1982 rear end drop
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Joined: Nov 2012
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From: greenfield indiana
1982 rear end drop
hey everyone finally got the garage to where I can finally work on my baby again. Come Thursday im going to be dropping the rear end out of her and wanted to see if anyone has any advice for me before I get started I haven't seen any write ups yet but I haven't looked that hard anything would be appreciated. thank you
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 19,294
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From: Charlotte NC
How are you going to SAFELY support it while taking it out????
When I remove differentials...I have the rear of the car up higher than the front...so if it is an automatic...the transmission fluid will run towards the front of the transmission....Because....when I take the differential out with the drive-shaft attached...along with the half shafts. They get removed when it is out. And having the rear higher...makes it so I do not have 'gusher' of transmission fluid coming out the tail shaft housing when I pull the yoke.
It goes back in the same way....take a little bit of effort...but for me...it saves time due to I can have parts already attached and torqued correctly.
You can remove the strut rods completely ...sometimes I do...sometimes I disconnect them from the bearing support housings and leave them attached to the bracket under the differential. MAKE SURE that you CAREFULLY look at the splines on the lower shock bolts that you will take out to remove the strut rods at the bearing housings You want to make sure that you have very GOOD splines in them so when you put them back in....these splines actually BITE into the casting and keep this bolts from possibly moving....BECAUSE just because they are 'keyed' for each side...and have a flat spot in the threaded portion of the bolt to match up with the bearing housing....does NOT mean that this flat spot is going to keep this bolts from moving IF you have wiped out splines. REGARDLESS of what you torque the castle nut to. VERY HIGH probability that they will need to be replaced. Also make sure you look at the surface where your rubber lower shock bushing rides on this same bolt. I have seen them serious rusted and eaten away.
The WORST part of the job for me is getting the front differential mount bushing to index and allow the bolt to go down in and be attached with the large washer a nut, etc. It is a balancing act to get it to work with the drive-shaft in place when going in and coming out...but I have lived with this because it still takes me less time to get it done ....versus trying to remove and re-install the drive shaft and possibly have a U-joint cup fall off and have needle bearings all over the place....and YES...I KNOW...I do apply a little bit of grease inside the cups to hold the needles bearing in place...if I have to service the drive shaft and NOT replace the U-joint.
DUB
When I remove differentials...I have the rear of the car up higher than the front...so if it is an automatic...the transmission fluid will run towards the front of the transmission....Because....when I take the differential out with the drive-shaft attached...along with the half shafts. They get removed when it is out. And having the rear higher...makes it so I do not have 'gusher' of transmission fluid coming out the tail shaft housing when I pull the yoke.
It goes back in the same way....take a little bit of effort...but for me...it saves time due to I can have parts already attached and torqued correctly.
You can remove the strut rods completely ...sometimes I do...sometimes I disconnect them from the bearing support housings and leave them attached to the bracket under the differential. MAKE SURE that you CAREFULLY look at the splines on the lower shock bolts that you will take out to remove the strut rods at the bearing housings You want to make sure that you have very GOOD splines in them so when you put them back in....these splines actually BITE into the casting and keep this bolts from possibly moving....BECAUSE just because they are 'keyed' for each side...and have a flat spot in the threaded portion of the bolt to match up with the bearing housing....does NOT mean that this flat spot is going to keep this bolts from moving IF you have wiped out splines. REGARDLESS of what you torque the castle nut to. VERY HIGH probability that they will need to be replaced. Also make sure you look at the surface where your rubber lower shock bushing rides on this same bolt. I have seen them serious rusted and eaten away.
The WORST part of the job for me is getting the front differential mount bushing to index and allow the bolt to go down in and be attached with the large washer a nut, etc. It is a balancing act to get it to work with the drive-shaft in place when going in and coming out...but I have lived with this because it still takes me less time to get it done ....versus trying to remove and re-install the drive shaft and possibly have a U-joint cup fall off and have needle bearings all over the place....and YES...I KNOW...I do apply a little bit of grease inside the cups to hold the needles bearing in place...if I have to service the drive shaft and NOT replace the U-joint.
DUB
