drivetrain issues

tyoung1 · 07-25-2006, 09:41 PM

I have a 2006 Titan SE King Cab with a tow package. With only 600 miles. I have noticed that when accelerating from a stop it feels as if the rear differential has excessive play in it. I do not hear any noises, just a moment of slack being taken up before the truck actually begins to move. It is not as bad when you first begin driving. It seems to get worse the more miles you drive. My local Nissan dealer said that it was because it had a limited slip differential and that it was normal. I do not understand how it gets more noticable the more miles I drive. Can anyone help?

sudden urge · 07-26-2006, 05:19 AM

What you probably have is called axle wrap, a common problem with the Titan. I solved the problem by adding the HD Hellwig traction springs. ABLS has nothing to do with what you're feeling.

http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/P...action+springs

tyoung1 · 07-26-2006, 09:38 AM

Is there anything that the dealer needs to be made aware of since it is under warranty. Or are they going to tell me this is normal?

SOCALTITANKC4X4LE · 07-26-2006, 09:42 AM

Buy the Traction Bars from Greg at PRG. I did, and it made a big difference.

skyhammer · 07-26-2006, 09:43 AM

One thing I would make the dealer aware of is the fact that the Titan does not have a limited slip diff.We have ABLS, which is controlled by the brakes and has nothing to do with the diff..I might think twice about letting them work on your truck!

TitanZX · 07-26-2006, 12:16 PM

Mine has the same problem. I have been trying to figure out what it is ever since I bought the truck 2 months ago. It doesnt feel right. Its like, the engine revs up with a slight roll and then it catches with a slight jerk. It only happends if I do a slower start, I cant feel it when I start off fast, but thats only because im accelerating fast and its going to jerk anyway. I know it has something do to with the rear end or the drive shaft.

**Carbeaux** · 07-26-2006, 01:42 PM

Wow, not to dispute any of what you guys are saying, but I wouldn't have thought that an axle would wrap up on slow starts like this. And by the way, my '06 KC LE w/ Tow does this too. I am even more surprised at the trucks with the heavier rear springs being prone to this. Bags? Do they mount fore or aft of the axle? That might also aleviate this, with the added benefit of keeping the backend up when towing heavy.

Chris

Burly · 07-26-2006, 02:08 PM

It is the linkage in the rear end loosening up, not axel wrap.

sudden urge · 07-26-2006, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burly

It is the linkage in the rear end loosening up, not axel wrap.

I disagree with your conclusion because the trans is in drive keeping constant torque on the rearend, no play when it's in drive. I added the HD Hellwig traction springs and that bump feeling was completely eliminated. I believe it's a combination of axle wrap and slip yoke movement causing that bump feeling, so by adding a spring device, you limit the rear axle movement and the symptom.

tyoung1 · 07-26-2006, 08:05 PM

To add to my issue, I have noticed today when coming to a complete stop that there is a similar type of play or motion. As if the rear axle is settling back into position. Does anyone know if the Nissan engineers are aware of this.

sudden urge · 07-26-2006, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tyoung1

To add to my issue, I have noticed today when coming to a complete stop that there is a similar type of play or motion. As if the rear axle is settling back into position. Does anyone know if the Nissan engineers are aware of this.

Yes, you will feel it when stopping and accelerating. I'm sure they are aware of it by now. Again, if you beef up the rear springs, the nuisance is eliminated.

CMC#64 · 07-28-2006, 05:54 PM

I had the same issue along with the brakes starting to feel a little soft (18,000 mi w/ brake upgrade)... I went to Pep Boys and got the helper springs, installed them and BAM it stopped, the acceleration is better/firmer and the brakes are also firmer... A must have mod for $22

dawgs77 · 07-28-2006, 06:04 PM

Dealer said it was the limited slip rear end...LMAO....do they not realize that the Titan does not come with a LSD!!!!

westex39 · 07-31-2006, 05:24 PM

Drive shaft spline moving back and forth is what you're feeling. As your truck stops the rear axle rotates a small amount. Rear axle pinion moves downward. This causes the drive shaft spline to pull out slightly. It will stay in this position because of the torque on the driveline and you have the brakes applied. When you release the brakes and accelerate the the rear axle rotates upward causing the driveshaft spline the slide back in. This may feel like a lag in the transmission.
Chevrolet had some trouble with this. They had a special grease they used on the spline for a fix. It only worked temporarily. The final fix was to nickel plate the spline.

tyoung1 · 08-03-2006, 04:34 AM

I took my truck to the dealership today and they are replacing the entire drive shaft assembly. I am curious to see if this fixes the problem.