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Dropping the Diff

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TR6BILL

Luke Skywalker
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I am gonna drop the differential on my car soon and want to do it without breaking my back. I installed it years ago with the help of a young, strong son. I am all alone now and cannot do it by hand. Don't want to buy a tranny jack. I have a quality floor jack but know the diff won't fit or rest on it with any desired certainty. Any suggestions, like make a cradle to fit atop the floor jack?
 
I did the Stag diff (which is even heavier and more awkward than a TR6, due to the extension bolted to the front of it), using my floor jack and a helping hand to keep the diff balanced on it. The jack certainly took the brunt of the effort required to raise and lower the diff. Once the diff was lowered free of the car, I was able to move it around until it balanced, then use the jack as a trolley to roll it out.

However, the jack jaw did scratch up the powder coat when I put the diff back in, so next time I'll try dropping a towel or something over it first.
 
Same here. I did it myself, just with the floor jack. But about 15 years ago so maybe my reflexes were better. Go slowly and you can keep it balanced.

Randy
 
Bill, next time I remove mine, I'm going to see if I can make a wooden cradle to fit on top of the floor jack. It will have to have a hole on the middle for the jack's rotating cup and shallow sides. That's about all I've figured out so far.
 
Bill, I installed the Nissan diff alone with the help of a floor jack and a couple of cargo straps slung over the diff bridge. A real pain but possible. How about building a small wooden cradle to interface between the diff and your floor jack?
 
71tr said:
Bill, How about building a small wooden cradle to interface between the diff and your floor jack?
Click to expand...
:thumbsup: Sounds like a good idea.
 
Bill: Take many photos, please.

I have a new diff just waiting to be installed but
like you, I must do it myself and I am old and decrepit
just like you. :lol: I also have been trying to figure
out a one man procedure.

When you figure it out, take notes and photos?
PS- Don't kill yourself, we like you too much for that.

The U.S.P.S. tells me my diff weighs 72 pounds.

regards,

dale
 
I made a wooden cradle for the diff that fits on to my spare floor jack. It made it a one person operation even for a weak 60 yo like me.

Dale....FYI...my Nissan diff weighted in at 83 lbs while the stock TR6 one was 70 lbs so there's no weight savings with the Nissan upgrade.

Nothing fancy but it works

DiffHolderJack.jpg
 
BobbyD- Thanks for the photos. In your
photo No. 4 there appears to be an additional
piece of lumber holding up the axle flange.
Is this correct?

I will be swapping out a bum diff for a better diff.
I am guessing I don't need to mess with the rear hubs
or trailing arms?

I think I can simply put your jack concept under my
in-place diffy and then unbolt the three flanges and
four diffy mounts; then lower the old diffy down?

Does this make sense?

thanks,

d
 
Cuz, a suggestion. Make sure you get new nyloc nuts for the ujoint flanges. DO NOT use the old nyloc nuts. Once used, then become abused. Trash the old ones. You do not need a flange coming apart...
 
RonMacPherson said:
Make sure you get new nyloc nuts for the ujoint flanges. DO NOT use the old nyloc nuts.
Click to expand...
:iagree:
For my own Triumphs, since I've had trouble in the past with those nuts backing off (even new Nylocs), I now use metal-to-metal interference locknuts, what MMC calls "Oval Lock with Conical Top" nuts But normally, new Nylocs should do.
 
Randall........ great tip, especially as I'll be dropping my diff again this winter to try and figure out where the latest clunk is coming from. I never re-use nyloc nuts so I'd be buying new nuts anyway. How hard are these oval nuts to turn?

But my big question is........how the heck did you get the McMaster link to the specific part? As near as I can tell, everything in that online catalog is in Java and, as a result, I can never link to anything specific. So.... the secret is?
 
Never tried to measure the difference, but they are harder to turn than Nylocs. Not twice as hard, I would guess, but maybe 50% harder. Still quite doable with ordinary hand tools.

Within the MMC catalog, the top of each page has a button marked "FORWARD THIS PAGE". If you forward it to yourself, you can see how the link is formed. You can either do that each time (which is probably safer), or save the body of the link and just change the page number.

But it has to be a catalog page, not just a particular part. If you have just a single part up, click on the part number to bring it to the panel on the left, and that panel will have a link for "catalog page".

There probably is a way to link to a specific part, but I've never bothered taking apart the Java enough to find out what it is.
 
Bill, just drive it to work and have your assistant help you! That's what you pay her for! She should be good with extractions!
 
Bob: This is not for you because I know you will check everything but, for our other readers, check the two tappered bolts fastening the Nissan diff to the rear GP kit hanger. I recall Alan complaining about hearing a noise before the bolt back out and allowed his diff to rack and tear the front GP kit hanger. OUCH.

By the way guys, I removed the stock diff and installed the Nissan all alone and without wooden blocking or boxes. I just balanced the diff on the floor jack and in it went. Just go slow.
 
BobbyD said:
I never re-use nyloc nuts so I'd be buying new nuts anyway. How hard are these oval nuts to turn?
Click to expand...
Bob,
You should be able to find these at the Nutty Company on RT 34 in downtown Derby. They are much less expensive than McCarr and not too far away from you.
Tom C
 
Trick6 said:
By the way guys, I removed the stock diff and installed the Nissan all alone and without wooden blocking or boxes. I just balanced the diff on the floor jack and in it went.
Click to expand...

Um Al.....when you told me the story of you putting in the diff by yourself it sounded much funnier......you under the car balancing the diff on the jack while you tried to pump the jack handle with your foot and maneuver the whole thing so the holes all lined up. You're the reason I built the diff carrier! LOL :thumbsup:
 
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