Been busy with all the fix-it's I picked up while lurking all summer. Now I found the dreaded drip under the rear end. I jacked it up on the stands and inspected everything closely. Found that the drive shaft yoke seal is the only one leaking so far. After following all the threads on Dana swaps and U-joint replacement I have a couple of questions.

So far everything I have seen shows the work being done on a lift. Can it be done on a garage floor with 3 ton stands and a couple of floor jacks? Just how high does it have to be rasied to safely remove the leaf spring?

I may not be able to do this until the fall, in the meantime I will top it off periodically. The gear lube at the local supplier is noted as having the approved limited slip additives included. Is this stuff good enough? Should I look for the straight gear oil and buy the GM approved additive? I'm not planning on replacing the lube until I can tear it down.

I really would like to do this job myself, but I am concerned about unloading and loading up that carbon fiber spring.

I thought about sending the D36 out for a rebuild (core swap) or even getting a D44 complete, but from what I gather the 3.07 I have is a keeper since I am not going beyond the stock engine HP, and considering that it is a daily driver commuter car (non-racer). Is there an off the shelf rebuild kit with bearings, seals, etc. for it?

I just rolled past 39K miles on it.

Thanks in advance for any helpful info, which from my lurking experience should be flooding in soon.

Kevin

 

My '85's 3.07 Dana 36, leaks from where the batwing bolts onto the differential. I had it to a shop recently, to get a price quote for replacing the seals on it (Front seal, 2 sides, and I guess it would be RTV on the batwing). He quoted me $400 for the job... I'd like to hear how difficult this job is....

 

At 39,000 moles and your intended usage, forget any diff overhaul. Just fix the pinion yoke seal leak. You don't have to mess with the spring. You don't have to drop the diff like in a diff swap. Pull the C beam off of the diff, remove the drive shaft, pull the yoke and replace the seal.

RACE ON!!!

 

I took it that in order to remove the yoke that a c-clip had to be removed from inside the housing. Just dropping the shaft and pulling the yoke sounds promising. I guess I should look into an exhaust upgrade while it's stripped down.

 

You DID say:The pinion yoke is held on with a nut. It is a good sized nut with a torque spec of 200+ ft.lbs. You will need a wrench and/or breaker bar capable of dealing with that amount of torque. For every action, there is a reaction. You will also have to have a means to hold the yoke while loosening and tightening the pinion nut.

If you mis-spoke and mean a half shaft yoke, on the side if the diff, your assumption of a snap ring and dropping the diff, are correct.

RACE ON!!!

 

Main drive shaft yoke seal is leaking, not half shaft. Sounds like I'm going to need a BFH . It still looks like a job for a lift. The last thing I want to do is get deep into it and find out I am not equipped to finish it. What do most folks use to hold the yoke in place to break the nut loose and to tighten it? I can get any specialty tools needed for the job over a weekend (breaker bar, torque wrench etc.).

Thanks for the insight.

 

A lift is not necessary, but it does beat doing it laying on your back. There is a long handled tool that bolts to the yoke where the u joint bolts up. A pipe wrench with a pipe slipped on the end of the handle and braced against the floor or a frame rail ought to work.

RACE ON!!!

 

I used a pipe wrench, but mine was on the floor (out of the car). Not too bad of a job and I don't have a lift, just had the car up on stands.