Catpuss
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 posted on 16/12/06 at 01:52 PM |
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Can I do this to remove a diff
OK, Basically I don't want to go under the car to pull the diff out if I can avoid it. Bad experiences in the past kind of put me off going into
tight spaces with large weights above me [1]. I even get nervous walking under road and rail bridges which really sucks.
Anyone think its a particularly bad idea to just get out an angle grinder and air saw & cut though the bottom of the Sierra from the inside in
order to gain access from above? OK its a lot more work but at least I won't have to worry about having a panic attack of some sort.
I would put a block and jack under the diff then cut a bit fsk off hole in the underside of the car.
Oddly I don't think I'd have a problem when getting under the Indy when I start building but getting under the kebab again is really
starting to put me off even stripping it.
[1] Oddly enough, not anything to do with drunken nights out and beer goggles. 
I think I just have claustrophobia [2].
[2] The fear of fat people emptying their sacks on you.
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robinj66
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| posted on 16/12/06 at 02:29 PM |
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If you just want to remove the diff (and not the diff carrier etc) you will have to do most of the cutting from underneath anyway. You will also need
to remove the driveshafts.
i recently took the whole rear axle etc off a donor - best way i found was to use axle stands for the car body and a trolley jack under the diff and
the brake drums (need to borrow spares). It's then just a case of a few bolts at the rear (diff) and one on each side (frame to which the
trailing arms are attached.
Appreciate you don't like being underthe car at all but i was able to get these bolts off without actually being under the diff/carrier - the
jacks can then be lowered slighlty and used to bring the diff etc out from under the car.
If this is no good to you, can you bring in some help? Alternatively get one of those cradle things that allows you to turn the car over onto its side
so you can get access to the underneath. Expensive though.
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ecosse
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| posted on 16/12/06 at 02:46 PM |
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Get a couple of M8's round and roll the thing on its side.
Cheers
Alex
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SeaBass
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| posted on 16/12/06 at 02:53 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by ecosse
Get a couple of M8's round and roll the thing on its side.
Cheers
Alex
Exactly - cruise round and find an old mattress to roll it onto if your worried about the drive!!!
I know someone who used to carry out maintenance on the underside of their mini like this. Didn't seem to damage the panels at all...
Cheers
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Liam
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| posted on 16/12/06 at 03:30 PM |
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If you're careful and methodical about safety it should be perfectly safe to work under a car. I always use good axle stands with old wheels
shoved under the car as a backup. Then a trolley jack with piece of wood under whatever you want to lower and there's really no danger.
Or alternatively if you have access to a fork lift truck like i did shove it on its side, undo a load of bolts, shove it back down then lift the whole
body off the running gear 
Liam
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Catpuss
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| posted on 16/12/06 at 03:44 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by robinj66
If you just want to remove the diff (and not the diff carrier etc) you will have to do most of the cutting from underneath anyway. You will also need
to remove the driveshafts.
i recently took the whole rear axle etc off a donor - best way i found was to use axle stands for the car body and a trolley jack under the diff and
the brake drums (need to borrow spares). It's then just a case of a few bolts at the rear (diff) and one on each side (frame to which the
trailing arms are attached.
Appreciate you don't like being underthe car at all but i was able to get these bolts off without actually being under the diff/carrier - the
jacks can then be lowered slighlty and used to bring the diff etc out from under the car.
If this is no good to you, can you bring in some help? Alternatively get one of those cradle things that allows you to turn the car over onto its side
so you can get access to the underneath. Expensive though.
Sounds interesting.
At the moment I have the left drive shaft off. Stupidly I then realised there wasn't enough room on the drive to access the right one.
D'oh.
The rear is up on axel stands at the moment with a trolley jack as back up.
The real arse is that the tow bar mounts in such a way that I can't get to the rear two bolts of the diff -> underbody mount.
Is the diff -> underbody mount bolted to the diff or is it something that, after removing the diff side bolts can be un hooked. The haynes book of
lies is its ususal unhelpful self..
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Catpuss
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| posted on 16/12/06 at 03:49 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by ecosse
Get a couple of M8's round and roll the thing on its side.
Cheers
Alex
I'd love too, but there isn't enough room on my drive for that. I've only got something like a foot clearance either side of the car
so there isn't enough room.
There is just enough room on the right for me to have pulled the drive shaft then realised that I now have three wheels and it was a really stupid
thing to do
I guess next week end is buy a big FOAD rear hub nut remover and put the drive shafts back on temporarily.
The shafts need new gaiters and I think one diff seal is weeping  Still its work that should be done anyway.
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MikeR
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| posted on 16/12/06 at 05:18 PM |
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daft question, is the engine still in the car?
If so do the jacking up bit, engine will counterbalance and you'll be fine + when it comes to lowering you're no where near.
I had a scare as two of us where working on a sierra at once .........
errm, amazing how fast you move when you realise the whole car is inching towards falling off the end of the garage 4 post lift at you!
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mark chandler
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| posted on 16/12/06 at 06:05 PM |
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Strip all you want, then when you take down to scrappy get him to invert and remove before it enters the skip.
Regards Mark
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big_wasa
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| posted on 16/12/06 at 06:10 PM |
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Get a mate to do it for you 
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02GF74
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| posted on 16/12/06 at 06:54 PM |
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not sure how relevant this is but I was able to remove and fit a diff, ok, it is mk 2 escort, english axle from above - far easier and saer than
getting underneath - cant remember if I had to remove thepetrol tank but think not.
now I have a boot floow it won't be so easy.
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locostv8
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| posted on 16/12/06 at 09:49 PM |
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Gently remove donor body.
http://wrangler.rutgers.edu/gallery2/v/7slotgrille/hssss/
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NS Dev
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| posted on 18/12/06 at 11:41 AM |
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cut the handbrake cables, big angle grinder through the transmission tunnel near the back and through the rear section of the propshaft.
quick foray under the rear of the car and undo the 4 bolts holding the bracket between the diff and the boot floor on (with trolley jack under the
diff) then remove jack when clear.
Then its just the two counterplate bolts and 1 big bolt each side at the rear of the sill, all of which can be done without getting under the car, and
the whole lot drops clean out.
Retro RWD is the way forward...........automotive fabrication, car restoration, sheetmetal work, engine conversion
retro car restoration and tuning
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JoelP
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| posted on 20/12/06 at 11:07 PM |
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if i was you, id buy a good book about panic and anxiety and approach that problem before the car. There are websites on the internet that can help
you manage any fears/issues. Having known several people who suffer from panic attacks, i have come to the conclusion that avoiding what you fear will
just reinforce the fear more. Definately for the best to overcome it if possible.
Number one rule though, before you decide to ignore your gut feeling about the car dropping on you, make sure it really cant! As they say,
'just cos you're paranoid doesnt mean they arent after you!'
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Catpuss
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| posted on 22/12/06 at 06:19 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by JoelP
if i was you, id buy a good book about panic and anxiety and approach that problem before the car. There are websites on the internet that can help
you manage any fears/issues. Having known several people who suffer from panic attacks, i have come to the conclusion that avoiding what you fear will
just reinforce the fear more. Definately for the best to overcome it if possible.
Aye spears are also the same for me too. I've had the right side of my nose smashed in by a spear when fighting against someone with one.
Never really liked them, though I have a tendancy when fighting against someone with a spear to just hack the end off these days. Its much more
amusing
quote:
Number one rule though, before you decide to ignore your gut feeling about the car dropping on you, make sure it really cant! As they say,
'just cos you're paranoid doesnt mean they arent after you!'
Aye, I shoved a stack of the alloy wheels under the back. If it does drop then it will be on to those.
Its been up on the stands for a week now and I'm going to get an angle grinder out next week to attack the tow bar and bolts on to the body.
I'm all ready to have another go then.
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