vit/tracker with 5.13 gears and pull both axles for a lower gearing for my large tires.  Can anyone help me out as to which models would have 5.13 gears?  It looks like all 2-door 1.6L Vit's?



Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Yeah, '96 - '00 in the 2 door models with the 1.6 engine and manual transmissions should have the 5.12 3rd memebers with 26 spline side gears you are looking for.  You are just kidding about driving your truck around in 4WD with mis-matched gears in the front and rear axles... right?

you're gonna blow the diffs again if you drive with the mismatched ratios!

those damn 5.12s are so impossible to find here in Trinidad... 

Auto XL7s have 5.12s.  Only the front diffs work, and the XL7 and GV do not share the rear axle.

Many pre-99 Vitaras (Sidekicks and Trackers) have 5.12s, like 16V 4dr models.

I looked up the stats for 01-03 XL-7's cause I heard they had 5.12 gears, but they all come with 4.30 gears according to what I found..

Don't pre-99 diff's have different mounting barackets?  I want to swap entire diff's, I have no idea how to get the cases open.

I only use 4x4 in the mud or snow off the road.  I was able to use 4-low to pull my brother out of our swamp when he got stuck yesterday, but today we got a freak snow storm and I had to drive all the way home in 2wd..made for some sideways driving...


I'm looking for something that would have the same diff, same rear axle, and have 5.12-5.13 gears so I can swap the enitre unit, not just swap gears.  "99 or "00 1.6L 2 door manual trans would be my best bet?

I looked up the stats for 01-03 XL-7's cause I heard they had 5.12 gears, but they all come with 4.30 gears according to what I found..

WRONG!  The GV and XL7 manuals are both 4.30's.  The GV auto is 4.88 and XL auto is 5.12.  If you do go with the XL diff, don't forget to grab the mount as it is different that the GV and previous vit/sidekick models. How do I know this?  I put an XL diff in my GV and learned this first hand.

Don't pre-99 diff's have different mounting barackets?  I want to swap entire diff's, I have no idea how to get the cases open.

No, they are the same.  Its the XL7 that the mount changed.

I'm looking for something that would have the same diff, same rear axle, and have 5.12-5.13 gears so I can swap the enitre unit, not just swap gears.  "99 or "00 1.6L 2 door manual trans would be my best bet?

what will definatelt "bolt in" for you?  95-98 4-dr 1.6L 16V auto diffs, front and back.  This I am certain of.

So I need a 01-03 XL auto, or a 95-98 4-door 1.6L auto in order to get "drop in" diffs and axles with 5.12 or 5.13 gears?

I took a diff out of a 02 Grand Vitara (it had 3rd row seats, maybe it was an XL?) but it didn't match my 00 2.0L rear axle, so are they really 4.88?  Maybe it was a stick, cause it's not close to my 4.87 gears in back.

I went to the junkyard today and I found 2 '01 auto 2.5L GV's (4.88 gears), and tons of '92-'94 2 dr 1.6L Trackers, but the rear axles are NOT the same as mine.  They have one link bar in the middle, I have 1 for each side.

=(

I went to the junkyard today and I found 2 '01 auto 2.5L GV's (4.88 gears), and tons of '92-'94 2 dr 1.6L Trackers, but the rear axles are NOT the same as mine.  They have one link bar in the middle, I have 1 for each side.

You've checked the "S-O-T-F Removal" of course.  http://www.zukiworld.com/month_030104/feature_tsb_shiftontheflyremoval.htm
If you find a 95 to 98 front diff you can change the whole pot.  When you mount it mount the new pot get some nice thick 1" straping and bend it over t

I went to the junkyard today and I found 2 '01 auto 2.5L GV's (4.88 gears), and tons of '92-'94 2 dr 1.6L Trackers, but the rear axles are NOT the same as mine.  They have one link bar in the middle, I have 1 for each side.

Of course you've checked the "SOTF Removal" http://www.zukiworld.com/month_030104/feature_tsb_shiftontheflyremoval.htm

If you get a 95-98 you can swap the whole pot.  Just beef up the mounting point near the drive shaft with some thick 1' strapping over top bolted down (there's a post somewhere here).  The beefed up mounting should work.  If you have a Steel pot now you could spend the $ to have the Ring and Pinion swapped now or just use the Aluminium and keep the Steel just in case.

If you can only find a pre 95 you may be able to find a shop (or give it a try yourself) that will swap the side gears of the spider gears.  If you read the Ratcheting Locker articles you'll have an idea what's involved (you want to retain the back lash). http://www.acksfaq.com/sessionTest1b-.php

http://www.zukiworld.com/month_020103/feature_frontendupgradeswithhagen.htm

Here's a thing on a locker in the front.
The last pics show the simple beefed up mounting bracket.

Well my 03' auto XL7 fromt third member failed the magnet test . No steel housing. I do believe it's from an XL7 because the part was pulled directly from the vehicle straight to me. Also, it's slightly different than the original as described in the post above. FYI.

The other problem we had last night was the right cv axle was stuck in the blown diff.  Couldn't get it even once we put it all on a bench and really horsed on it.  The service manual just says to pry it open gently. I suppose it must be messed up anyways if it's that stuck.

If you can only find a pre 95 you may be able to find a shop (or give it a try yourself) that will swap the side gears of the spider gears.  If you read the Ratcheting Locker articles you'll have an idea what's involved (you want to retain the back lash). http://www.acksfaq.com/sessionTest1b-.php

Sorry to highjack but I also have a 00 Tracker that I want to swap in 5.12's & I didn't think about this... If I have a pre 95 front section with 5.12's I can swap the side gears out of my existing front diff into the pre-95 diff to get the same spline?  The spider gears will interchange like that?

Thanks!
E.

Quote from: JayInBarrie on April 16, 2010, 08:07:50 PM

If you can only find a pre 95 you may be able to find a shop (or give it a try yourself) that will swap the side gears of the spider gears.  If you read the Ratcheting Locker articles you'll have an idea what's involved (you want to retain the back lash). http://www.acksfaq.com/sessionTest1b-.php

Sorry to highjack but I also have a 00 Tracker that I want to swap in 5.12's & I didn't think about this... If I have a pre 95 front section with 5.12's I can swap the side gears out of my existing front diff into the pre-95 diff to get the same spline?  The spider gears will interchange like that?

Thanks!
E.

They should! I have not tried though.     Would be a great opportunity to put in a locker, One of the sellers (ie Trail Tough) would know if you or a shop could easliy switch side gears
I used the diffs from a '98 sport.  The SOTF artlicle say not to; something about a difference with the front pot, so I just swapped the WHOLE pot in.