Tips & Advice for removing front differntial?

[imq707s]

I've got a 97' Mountaineer (same as an X) with AWD. I'm going to be pulling the front diff out tomorrow night because it sounds like some of the carrier bearing could be going bad.

As far as I can tell...here are the steps I need to go through in order to remove it....please tell me if there is anything I'm leaving out.

1. Remove the tires, brake calipers, caliper mounts, and rotors.
2. Remove the front driveshaft from the pinion yoke.
2. Remove the wheel bearing hubs
3. Pull the CV shafts out of the differential (they just pull out right??)
4. Remove the 4 mounting bolts that hold the diff in, and pull the entire thing out.

Is it that easy??...or are there some things that I'm forgeting?

How much time am I looking at to remove the front diff?

Thanks for the help.

 

[Jbrobeck]

DONT PULL ON THE CV SHAFTS! make sure you dont seperate the CV's at the joint or it can be a PITA as well as damaging to the joint. You should be able to pry between the diff and the part of the shaft and pop the shaft out that way, its just a spring clip providing the tension so it comes out without "too" much effort.

 

[Blee1099]

multiple threads. Please only post your question in one section of this forum.