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Old 01-15-2006, 12:38 AM
Brian Carlton Brian Carlton is offline
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Blue Point, NY
Posts: 25,396
Quote:
Originally Posted by thorsen
Ken,

You have me second guessing myself now...

The back of the car is sitting on ramps, with jackstands under the rear subframe mounts. I have removed the exhaust and loosened up the driveshaft. I elected to leave the drive shafts in; I will slide those out of the diff as I lower it.

I understand how the diff helps tie the subframe to the frame, but I thought the subframe mounts would prevent it from falling. Is this incorrect?

Thanks,
Thorsen
I did the exact same job on the exact same vehicle and pulled the diff with the axles, so, follow carefully:

1) You are going to have to get the car off the ramps. The trailing arms need to be unloaded and hanging down if you wish to get the axles out of the hubs. So, jack it up via the differential, block the body at the jacking points, and remove the wheels.

2) Now, the vehicle is fully supported by the body with the trailing arms and hubs hanging downward on the shocks.

3) Put the jack under the differential and support it.

4) Remove the differential mount at the back of the differential. Two large cap screws hold it to the mount and four smaller screws hold the mount to the body. Usually, now is a good time to throw the old mount away and get a new one.

5) Carefully lower the differential about three inches. The subframe will come down with it. Don't go too far because the subframe is still held at the two front mounting points and you don't want to bend or distort those mounts too badly.

6) With the subframe/differential down a bit, you can now get a breaker bar up on those nuts above the subframe. Break them loose but don't remove them just yet.

7) Jack the differential back up to the normal operating position (approx.)

8) Block the subframe in one place to prevent it from coming downward. The springs want to send it to China, so do this safely and carefully.

9) Remove the four nuts and bolts that hold the differential to the subframe.

10) Lower the differential about two inches, with the jack, and push it forward toward the front of the vehicle about two inches.

11) Presumably you have removed the screws inside the hubs that hold the axles to the hubs. At this point, the axles can easily be removed from the hubs.

12) Pull the jack rearward and manipulate the axle shafts past the brake lines........a bit of a problem.........but doable.

13) Pull the jack all the way rearward with the diff and the axles attached.
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