Can I replace diff and leave half axles connected to wheels?
 

I need to replace my diff center chunk and have looked at the factory service manual, the new diff and under the car. It looks like the only thing holding it is the diff mount and the four bolts on top of diff through subframe.

Can I unattach the drive shaft and axles and drop diff, then put in new diff and re attach axles without detaching axles from wheel flanges??

I figure this would save time, but can it be done and has anyone done it?

No. The axles cannot be compressed enough to remove the stub-end out of the diffy (that stub is about 3-4 inches long). The axles barely compress enough to get them loose from the hubs on the outboard ends.

However, you can remove the diffy and the axles as an assembly.

<edited> Info is the same for both 123 and 126 (SD)

It was quite a nostalgic feeling to see this question posted. It was the VERY FIRST question that I posted in my very first post on mercedesshop over 5 years ago. Donnie (Benzmac) posted the answer in about a half hour.

That was over 8000 posts ago and I've gotten many other valuable answers during that time.

BTW, my answer was for a 123 car, so it would probably not be valid.

Have a great day,

Thanks
 

I really appreciate your help. I guess this means that I have to remove the diff chunk with the axles attatched - then install them on the new diff chunk and reinstall the unit.

Any special tools needed? I think I am beginning to see why this takes several hours of labor.

You can remove the axles or leave them in place. I've done it both ways but if it were me, I'd remove the axles first...it makes the thing a bit more manageable.

I hope that you also acquired the shims that were originally with that pumpkin. Read up:
One shim,
two shim,
red shim,
blue shim.

You'll need a floor jack to lower and lift the pumpkin into place. You should fabricate some sort of holding fixture to mount on the jack so the punkin doesn't fall off on your noggin.

An auto tranny jack with appropriately located wood chocks to hold the pumpkin might be one way to do this also.

The holes in the subframe for the pumpkin are located so precisely that the pumpkin has to be EXACTLY perpendicular to the subframe for the studs to slide through the holes. There is ZERO 'slop' to wiggle it in place.