Mag-Hytech...Rear Dif Cure Or Minor Help?

Jinkster · 06-07-2006, 12:34 PM

Okay folks...I just bought my '05 CC LE w/ 15K on the odo a little over a week ago...I actually went shopping for a new roomier vehicle with an '03 Tundra Access Cab for trade...my duaghters grew over the past 4 years and couldn't shoehorn'em into the back of the tundra anymore as the two oldest (of three) were eating their knees..and after test driving a Toyota FJCruiser (which I really liked but kind of a 4WD Novelty Vehicle and not practical for my family needs in a truck) and the Honda Ridgeline that had dogspit for balls engine wise and then an Xterra (still not enough room and like the FJ no bed at all)....then?...I test drove a Nissan Titan annnnnd...Paydirt!...loved it...roomy and powerful enough for me to say screw the few extra mpg's of a compact ute..and then while looking for a new '06 Titan?..my salesmen asked me...

What grade of Titan are you looking for?..SE?, XE?, LE?...

Me: Definantly the LE...I want the Leather and Rockford Fosgate sound system and would also like the Tow Package.

Then he asked: "Do you need or want 4WD?

Me: "Well I see the 4WD adds about 3-4K$ to the sticker and while I wouldn't mind having it?..it's not neccessary as I have little to no need for 4WD and am more interested in keeping the bottom line low..on an LE.

And then he asked..."What color would you like?

I said: I'd like to get "Radiant Silver"...but again...I'll take whatever gives me the best deal.

and when I said that?..it was like a lightbulb went off in his head and he said...

"Silver eh?..listen..I don't mean to insult you but we just took a low milage '05 Titan in trade for a new Armada yesterday..it hasn't even been detailed yet but it's exactly what you're describing here and is a Silver LE 2WD with the Tow Package and running boards already on it....I could save you thousands and thousands on it as compared to a new '06...wanna take a look?"

Me: Absolutely!

Saw it, Drove it, Loved It, Cut a great deal via trade-in and bought it that day.

Now....up to this point?..I'd only heard rumors about the brakes and difs and was BS'ed by the saleman when I questioned both issues as he said those were both issues that only affected first release '04 Titans and this is an '05..and I took him at his word..and while the truck has 15K miles on it?..The driveline and brakes feel just fine...as a matter of fact "Real Tight"...not even any clunking whatsoever going from park/reverse/drive in any order..and it does have the cooling fin alum. dif cover (nissan '05 upgrade) but still...until I came here I was completely unawares that the dif issue is as prevelent as it is even in the '05 & '06's.

So...here's my question...after a lot of reading?..I'm gathering that these rear dif failures are a combination of two things...

1. Folks towing a slightly exagerrated amount of weight that Nissan claims the Titan is capable of and...

2. Inadequate Dif Lubrication leading to rear dif heat damage.

So....I just got off the horn with Jerry at Mag-Hytech...as while nissan apparently took the rear dif gear oil capacity from '04's puny 2 qts to the finned alum. nissan upgrade cover of 3qts and Mag-Hytechs cover is 4.5qts..the questions?..

Q#1: will it help?..

Q#2: Jerry claims the extra gear oil volume knocks about 40 degrees off the rear dif temps...is there any other products out there such as higher grade internal gears or rear dif oil coolers I should also look at before ordering a mag-hytech dif cover?

Q#3: Is knocking 40 degrees off the rear dif temps worth the $230 cost of the Mag-Hytech dif cover?

also...I won't be towing anything huge or even near 1/2 Titans claimed capacity...at most?..I'll be towing a couple motorcycles florida too tenn. or a 4 wheeler on a ut trailer from florida to hunting camp in alabama.

T.I.A. Bill.

Oh and..PS...even if I had known before buying I'd of still bought my Titan as long as there's reasonable fixes out there for it as the I (and my family) love the power and luxurious room..and my three daughters really dig the sound system...so do i.

QShip · 06-07-2006, 01:21 PM

Get the TruTrak and you'll be fine.

Jinkster · 06-07-2006, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by QShip

Get the TruTrak and you'll be fine.

okay...now i'm confused...again...as i responded to a recent tru-trac thread with great interest and was told it's just a locker which operates independent of the stock rear dif...still using the stock ring and pinion with tru-traks spider/lockers...or am I still confused?...I've rebuilt my old chevy 350 2 x's in the driveway over 240K miles but I don't know squat about rear difs so please excuse my ignorance...and if possible?..splain lucy. LOL!

L8R, Bill.

mtwap · 06-07-2006, 01:40 PM

People on here will swear by the Mag-Hytech dif covers (problity because they spent $230 for them) , I had one on a 2000 dodge Dakota and it sure didn't save that differential. I also wasn’t happy with some of the machine work one the cover I got. For something that cost that much, it looked like a factory second. From looking at the cover for the Dakota and the pictures of the cover for the Titan, I don't think the fins are deep enough to dissipate the heat. The STK Nissan aluminum cover has much deeper fins and there more of them, that’s what’s going to move the heat. Just look at an any air cooled engine they don’t use thick shallow fins they use thin deep fins because surface area is what transfers heat. Also that pretty black paint acts as an insulator and black holds heat, bare aluminum is best.

37L1 · 06-07-2006, 04:45 PM

The vast majority of rear differential failures have been in the 4X4 configuration. While there have been some in the 4X2 they are few and far between. FWIW.

Burly · 06-07-2006, 04:59 PM

The weak culprit is the spider gears. The heat issue was before the aluminium covers.

baseballfanz · 06-07-2006, 08:25 PM

Welcome Jinkster,

Am I right to assume that the truck is still under warranty? Don't worry too much, mine is at 18K and not a problem yet. There's people with over 40K miles and no problem.

mtwap · 06-08-2006, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 37L1

The vast majority of rear differential failures have been in the 4X4 configuration. While there have been some in the 4X2 they are few and far between. FWIW.

That's interesting that the 4x4's have more problems than the 4x2's. The only thing that would be different would be maybe the drive shaft angle's. Any one know of any differences in the differentials in the 4x4 and 4x2?

jeff7777 · 06-08-2006, 06:42 PM

4x4's seem to be a main issue, but maybe only part of the story? I would assume that there should be a lot more than the 2 problem listed 4x4 2004 titans without e-lock (what I have) that have had rear end problems (doesn't really seem like a lot.)? If not, maybe the e-locker is more of a problem?

Wildmike · 06-09-2006, 12:58 AM

I don't think that cover is the cure. I think getting the rear end broke in is more important. I have 8k now and the rear end is starting to get broke in. The front end needs to get broke in now. After towing 2500lbs for 50 miles the front diff is hotter than the rear. I am kinda hard on rear ends. Lots of full throttle, full throttle standing starts etc. The way I see it if the rear end holds up to supercharging than I should have no problem.

FLA-Titan · 06-09-2006, 06:33 AM

Quote:

I am kinda hard on rear ends. Lots of full throttle, full throttle standing starts etc. The way I see it if the rear end holds up to supercharging than I should have no problem.

I got a dirty mind today