With much slach and noise in the differential the time has come to change this unit. I have a few questions before I start the job.

Can the center piece be removed without drawing the axels out of the wheels if the wheels are hanging down to their full extention on the shocks.

Will the drive shaft have be shortened up at the spline,or can I pull the center piece away and to the read after undoing the three flange bolts without touching the drive shaft.

The service manual for the 300D did not show a gasket fot the rear door. Is this a steel to steel fit with Form-a-Gasket.

I have learned so much from reading this board.
Thank a lot.

John Winter
300D turbo 84, the wifes car
240D 74, my car

you have to remove the axel shafts. the cover to the differential is sealed with red rtv, form a gasket, etc. i used high heat, red, rtv. unbolt the driveshaft is all you have to do. should have to shorten it any. unbolt the rear diff mount, this will allow the diff to fall about 2" and will help you access the mounting bolts. good luck, i just done another one of these jobs last week. pretty easy job though

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matt

Their are 6 Bolts I think that you should Unbolt at the rear of the drive shaft....It makes it easier to remove the Differential...
You might as well pull the differential and axles as a unit because it will be much easier to reinstall the differential and axles as a unit...jack up the car and use jack stands for your safety or put both rear wheels under the rear rotors, then I drain the differential, place a hyd. jack under the differential but do not jack it up, remove the 4 bolts that tie the rear of the differential to the frame member, the weight of the differential and part of the rear suspension will be on the jack, let the jack down until their is no weight on the jack and then just jack the differential up a small amount to get a little weight on it, the differential is bolted to the suspension member above it by 4 bolts and nuts-remove them, let the differential down until it seperates from the suspension member, next remove the center of the rims and in the cavity is a bolt that needs to be removed, it is about 3 inches long and they are threaded into the axle....after you have removed the bolts from both sides you need to get a brass drift pin and using a beater(small sledge-3-4lb) place the drift pin inside the center of the rim and hit it with the beater and this will drive the axle from its spline...you may need to let the differential down a little more and go from side to side knocking the axles out(in towards the differential) eventual if you keep letting the differential down you will see the axles are loose from the splines...a little wiggling and the axles will clear the emergency brake lines etc...

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James A. Harris