Great posts, lets see if we can get our Moderators to make a wiki out of the differential replacement post for the DIY

Dave

Fantastic!
I am facing this job and this and Jeremys post are vastly helpful.
Thanks much!

axle removal
 

Dave, just one question... unless I just totally missed it in your steps, once the clip is removed from the old axle at the differential, do you just slide out the axle? Same question when putting in the new axle do you just slide it in?

Yes it will come out easily. The reason the wheel hub part of the axle is sometimes difficult to remove is that the spline section in the wheel hub is not sitting in a bath of gear oil. This makes the wheel hub section hard to remove at times. The differential end is well lubricated and the metals don't rust or gall.

I have edited the post to reflect this.

Dave

Spell check completed. Thats what I get for finishing it at 3 in the morning.

Dave

Dave, on pic 24 & 25, do you put the diff cover while the TRV is still wet or do you wait till the RTV is cured then put the cover on?

Thanks Dave! And thanks for the suggestion!

Follow the directions on the RTV you bought. Mine says to allow the RTV to skin over, about 10 minutes and then install. It will smear out of the cover as you can see in the photo. The blue line.

Dave

Dave,
excellent photo how to.. What book were you using? I need to do the diff on my 85 wagon, and wondering if I'll need to reshim the axle shafts.

Mercedes Service manual. Get the CD from the Mercedes classic center.

If you reuse the axles that come with the differential then no. If your using other axles then you may have to get different shims. It will be a trial and error job. Actually you can measure the gap , if any, with the axles installed and order the correct size shims.

Edit to this post.
Let me change my answer to this question. When the differential is adjusted for lash, the teeth are adjusted to each other inward and outward. To have the axle position correctly requires a spacing ring based on the gears. The axles end is a fixed designed, and not a variable. The variable is the gears in the differential. SOOO if you have the spacing rings that go to the differential then use them. IF you don't then you will have to determine the size spacing ring you will need.

Dave

It's in the Wiki
 

This DIY is now in the DIY Articles Wiki HERE.

Thanks Dave!

Fabulous!
 

As long as your family drives w123s, all our lives will be much easier! May your 240s and 300s last forever.

We need to do this on a couple of our cars, and this will help a lot. One is a w126, but we're incredibly fortunate to have just acquired the 3" thick "Service Manual, Chassis and Body, Series 126" along with a number of other original FSMs, so that should walk us through the worst of the differences. All we got for the w123 was the climate control book (which I'm already studying!) and the general maintenance manual for everything from 1981 through 1989, but still, what a haul!

And for those who may have wondered, as we did, the photos in the hard copies ARE much better than what we see on the CD.

Chinese axels
 

Hello Dmorrison,

Newbie. I was interested in how the Chinese axles were working out for you. I am considering obtaining these . Do they appear to be same mfgr.? I would prefer the purist route and obtain OEM. However, the realist/actualist route will only allow me to purchase the example as linked, and have my indie install them. Thanks for your input.

-nate

Lol i was about to to a pictorial on how to do this as well. You beat me to it, but good job on the guide man.

Just a thought...
 

Nate --

I see you'e new to the Forum -- welcome!

Are you new to Mercedes Benz ownership as well? You might want to talk to another newish Benz person in Georgetown -- on the Forum, he's "abiggercamera."

Another Forum member in your area with a ton of hands-on experience with the w123 chassis is "R Leo."

Who's your indie in Austin?

Best of luck with your axle swap.

Sunny