Any tips on how to loosen those giant bolts? I've removed nearly every exhaust support to give my self as much room as possible and I can't get an 18" crescent wrench or my channel locks in there.

I'm going to try to get a pipe wrench to see if that fits in there now...any tips??

Thanks!

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Daily Driver: 02 E430 4MATIC
In the family: '03 E500 // '04 ML500 // 64 220SE

Ok - so I got that nut loosened and now the CD instructions say:

"Loosen flexible disc from centering in joing flang using suitable drift, and slide forwards"

With the center drive shaft nut (the 46mm one) loose - do I need to separate the drive shaft or will it now compress enough to slide off the differential? (I also have removed/lowered the center support bearing - but I don't think I can pull the drive shaft down enough to separate the two halves)

I pried as much as I could at the rear flex disc and could not get the drive shaft to go forward at all!

__________________
Daily Driver: 02 E430 4MATIC
In the family: '03 E500 // '04 ML500 // 64 220SE

do not separate the two halves unless you absolutely must.

i'm going by memory here but i believe the last one of these i did i separated the transmission end first, and then once that was free i was able to pry the shaft forward enough to free up the diff end.