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Continued
VIII. With all the axle bolts removed you can get your jack (and presumably your nice differential pick-up attachment if you have one) and take a little pressure off the differential. Now, loosen the two rear 12mm hex key differential supports (tightening torque = 120 Nm).
IX. Next remove the front differential support (on the passenger side). This requires a 17mm box-end wrench to hold the top bolt and an 8mm hex key/socket on the bottom. There are two differential mounts (one above, one below the mount/frame) here.
***BE CAREFUL***
This removes all attachments for the differential - you don't want to be under this thing if it falls. I had an assistant help me lower it and it still fell off the small floor jack that I had (luckily not on anyones fingers - we were well out of the way!).
If you have ASR you'll have to disconnect the two speed sensors under the plastic enclosure hiding the fuel pump/filter on the passenger side (now would be a good time to change that filter if you haven't done that in 60k miles). See pic #1 for the connector. You need to pull the outer ring straight down, then the connectors will slide out easily. Also, the two ASR connectors are labeled "D" and "E" to correspond to the connector block labels. The other two connectors in the picture are for the rear brake pad wear indicator lights - it doesn't matter if you get these reversed if they fall out (just make sure they get plugged into the two sockets with connectors there).
You'll also have to remove a metal cable support (3x 13/10?mm bolts + 2x 8mm screws). This guy was REALLY rusted for me!
Pic #1: I circled the ASR connectors in yellow and the brake pad wear indicators connector sockets in red.
Pic #2: Front differential mount. Cable support that you'll have to remove.
Pic #3: More of the cable support that needs to be removed.
Pic #4: XZN close-up.
Pic #5: Passenger side axle removed from differential - you can also see the 14mm hex drain plug at the bottom.
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Daily Driver: 02 E430 4MATIC
In the family: '03 E500 // '04 ML500 // 64 220SE
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