Differential removal help
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 17,102
Likes: 7
From: Fair Oaks, OK
Differential removal help
Everything is out of the way... spare tire carrier, rear exhaust, heat shield, spring, strut rods & strut rod bracket.
What's next? I'm guessing:
I don't have a transmission jack, but I do have a motorcycle / atv jack... think this will work?
The car is on 5 jackstands. 2 on frame in front of rear tires, 2 on frame behind front tires, 1 under the front crossmember.
What's next? I'm guessing:
- Remove the half shafts at the bearing end first (to keep spindle from spinning)
- Remove U-joint sraps at the diff
- Remove front drive shaft
- Loosen front snubber & rear crossmember
- Bring in the jack
- Continue removing crossmember & front bracket.
I don't have a transmission jack, but I do have a motorcycle / atv jack... think this will work?
The car is on 5 jackstands. 2 on frame in front of rear tires, 2 on frame behind front tires, 1 under the front crossmember.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 805
Likes: 5
From: Naperville Illinois
Yes, you need to remove the half-shafts from the car, and remove the drive shaft from the diff pinion yoke. I think you can use your ATV jack; I would re-install the strut rod bracket, and put 1/2" bolts through the cam-bolt holes and use those to strap the diff to the jack. In my case, I made a wooden cradle and bolted it to my small trolley jack:
then bolted the strut rod bracket to the wooden cradle. Once I got the diff crossmember free (have fun with that) I just wheeled the diff & crossmember together out to the driveway for a power wash before rebuilding. I imagine you could do the same with your ATV jack without having to mess with making a cradle.
then bolted the strut rod bracket to the wooden cradle. Once I got the diff crossmember free (have fun with that) I just wheeled the diff & crossmember together out to the driveway for a power wash before rebuilding. I imagine you could do the same with your ATV jack without having to mess with making a cradle.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 17,102
Likes: 7
From: Fair Oaks, OK
Yes, you need to remove the half-shafts from the car, and remove the drive shaft from the diff pinion yoke. I think you can use your ATV jack; I would re-install the strut rod bracket, and put 1/2" bolts through the cam-bolt holes and use those to strap the diff to the jack. In my case, I made a wooden cradle and bolted it to my small trolley jack:
then bolted the strut rod bracket to the wooden cradle. Once I got the diff crossmember free (have fun with that) I just wheeled the diff & crossmember together out to the driveway for a power wash before rebuilding. I imagine you could do the same with your ATV jack without having to mess with making a cradle.
then bolted the strut rod bracket to the wooden cradle. Once I got the diff crossmember free (have fun with that) I just wheeled the diff & crossmember together out to the driveway for a power wash before rebuilding. I imagine you could do the same with your ATV jack without having to mess with making a cradle.
Thanks!!!
On a non-related side note, I just started the engine to see what it would sound like without the rear Y pipe. Wow!
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 11,183
Likes: 3,334
From: North of Toronto - Ontario
Remove all the shafts (drive and halfs) You should be able to do them at the diff. (I was pulling the TA's so I removed the half's from the spindle end first)
Loosed off the front mount, then I placed the jack w/block under the diff and didn't quite touch (maybe 1/2 clear)
Removed the front mount
The rear can't really pivot back much if at all. Those mounts go down into the pocket a fair distance so they will prevent it from tipping much, but you need to try to get them to come straight down, but if all the weight is trying to pivot it's not helping...catch 22...
loosened off the two bolts in the upper cross-member (where they go into that sombrero mount thing)
Placed two larger chisels on each side of the mount (flange was already bent before, BBH?)
Drove them in (went easy really) and when it "popped" I did the other side.
Brought the jack up to take the weight, removed the two bolts completely and lowered the diff w/crossemember
Mooser
Loosed off the front mount, then I placed the jack w/block under the diff and didn't quite touch (maybe 1/2 clear)
Removed the front mount
The rear can't really pivot back much if at all. Those mounts go down into the pocket a fair distance so they will prevent it from tipping much, but you need to try to get them to come straight down, but if all the weight is trying to pivot it's not helping...catch 22...
loosened off the two bolts in the upper cross-member (where they go into that sombrero mount thing)
Placed two larger chisels on each side of the mount (flange was already bent before, BBH?)
Drove them in (went easy really) and when it "popped" I did the other side.
Brought the jack up to take the weight, removed the two bolts completely and lowered the diff w/crossemember
Mooser
Last edited by Mooser; Jan 3, 2012 at 04:28 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,428
Likes: 5
From: Japan
There are 2 bolts holding the diff onto the bottom of the crossmember; they are barely accessible through a clearance hole in the top of the crossmember. If you just remove those you can get the diff out without removing the crossmember, which can be a PITA.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 6,134
Likes: 46
From: Raleigh North Carolina
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 6,134
Likes: 46
From: Raleigh North Carolina
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 3,030
Likes: 17
From: White Pine / Dandridge TN
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 74
Likes: 0
From: Fairfield California
I just did this last week actually. The crossmember was a bit of a PITA. I had to use a 3 jaw puller at the sombreros to get it to break free. Then just a floor jack and some careful lowering to get it down. The real PITA though is the 1500 bucks the diff shop quoted me to replace everything.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 17,102
Likes: 7
From: Fair Oaks, OK
Did you have to have your posi unit replaced? Thats a lot of $$$
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 74
Likes: 0
From: Fairfield California
Yea the crush sleeve got, well... crushed. So the pinion gear hit the posi carrier pretty good. I needed new gears, along with posi clutches and a case, so I told him just replace it all so I hopefully never have to drop that beast again. That also includes installing new U-joints and balancing my half shafts plus all the seals and bearings. Adds up quickly.
