Okay, so the day finally arrived. I'm scared of tomorrow and pretty restless since I might be doing this alone. I'm going to ask a lot so please bear with me.


PARTS & TOOLS:
Front Diff
Pinion Seal
Nyloc Nut
Metric and SAE Sockets
All Size Ratchets
Impact gun
Lift
2 1/16" Socket
13mm 12pt socket

Okay,I finally got the pinion seal and nyloc nut from Atlantic British. Can somebody please check the links and make sure they will fit a '95 disco 1. Paranoid yes, I want to get this right the first time. Tomorrow I plan on changing the front differential at my school's shop. I'm going to write this step by step so I can use this as a reference later and so you guys can correct me where I'm wrong. Yes I downloaded the RAVE and using it also but somethings I need clarification on.

1. Take off the wheels, 5 lug nuts and removed. Easy.
2. Take off the brake caliper, using a 13mm 12pt socket remove the two retaining bolts holding it on.
3. Remove the 5 bolts and remove the circlip and drive shaft shim, drive member, then the joint washer.
4. Bend back the locker wash tabs (mine were not exactly locked on there, they were bent in two spots but all I had to do was use a flathead and pry it off slightly. was very easy. Is this normal?)
5. Remove locknut (I think this is the 2 and 1/16" socket right?) then remove the lock washer.
6. Remove the hub adjusting nut (is this also the 2 1/16" socket?) and the spacing washer.
7. Remove the hub and everything with it (should it come right off now?)

NOW THIS WHERE THE RAVE SEEMS TO LEAVE ME.

So after that it just says how to refit it. From what I understand to finish the job. I'm supposed to pull the axle shaft out a couple of inches on both sides so the differential has enough room to pull out. Isn't the axle shaft the rod that I took the circlip and stuff off of? So let's say I figure this out on my own once I get back to working on the rig, I then go to where the drive shaft is, which is the long pole under the vehicle connected to the front axle and attached to the differential housing. I just remove the 6 or however many bolts then pull out? Im about to re read my other threads and will update this post. Thanks guys.

I'll take the pics and post it all later if you guys help me with the DIY part :P

 

A quick explanation on the RAVE. Each major assembly has it's own section describing removal. You then proceed to the section addressing the front axle and complete the steps for removing it as far as you need to go, then proceed to the section addressing the driveshaft and so forth until you have worked your way to your final objective.

You then follow the reassembly which often merely states it is the opposite of disassembly. That is why I have compiled three or four 3 ring binders full of printed sections and some I took the time to crosstabulate, if you know what that is.

 

Congrats... I'll be doing some work on mine tomorrow. Nice to know someone else will be swearing at their rover too lol (even if it is a few thousand miles away). Good luck don't forget to pray to the rover gods before you get started.

 

I have to try to do this again, I ran out of time in the shop. Maybe tomorrow.

 

Is it such that you can do so much, leave it as is and come back to it the next day?

Just be very thorough with it.

 

Yeah I'm going to try again today maybe, so many things going on it's hard to find time to do big (to me) projects like this.

 

Hey guys just wanted to inform you that I changed my differential on Thursday! I'm just now telling you, Sunday night, because well I was grounded for working on Claire.. The 3 hour job I was expecting turned into a 6 hour job (6pm - 12am). She runs fine now, no noise on coasting and I looked at the old diff... on a single tooth it was chipped but no damage besides that. Though I will say the new front diff I got from will was semi screwed up. It has two screws that attach this circular thing and the steering dampener to it. When I switched out the screws from the old one to the new on one screw did not fit. It seems that when they took out the "new" diff they smacked it with a hammer and slightly closed the hole. So yeah.. story of my life. So I rebolted, reinstalled, EVERYTHING minus one screw and plan on fixing it "later". I also blew 1 of the 5 bolts that connect the front right drive member. But whatever.. alls well at the moment. Next is the headliner and the wheel bearings and the swivels.

Does anybody want a write up? I don't have pics because I was covered from fingertips to elbow in grease and guck (literally). But I do know what to do and most of the sizes..

 

Congrats Calebbo!!

Trust me, when I was your age, 1 extra bolt and only one empty bolt hole would have been considered a resounding success and I would have NEVER thought about it again! At least you PLAN to return to correct them...

Keep up the good work - be the tortoise...slowly, as you can afford and are comfortable/capable of doing...and in a few years (seems like an eternity from now...but it really does go fast - just ask ANY of the others on here) you will have a reliable machine to be proud of that YOU can fix ANYTHING if it breaks.

Hell of a sense of self reliability and security!

Again - congrats! First major repair under your belt.

 

Thanks for the support! On the upside she has no mechanical issues that I can think of besides needing, actually I should say wanting, new wheel bearings. On the downside the sentence for "staying out late on a weeknight" is 1 week without a phone or laptop (i'm on the school issued one at the moment) and not being able to work on Claire for a whole month..So having her presentable for Prom is a complete waste of thought, on the bright side again I might be able to use our fully loaded 2010 Blood Red Jetta...did I mention it was a 6 speed to take my lady friend?

 

6 Speed, 2010 Blood Red Jetta?

That would be impressive! Although, Claire has a lot more room...she might be the jealous type...