Axle compatibility with T2 diff?
 

Just picked up an s4 T2 diff to use with my 1jz swap, as I figured the NA rear end will blow up with the extra power.

However, it didn't come with axles and I'm curious if there's anything besides t2 axles that will fit? I know the base NA open diff axles won't work, but will any of the VLSD axles from a GTU or GTX work?

Also, at what point do these axles start blowing up? Apparently the s4 diff is good to around 400hp, which will be fine with a stock 1j, but I haven't read anything on the axles. Plan on keeping the 1j mildly stock with the usual bolt ons, shouldn't be over 300hp.

Thank ya!

As far as I know they need to be S4 Tii axles.

If you go on Mazdatrix they have an explanation of the slight differences in stub shaft sizes.
The halfshafts/axles themselves are Series specific.

As far as power goes, The turbo rearend from what Ive gathered holds 450-500. Theres plenty of fc guys running Tii rearends with 300+ so I think youll be fine.

Food for thought...theres a number of guys running LS motors on our rearends.

annd... http://www.norotors.com/index.php?topic=82.0 take a read. This is mainly drag guys but gives you some insight

Good to hear! Thanks a lot.

As far as drifting, how good is the s4 diff about locking up consistently? This is a fairly low mileage diff, but I don't know if I should mess with drifting it or start looking at KAAZ or Carbonetics units

Yea I'm running a s4 housing and shafts with a MS 2way with a 400hp v8, when the axles do go the driveshaft shop sell the upgraded axles good up to 700-800hp so good to go.

well as far as locking, its only a factory 1way but i have had no issues at all with it.

I recently shimmed mine with some Arizona Tea cans and am running that currently. Nothing but smiles for me. If you look up Macs build thread in the 2nd gen section, hes got a bit of info on how many shims to use.

If you want it fairly aggressive im running 8 total. I think 12 is pretty damn close to a welded lol. I cannot remember the exact measurements but the Arizona cans are slightly thicker than pop cans so I imagine there thatuch stronger lol.

Still as tough as my glutes when i clench to fart. lol

FWIW ive daily driven my shimmed diff for over a year and its seen 10+ drift events now. Still locks like

I once bought a t2 diff and just ground out the bolt holes on some na axles. just worked them out on all bolts equally. it worked fine for a few years.

I have a t2 that was warn out. was 50% open it seemed. spun one tire a bunch. almost felt like a viscous. I pulled the clutch disks and welded it. havent have a single issue with it since. I actually found the old clutch disks the other night.

That's all good to know. I'm a little sketched out by the shimming thing, that seems like a good way to blow up a diff haha. I may end up welding this one though if it doesn't lock up enough, I'm mainly worried about the rear end and axles being able to hold up to the torque of the 1j.

Lol Nah shimming is pretty safe. Hell, thats why thy sellf bigger clutch packs for the diff. Same concept of closing the distance just no welds to break :)

Hm well I've never taken a diff apart before. I guess I'll try it out and see what happens. Does it matter which plates I put the shims next to? Apparently 8 shims is the way to do it, but is there a specific order to do it in?

I'll quote from what is probably the best 2nd gen build thread on here for shimming a Turbo II Diff:

I did mine NA diff in my street car with the thicker mazdaspeed shims years ago... I'd probably just follow this now.

I have an S4 N/A welded diff...with a 1JZ. Hasn't blown the diff or axles yet. My clutch however is toasted and it's brand new. Make sure you get a proper set up good for 350-400hp. With intake/exhaust/IC your 1J could easily be sitting at 300rwhp or just over it.

Hm that's interesting. I hear a lot of mixed results regarding the NA diff's strength. I'm almost tempted just to keep my welded NA diff in there and see what happens.

But on the other hand, if I blow it and I have to swap my T2 rear end in, I'll have to have the driveshaft rebuilt to fit the T2 diff.

Fwiw, ive neer seen a diff blow. its usually the stubshafts that snap.

Also i would be weary of running that NA diff.
My friend "Mr Goodnight" on the forums snapped his stubshaft with his old S4 na motor that had its ports stuck open so....ya know. food for thought.

Fuck it, I'll go ahead and put the T2 in. I just found out about the 929 axle thing, so I'm about to hit up the salvage yards looking for old sedans.

Ive never heard of this 929 thing. wat does it involve?

https://www.rx7club.com/2nd-generati...o-91-a-919447/

and the S4 to S5 axles should interchange, there should be no difference in length.

^ what he said. If you can find two 88-91 929's in a salvage yard, you can just take the drivers side axle off each one and use them. They're also thicker than the t2 axles

they may be easier to find but either will work. if you wind up breaking a T2 half shaft then you are doing something horribly wrong, they should stand up to drift abuse rather easily.

daniel kuo blew one in half last weekend.

was he running a welded diff? if so that would be an exception, even some lockers are quite abusive on the half shafts.

I have a t2 LSD rebuild kit. Pm me if interested.

Go welded or a better diff. Shimmed can only go so far and in the end you'll want more. Ran shimmed and with Mazda oversized washers, flipped plates and coke cans shimmed. Was cool for a while but then you have to shim it again... And only 1 way

Can't go wrong with a welded. I welded my S5 T2 diff. The viscous is horrible. So I filled her up, & let her rip. Never had a issue, feels great, very consistent and predictable.