Help needed to remove diff carrier on A frame 350

[jchase]

I'm a bit stuck. It all started out with a duff UJ, and its all got a bit out of hand.

I had previously removed the driveshafts and hubs, and one of the A arms, after hacksawing through two siezed bolts. However on the remaining attached A arm, one of the bolts is rusted solid inside the bushing and there is no access for a hack saw, and hammering has no effect. So I started to remove the diff carrier, so I could put the whole lot in a vice or press. I removed all but one bolt which is (no prize for the answer here) siezed inside the bushing crush tube. I tied twisting the carrier, jacking the diff, kicking, swearing , etc. and after a few hours I manged to loosen the four 16mm headed bolts that keep the two smaller brackets on the diff, but theres not enough room to remove them!

Help! don't make me remove the diff...

[number 7]

jchase said:

I'm a bit stuck. It all started out with a duff UJ, and its all got a bit out of hand. I had previously removed the driveshafts and hubs, and one of the A arms, after hacksawing through two siezed bolts. However on the remaining attached A arm, one of the bolts is rusted solid inside the bushing and there is no access for a hack saw, and hammering has no effect. So I started to remove the diff carrier, so I could put the whole lot in a vice or press. I removed all but one bolt which is (no prize for the answer here) siezed inside the bushing crush tube. I tied twisting the carrier, jacking the diff, kicking, swearing , etc. and after a few hours I manged to loosen the four 16mm headed bolts that keep the two smaller brackets on the diff, but theres not enough room to remove them! Help! don't make me remove the diff...

Well you've got that far............time to overhaul brakes....so much easier with the diff out. Anyway, just had a quick squint at mine (not on stands or anything). There are two horizontal bolts at the front of the carrier/chassis, two vertical bolts at the rear of the carrier/chassis and two vertical bolts holding the diff to the carrier....tell me if I've missed any. Are you sure that even if you get all of these out, the carrier comes off from below, as the two bolts from the diff are on brackets underneath the carrier - or are you taking one or both brackets off as well? Which bolt is seized?

7.

[jchase]

Hi 7,

Well, I had already removed the two horizontal bolts at the front of the carrier, and the two vertical bolts at the rear of the carrier, and one of the two central bolts that goes through the carrier. The other central bolt is siezed into the bushing. I've managed to hacksaw through three of the four setscrews which hold the two secondary brackets to the diff. The last one [setscrew] should be sawed through tomorrow and the carrier and A arm should then drop free. But how on earth am I supposed to put it back together?

-Jim

[number 7]

jchase said:

Hi 7, Well, I had already removed the two horizontal bolts at the front of the carrier, and the two vertical bolts at the rear of the carrier, and one of the two central bolts that goes through the carrier. The other central bolt is siezed into the bushing. I've managed to hacksaw through three of the four setscrews which hold the two secondary brackets to the diff. The last one [setscrew] should be sawed through tomorrow and the carrier and A arm should then drop free. But how on earth am I supposed to put it back together? -Jim

I do seem to remember that the brackets/diff/carrier had to go in a particular order. TBH you're this far, you might as well take the diff out completely, rather than trying to struggle with it all still in place. Look on it as a good opportunity to replace the bushes, handbrake pads, discs and overhaul all 4 calipers. And check for chassis cracks around the diff - mine had a few. The only fiddly bit I found (admittedly doing it single handed last time) was keeping the diff stable whilst jacking it up to align with the diff beam - oh yes, check for cracks/breakage there as well - I've busted two on different Wedges. The earlier version without the webbing can be prone to break - mine broke in 2 places.

Such are the joys of ownership

7.

[gsx600]

The only way we got the arm of was to use a gas welder / cutter on the bushes to get rid of the rubber / heat up bits etc. Mind you I had the use of brother in laws MOT place and all ramps / tools etc on a sunday afternoon. Even with the gear it took us a good 3 to 4 hours to remove A frame, replace bushes, and diff seals on one side as totally seized !!
The side with the leaking diff oil seal was easy

[jchase]

Its all apart! finally, I had to hack saw through the remaining bolts, and then hacksaw through the A arms ones on the bench in a vice. Now to fit new bushes...

-Jim