differential removal help
Thread Starter
8th Gear
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: McCarley MS
differential removal help
Hello All,
Dad and I are in the process of replacing the u joints in the half shaft and drive shaft. We would also like to take the differential out and have it checked etc. How do you remove this? Just looking at it, It appears to have 4 bolts coming through the top of which I can't figure out how to remove. Any articles or step by step help would be greatly appreciated.
Dad and I are in the process of replacing the u joints in the half shaft and drive shaft. We would also like to take the differential out and have it checked etc. How do you remove this? Just looking at it, It appears to have 4 bolts coming through the top of which I can't figure out how to remove. Any articles or step by step help would be greatly appreciated.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,458
Likes: 331
From: Indy Indiana
remove the upper crossmember bolts ( 2 of them), it will drop right down with the crossmember.. might have to crowbar the bushing loose. its pretty hard to get to the pumpkin to crossmember bolts.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 489
Likes: 1
From: Suffolk Virginia
you need to remove the spring, jack up the ends and remove end bolts.
put your jack 1/2 inch below diff housing so it doesn't fall on the floor.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 19,610
Likes: 778
From: Forked River NJ
The strut rods you only have to remove the inner bolts. Then swing them down and out of the way. Mark the cam position so you can get the camber back to where it was before disassembly.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2002
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Advanced
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 50
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From: Glen Carbon il
When I dropped my differential years ago, I just removed the exhaust, rear spring, and 3 driveshafts front diff mount, then the 8 bolts holding the case and dropped the diff without removing the diff crossmember - had to drain it first of course. use a jack to let it down
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,247
Likes: 471
From: Glen Allen, VA
I'm not looking to drop my diff till next winter, but my exhuast is custom, welded in one piece from the header flanges back so there's no way to remove it without cutting it. Has anyone had sucess removing the diff by just dropping the exhaust and having it hang instead of completetly removing it?
Terrorizing Orange Cones
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,572
Likes: 17
From: Northern CO
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 5,485
Likes: 7
From: Peekskill NY
Providing this pic for reference: note the two holes where the 4 diff cover bolts are accessed. They are exposed after you release the crossmember. Following others advice, you won't have all the weight shown here: I was about to reinstall as a package deal but you can see what everyone is talking about, right?
Glenn
Racer
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 393
Likes: 0
From: Holcomb Mississippi
Mission accomplished
well, we got it out. Dad did most of the work because there wasnt much I could do other than provide tools when he needed them. Thanks to all of your advice. We purchased new u-joints and differential oil and additive from the chev dealer today. My uncle is going to replace the seals in the chunk and clutch parts (I dont know what that is, lol). Anyway, Dustup, is all of that new or did you powdercoat it? We plan to clean it all up and paint it before we put it back. Any more advice on things we should replace? We had to remove the spring, strut rods, shocks, break calipers and everything prior to getting this out.
Terrorizing Orange Cones
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,572
Likes: 17
From: Northern CO
well, we got it out. ... Anyway, Dustup, is all of that new or did you powdercoat it? We plan to clean it all up and paint it before we put it back. Any more advice on things we should replace? We had to remove the spring, strut rods, shocks, break calipers and everything prior to getting this out.
To the OP and Dad: Congrats.
Now you guys are a C3 IRS-axle-pullin' veterans. That looks a lot like most of us once we get them away from the frame.
There's a few pieces I scraped & sand-blasted for reuse: crossmember, rear cover, chin bracket, and misc fasteners. The offset TA's and all those VB&P pieces come powder coated new. I replaced the diff as an assembled unit [to save the #'s matched original for a future restore]. It's setup & stuffed w/new gears, posi, bearings, seals. Half-shafts, u-joints, yokes are new as are the rotors. X-member end cushions are new (they're pricey).
Then anything not p-coated was carefully washed w/hot, soapy water, dried, & painted. I replaced some fasteners w/new ones; focused on units that were out-of-spec.
On mine, I repld stuff to accomodate wider tires and a little autox'ing. Have a TKO600 too. After looking over what you have, you'll probably need seals, gaskets, grease & gear oil. Anything more than that depends on how many Dead Presidents can you afford to trade for what you find needing replacement. Good Luck.
...and Thanks Glenn. For now, it's fun to look under there and know I gave it it a good shot.
Last edited by Dustup7T2; Apr 23, 2010 at 12:38 PM. Reason: add text
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 40,408
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From: Redondo Beach, California
Some people, particularly racers, cut holes in the floor of the storage compartment so you can easily unbolt the diff without removing the crossmember. This way you can unbolt the diff by working inside through the storage compartment.
Seems like you could do this for a street car also. You'd have to pull the carpet back each time you wanted to drop the diff and you'd have to find some grommets or some sort of a cover so later water would splash up when driving. Even for a stock purist, no one would ever know what you had done when you laid the carpet back down.
Seems like you could do this for a street car also. You'd have to pull the carpet back each time you wanted to drop the diff and you'd have to find some grommets or some sort of a cover so later water would splash up when driving. Even for a stock purist, no one would ever know what you had done when you laid the carpet back down.
