Front Diff Removal.

[Cable810]

Got my front diff in the mail yesterday and hopefully its going in this weekend. I've done a bit of research on how to remove the front diff and there are like 3 different ways.
#1.http://forums.trailvoy.com/showthread.php?t=70562
#2.http://forums.trailvoy.com/showthread.php?t=85414
#3. http://www.forums.offroadtb.com/viewtop ... =40#p30255

#1. looks the easyest from my point of view.

Anyone got any suggestions? Donnys is just way to lengthy for me to try and attempt IMO.

[navigator]

if I recall, removing the oil pan is like a 10 hr job.
if I remember right Donny said he can remove his diff in about an hour now.
Donny is pretty responsive to posts, personally I would go his route.

[Opeth]

Hmm.... Looks like a weekend project one way or another.

[Cable810]

Yeah. If it decids not to snow..... Maybe Donny isn't doing anything this weekend and he can come give me a hand

[fishsticks]

Yeah. If it decids not to snow..... Maybe Donny isn't doing anything this weekend and he can come give me a hand

I seriously no less than half a dozen projects queued up for my garage AFTER I get my Runner done. Including:

1. Weld up a crack in frame on the crawler. Plus a few other maintanence items before Memorial Day.
2. New axles under my buddy's Titan.
3. Lift/Locker/Gears for my other buddy's JK (the one who's wife bought the TB).
4. Help my cousin install an IFS conversion in his '57 F100.

etc...


There's a 4th option that Jon A put forward. I used it to install my front locker after the gears were run in. You can pull the diff off the oil pan and leave it sitting in the subframe. Then remove the actual diff case bolts (12 or so) and pull the diff out in 3 pieces. Installation is the reverse.

As long as you don't mess with the tensioners (leave the outer seals in), you won't mess up any of the preload/backlash doing it this way.

It's a dirty, tight job and you'll want to set aside some extra swear words for the job, but it's possible and you don't have to disassemble the truck.

[Cable810]

Yeah. If it decids not to snow..... Maybe Donny isn't doing anything this weekend and he can come give me a hand

I seriously no less than half a dozen projects queued up for my garage AFTER I get my Runner done. Including:

1. Weld up a crack in frame on the crawler. Plus a few other maintanence items before Memorial Day.
2. New axles under my buddy's Titan.
3. Lift/Locker/Gears for my other buddy's JK (the one who's wife bought the TB).
4. Help my cousin install an IFS conversion in his '57 F100.

etc...


There's a 4th option that Jon A put forward. I used it to install my front locker after the gears were run in. You can pull the diff off the oil pan and leave it sitting in the subframe. Then remove the actual diff case bolts (12 or so) and pull the diff out in 3 pieces. Installation is the reverse.

As long as you don't mess with the tensioners (leave the outer seals in), you won't mess up any of the preload/backlash doing it this way.

It's a dirty, tight job and you'll want to set aside some extra swear words for the job, but it's possible and you don't have to disassemble the truck.

Have fun with all that! I'll have to do some digging on that. I have a buddy thats suppose to help me tomorrow(if the weather is nice) with this. Sounds like what John A suggested seems easyer, but where is his write up? I'll check your 4.56 thread Donny.

EDIT: Mike also gave another option in your thread

All you have to do is take the half shafts out (take ball joints apart to do this), and splined disconnect, and intermediate shaft; take the steering rack out, along with it's crossmembers. At that point, you just unbolt the diff from the oil pan, and rotate it around, and it drops out the back, where the rack would be... Takes like 2 hours to get it out, total, said and done.
Mike

Also found his thread viewtopic.php?f=72&t=1657

[fishsticks]

Mike's buddy's method did not work for me. I tried. I think it Chevycrew who said there wasn't any room for that to happen either. He looked when he took all his IFS out.

Not saying it's impossible.

[navigator]

I hadn't thought about Jon A's method with leaving the original housing that bolts to the motor. I was thinking he would swap the full old housing out and the full new housing in. It sounds like if he leaves the 1/2 bolted to the oil pan and use the rest from the new diff, he won't have to set the gears.

Donny, is that what you are saying?

[fishsticks]

I hadn't thought about Jon A's method with leaving the original housing that bolts to the motor. I was thinking he would swap the full old housing out and the full new housing in. It sounds like if he leaves the 1/2 bolted to the oil pan and use the rest from the new diff, he won't have to set the gears.

Donny, is that what you are saying?

Not exactly. He needs to use all three pieces from whichever diff he is putting in. Mixing and matching will cause problems.

[Cable810]

Well its not happening today... I wonder with the way Jon A did his, if I could pull the other half of the Diff. Cause from his picture it looks like I could.

[fishsticks]

You can.

[Cable810]

We'll have to give that a shot. I was worrying that I bout the whole thing for naught with the mention that you can "just swap the gears". This is what I'm thinking I'll have todo since Jon A didn't say how he got it apart. Remove the front Drive shaft, unbolt the front diff from the Oil pan, seperate the 2 halfs of the diff, then pull each section, seperate the new diff install the pinion half first then install the gears, put on the other half bolt it back up, bolt to the oil pan and I'm done?

[fishsticks]

Basically, yes.

[Cable810]

After you take out the CV axles obviously. Looks like I'll be doing it this way. The tensioners are the things at each end of the gears? Expect a write up along with loads of pictures and even a video since I got a decent one!!

[v7guy]

Might want to unbolt the two halves before you loosen it from the oil pan if possible.

[fishsticks]

Might want to unbolt the two halves before you loosen it from the oil pan if possible.

Not possible. Bolts for the diff face the pan.

[v7guy]

damn, and I even have one sitting on my bench in the garage lol

[Cable810]

Donny could you fill me in on what the

tensioners (leave the outer seals in)

are and where they are located?

[v7guy]

if you're talking about the pieces that take the place of the shims in a normal diff, they're inside the diff, they're screw in pieces that look kinda like a shallow/thin castle nut. you screw them in and out to move the diff from one side to the other. I think there's a picture of them in one of the threads I posted when I was unsure if the bearings the CV rides on was bad.

I believe it was Donny that used a screwdriver to adjust em. If you've got a welder you could make a tool with some rod that would do the job.


I could be talking out of my ass too, wouldn't be the first time (in this thread) lol


If you need a pic I can get one, I've been in and out of the garage all morning.

[Cable810]

A picture would help, if its no bother..