Differential Swap
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Joined: Jun 2008
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Differential Swap
Hello,
Can someone help with a rear diff swap out. Does the rear cross member have to be dropped to get the diff out? If so, what is the procedure for getting the lower ball joint seperated?
Thanks
Can someone help with a rear diff swap out. Does the rear cross member have to be dropped to get the diff out? If so, what is the procedure for getting the lower ball joint seperated?
Thanks
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 13,550
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From: Now in God's Country, the Big Sky, Montana!
Cruise-In 7-8-9-10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12
Yes, you need to drop the rear crossmember. You do not have to disconnect the lower ball joints, just pull the upper control arm loose.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,097
Likes: 5
From: Brentwood World's first A6 in the 9's (including N/A, blower, turbo and nitrous cars) 9.950@139.267 CA
Here's the procedure in a nutshell:
- Put the car up on four jackstands, the higher the better but you don't need to go to the absolute highest point possible
- Remove the rear wheels
- Disconnect the vehicle speed sensors
- Disconnect the upper shock and upper control arm bolts
- Remove the exhaust from the cats back
- Put a small jack or jackstand under the motor and rear of the torque tube (this keeps you from having to remove the tunnel plate and torque tube)
- Support the differential with a transmission jack
- Put a regular floor jack under the cross-member to support it while you're loosening the bolts
- Remove the bolts holding the cross-member to the frame (there's six or eight from what I recall) and then slowly lower the cross-member, brake assembly, shocks and control arms all as one large inter-connected unit. You may need to gently rock it back and forth in order to work it loose from the frame but make sure you keep it supported with the jack otherwise it can and will drop very quickly (ask me how know)
- Disconnect the bolts holding the differential to the transmission
- Use a flat blade screwdriver to separate the differential from the transmission.
- Once it's clear from the transmission output shaft you can lower the differential. Try your best to keep the differential level as you're lowering it otherwise you'll be taking a bath in gear oil.
That's not all of the required steps but does cover most of it. I've done it 5 or 6 times now (all in my garage) and most recently it took me around 9 hours from start to finish.
PM me if you have any other specific questions.
Hope that helps,
Christopher
Moderator
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 40,882
Likes: 4,333
From: Lakewood Ranch, FL
Yes, the rear cross-member needs to be dropped.
Here's the procedure in a nutshell:
- Put the car up on four jackstands, the higher the better but you don't need to go to the absolute highest point possible
- Remove the rear wheels
- Disconnect the vehicle speed sensors
- Disconnect the upper shock and upper control arm bolts
- Remove the exhaust from the cats back
- Put a small jack or jackstand under the motor and rear of the torque tube (this keeps you from having to remove the tunnel plate and torque tube)
- Support the differential with a transmission jack
- Put a regular floor jack under the cross-member to support it while you're loosening the bolts
- Remove the bolts holding the cross-member to the frame (there's six or eight from what I recall) and then slowly lower the cross-member, brake assembly, shocks and control arms all as one large inter-connected unit. You may need to gently rock it back and forth in order to work it loose from the frame but make sure you keep it supported with the jack otherwise it can and will drop very quickly (ask me how know)
- Disconnect the bolts holding the differential to the transmission
- Use a flat blade screwdriver to separate the differential from the transmission.
- Once it's clear from the transmission output shaft you can lower the differential. Try your best to keep the differential level as you're lowering it otherwise you'll be taking a bath in gear oil.
That's not all of the required steps but does cover most of it. I've done it 5 or 6 times now (all in my garage) and most recently it took me around 9 hours from start to finish.
PM me if you have any other specific questions.
Hope that helps,
Christopher
Here's the procedure in a nutshell:
- Put the car up on four jackstands, the higher the better but you don't need to go to the absolute highest point possible
- Remove the rear wheels
- Disconnect the vehicle speed sensors
- Disconnect the upper shock and upper control arm bolts
- Remove the exhaust from the cats back
- Put a small jack or jackstand under the motor and rear of the torque tube (this keeps you from having to remove the tunnel plate and torque tube)
- Support the differential with a transmission jack
- Put a regular floor jack under the cross-member to support it while you're loosening the bolts
- Remove the bolts holding the cross-member to the frame (there's six or eight from what I recall) and then slowly lower the cross-member, brake assembly, shocks and control arms all as one large inter-connected unit. You may need to gently rock it back and forth in order to work it loose from the frame but make sure you keep it supported with the jack otherwise it can and will drop very quickly (ask me how know)
- Disconnect the bolts holding the differential to the transmission
- Use a flat blade screwdriver to separate the differential from the transmission.
- Once it's clear from the transmission output shaft you can lower the differential. Try your best to keep the differential level as you're lowering it otherwise you'll be taking a bath in gear oil.
That's not all of the required steps but does cover most of it. I've done it 5 or 6 times now (all in my garage) and most recently it took me around 9 hours from start to finish.
PM me if you have any other specific questions.
Hope that helps,
Christopher
This is what it looks like out:
