I'm planning on starting my diff/converter swap this weekend. I'm also planning on using the "lower the torque tube" method to do so. My car ramps are of the plastic variety and look to only raise the vehicle 8-10 inches. In addition, my jack will only raise 15 inches or so I'll probably have the jack stands set at this height. My question is will this be enough clearance to remove the diff and transmission by lowering the torque tube? I don't want to find out that its not when I'm attempting to do so. Any advice would be much appreciated! Thanks!!

 

evening bump

 

I don't think it will be high enough. I would suggest getting a set of at least 6 ton jack stands, and lifting the whole car up with a jack stand at each place where people put the lifting pucks. The reason for the bigger jackstands is that the base is larger and they are a LOT more stable.

I had mine up at 19 inches at the jackstands and it was just enough to do it, but I had my suspension completely off. You may need more depending on how you do it.

I hope you have some kind of transmission jack, the trans and diff are heavy and I'm not sure I would try and balance them on a jack. Harbor freight is one place that has some cheap jacks.

Have you checked out Mike's write up? http://mikemercury.home.att.net/342.htm

 

Did you use jacking pucks or just rest the car on the stands?

I wasn't aware there was any other way to remove the diff/trans without completely removing the rear suspension, is there another way?

I do have a trans jack on order...I think I did get it from Harbor frieght.

Ok, so it looks like I need to get the jackstands set at atleast 19 inches.

Does anybody know if autozone carries 6 ton jack stands?

 

i have harbor freight 6 tons jacks - work great and not too expensive.

Im pretty sure autozone would have 6 ton

 

Do you use jacking pucks with those or place them directly on the frame?

 

not really pucks, but the one time i did used a small piece of cut wood as a "puck". usually i use the cross members or whever they call em for jack stand points so i can crawl in and out from under the car alot easier. but since your doing rear you will need to get some pucks made (hockey pucks seem to be the easiest/cheapest to make).

 

I'm going to start tomorrow morning, anybody else want to chime in? Does 19 inches at the jackstand sound about right? Higher, lower?

 

I put my jack stands on 4x4's I think I doubled them up, plenty high.

 

Is it easier to remove the whole torque tube? Seems like most people remove the torque tube as opposed to just lowering it down.

 

Has anybody with an automatic lowered the torque tube to remove the diff/trans or am I venturing into uncharted waters? Looks like everyone that has done this method has only replaced the readend and not the torque converter.

 

I remove my trans and or converter about 4 times a year and I always just lower the trans/rear and support the tube and unbolt the converter bolts from the rear window in the tube and leave the tube in. If you have any Q's feel free to call me. cell 410 365-9936 Jay

 

You wouldn't be able to remove your catbacks at that height, but that's ok. You can temporary support them and leave them in if you like or remove them after the carriage is out. (Don't forget to put them back in before the carriage or you'll never get them back in at that height)

 

Thanks for the offer! Do you use a lift when you do this? Does 19inches sound about right? Too high? Too low? Sorry for beating this dead horse just don't want to find I'm at the wrong height when my corvette is all over the garage floor.

 

I have a 2 post lift now, but I used to do it on my back with the car jacked up on cinder blocks (the way there supposed to be layed) and with 2x8's on top. Can't remember how high, probably 27". The 19" should be ok as long if theres enough room for the carriage to be removed on your trans jack and rolled out from under the car. Everthing else will be fine.

 

My 6-ton jack stands only go to 21". Hope that is ok. One of the how-to's talked about jacking to 15". Don't want to go too high...things are unstable at that height! Don't want the car to fall on me that would hurt like a son-of-a-

 

lay your rear tires under the floor pans as a backup

 

I'm laying the rear tires under the front of the car and 4 6x6 timbers under each side of the rear....thanks for the adivce!

Right now the jack stands are at 16". It certainly looks like this is high enough. Its way more than enough to pull the suspension out. If lowering the torque tube I only need to like 4-5" to clear the converter from the torque tube housing which means I'll have to lower the tube approximately that much. I'm not sure why people are jacking 19"-27"...approaching 3 feet off of the ground....am I missing something? Obviously its easier to work when the car is high off of the ground but is it necessary? I can still go higher but gosh is that baby hight off of the ground at 16" (at the jack stand). The tranny is a good 18"-19" from the ground...I think the tranny jack (which looks to be the same unit I see in all the pics) only goes like 21"...so I have to be sensitive of that as well.

Can someone tell me if 16" at the jack stand is absolutely insufficient form removing the trans in an A4 equipped vehicle. I'm planning on pulling the suspension tomorrow so please let me know ASAP. Thanks!

 

This is from Mike M's write up:

"The front was driven up my own design 10" ramps, and the back of the car was on jack stands (placed at the side rear jacking points). The jack stands were set to 16" height and a hockey puck was placed on the top of each to protect the car."

Now he removed the whole torque tube whereas I don't plan to (unless that is easier). So there is a precident to the 16" height it would appear.

 

I followed advice that said jack to 24", don't go that high. The tranny jack and floor jack won't go high enough to work. Ended up using blocks of wood to get there and it wanted to slide around. Your 19" is prolly close enough. You'll see a sticker on the torque tube showing how low to lower the rear end to slide it out, very nice of GM I thought.