Newbie Help

[Kiwi_Phil]

friend of mine got under the back of my recently acquired R33 and we found out the hicas has already been removed (winning) He also said its not an R33 rear end or it has been modified alot.

I have never actually seen under the back of an R33, I know someone modded lots on this car many years ago it was actually originally an NA Auto GTS but has been modded to be RB25det 5 speed - has 2 after market swaybars under the front as well as many non standard suspension parts, abs has been removed as well ... not sure about this rear end though .... does it look legit to anyone in the know? The diff seems very tight and makes some funky noises at full lock so it may have some internal damage but no noise for usual driving. Sorry if the pics are not enough I dont really know what I should be looking at when it comes to rear ends apart from the obvious parts. IF anyone could help me ID the origin of any of this and how much is non standard that would help me out lots!

Obviously the coilovers and exhaust but apart from that Im not sure

[turboedsloth]

Pretty sure NA 33's came out with non hicas rear ends.

As for the funky sounding diff, could possibly be a mechanical LSD in there

[Kiwi_Phil]

Pretty sure NA 33's came out with non hicas rear ends.

As for the funky sounding diff, could possibly be a mechanical LSD in there

ah that would explain it, how do I tell if its mechanical lsd? I am guessing jack up and spin wheels but what am I looking for?

[Frosty]

ah that would explain it, how do I tell if its mechanical lsd? I am guessing jack up and spin wheels but what am I looking for?

yep no hicas rear end...nothing to worry about there..

as for the clunking at full lock that is perfectly normal for an mechanical LSD or locker...sounds more like a LSD tho as a locker is alot harder to live with on the street. jack it up and spin the wheels is one way and the only way without taking the cover off or diff out

Edited January 13, 2013 by Frosty

[GTSBoy]

jack it up and spin the wheels is one way and the only way without taking the cover off or diff out

Yes, but if it happened to have a viscous LSD in there that test would work the same. So not a definitive test. But a VLSD would be so "invisible" in normal use that you would never hear it clunk and carry on in tight corners unless it had been shimmed massively.....which is also possible I suppose, given the daft approach many people seem to have towards VLSDs.

Otherwise, I concur with what has been said above. Original NA non-HICAS rear end in that car. Surely that is the only good thing about starting with an NA car.

[Frosty]

Yes, but if it happened to have a viscous LSD in there that test would work the same. So not a definitive test. But a VLSD would be so "invisible" in normal use that you would never hear it clunk and carry on in tight corners unless it had been shimmed massively.....which is also possible I suppose, given the daft approach many people seem to have towards VLSDs.

Otherwise, I concur with what has been said above. Original NA non-HICAS rear end in that car. Surely that is the only good thing about starting with an NA car.

i agree mostly but 2way mech will clunk aswell so it all depends on the how its been set up and the only way to know is take it out which im sure he doesnt want to do