Hey guys

so my rear diff is leaking at both the front and axle seals.

I am reading the procedure and it mentions measuring friction torque before removing the collar nut.

What's the deal here? Is there a DIY way to get this collar nut off so I can replace the radial seal?

Measuring and refitting the torque on the pinion is very important. If you set it too loose then the pinion can move forwards and backwards changing the position of the pinion gear on the crown wheel. This will at least cause a whining noise when you lift off or press down on the accelerator - if you're unlucky you'll get whining all the time.

If you tighten the pinion nut too much then you'll increase the chance of bearing failure (usually on the smaller pinion bearing). This also can make rumbling noises...

...there's a chance that once you've undone the nut you'll not be able to attain the minimum specification as per the FSM - in this case the bearings are shot and you need to rebuild.

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To remove the nut I used a modified gate hinge to hold the yoke whilst I undid the nut =>



The W201 differential refresh thread

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Do you need a tip for measuring the torque?

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!