Member Since: 05 Sep 2014
Location: Newquay
Posts: 1014
Front Differential Repair. How I Did It.
Ok so I thought I'd share how I successfully repaired my grinding front diff. This isn't the correct way to fully referbish the diff as that requires lots of measuring and different spacers which isn't what I did. I don't even believe a full rebuild is necessary for the damage I found in my diff.
First off you need drain the oil and remove the diff. This requires a reasonable amount of stripping down to the front suspension. The sole purpose of this is to allow space to withdraw the drive shafts from the diff itself. The left hand side only required the top ball joint to be popped from the upright and the brake flexy bracket be unbolted from its mid point bracket. This gives enough room for the LH drive shaft to be removed from the splines and diff case. The Right hand side of the diff assembly is a bit different. There is an extension tube fitted to the diff case with the drive shaft running through this tube into the diff splines. This extension tube needs to be removed from the diff case as it can remain on the drive shaft. There are 4 bolts to remove from its diff side flange and 1nut and bolt through a rubber bushed mounting into the chassis.
One the bolts are removed, the extension tube can be pulled slightly away from the diff flange and the extension tube rotated through 180° so as to position the rubber mount above the chassis rail. The extention tube is sealed to the diff case with a thin O ring. Care is needed to ensure this renains undamaged. At this point the RH suspension needs to stripped to the same state as the LH side. There is an additional bit of stripping required on the RH side before the drive shaft/ extension housing can be completely withdrawn from the diff case. I found that removing the front lower wishbone bolt gave enough extra room to get the drive shaft completely free of the diff. I marked the wishbone bolt position in relation to the chassis bracket, so the bolt can be put back in the same place on refitting.
Suspension stripped.
LH side. You can just see my small trolley jack under the diff.
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RH side
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Now the drive shafts are free from the diff the remainder of the fixtures can be removed.
The front prop was first.
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The I placed a trolley jack under the diff case so that I could remove the mounts.
First off I removed the front bolt.
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I replace this bolt with a suitable sized screw driver to allow for quick removal later.
Next I removed the three side bolts and the breather pipe.
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At this point I removed my screwdriver and lowered the diff, keeping it balanced on the trolley jack.
Next up, the investigation of the problem.
For ease, I used my trusty Work Mate as a make shift bench, rather than messing up my clean workshop bench.
Care is needed when lifting the diff due to the weight, I guess it's about 30 to 40 Kgs.
Investigation requires the diff casing to be split so that the bearings are visible. This design if diff is relatively easy to strip. It's a design that Dana (the manufacturer) call a clamshell.
Click image to enlarge
To split the clam casing is simple. There's a ring of 14 bolts around the perimeter that need to be removed. These are all the same length so noting position isn't important. Once all the bolts are removed, the casing can be split. The casing is sealed with grey silicone sealer so a bit of leverage may be necessary.
Once split, this is what you will see
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This is the crown wheel side of the diff. I checked the condition of the bearing rollers and tracks, these looked fine.
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Click image to enlarge
Now flipped the diff over. To do this I refitted the crown wheel side of the case, held them tightly together and inverted the whole unit.
I now lifted off the pinion housing side of the case. This is a bit heavier but not unduly so.
I again inspected the bearings and found the cause of the rumble.
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
It was very obvious that the bearings were braking up. Some rollers were very pitted, others were undamaged. As to the cause, I've no clue but I found no evidence of this pain pealing, these diffs are supposed to suffer. Just this failed bearing.
I span the pinion to check for noise and roughness. The pinion bearings seemed smooth and quiet so was left alone.
Next up, the bearing replacement. This was pretty straightforward if you have a universal bearing puller.
I used my trusty puller to pull the inner race off the diff cage. I used a 30mm socket as a spacer.
Click image to enlarge
Once the inner race is off the cage, it was time to remove the outer bearing ring. This needs to be tapped out of the pinion housing side of the diff case. I first removed the drive shaft oil seal with a single smart tap with a hammer on the back of a stout screwdriver. Then the casing is flipped over so the outer ring can be removed. Again I used my screwdriver and hammer. This is used to catch the thin lip of the ring that is visible once the oil seal is removed. There is also a shim in there which needs to be avoided. It's difficult to describe but you'll see it if you are doing the job. I tappet the ring on opposite sides, moving it a little at a time until it's free.
Now the rebuild.
First off, no tools are needed for this, just the old bearing. I split the race cage to give me a free inner and outer with a collection of rollers.
I started with the inner race. This is drifted onto the cage using the old inner race as a drift, along with my trusty hammer.
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
The new outer ring is simply tapped into the pinion housing, using the old outer ring as a tapping block. Tapping one side then the other until it's fully home. Don't forget to refit the shim if it came out.
Click image to enlarge
Once the bearings are fully home, the flange between the two halves need cleaning and new sealer applied. However before sealing I fitted the two halves, bolting up 4 bolts to make sure the diff was free to turn. This is best done before it's all sticky with sealer.
Once it's checked for correct operation, sealer can be applied and bolts tightened to final torque. I couldn't find any information on actual bolt torque so set them to 120Nm which is close to what they were when I removed them.
I used this sealer
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I applied it like this
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Once I'd tightened all 14 bolts to 120Nm I fitted a new drive shaft oil seal. This is simply tapped into the casing. I used the old outer ring as a drift for this.
Click image to enlarge
Refitting the diff is a basic reversal of the removal procedure, however the diff is a heavy old lump and may require a helper to get it back in. Check that the O ring is fitted into the diff on the extension side.
Don't forget to refill the oil.
The parts I used are easy and cheap to obtain.
The bearing is listed as 2 parts but both are generally supplied together. These are Timken LM603049 for the cone (contains the inner race and rollers) and LM603011 for the cup. This bearing can be found on the net for about £20. It's also a wheel bearing for some earlier Land Rovers.
The drive shaft oil seal is TZB500050 and is around £10 at a dealer or off the net.
The sealer I used is Loctite SI5660. This is my seal anything sealer and is well under £10 from motor factors and Halfords.
Oil is around £15 from Opie.
So doing this job will cost about £50 with the new oil. This is a considerable saving on a new / reconditioned replacement.
I hope this information helps others.
CheersFreelander SE 2005 Auto.
D3 TDV6. Gone.
Last edited by Nodge68 on 23rd Sep 2015 12:54 pm. Edited 11 times in total
9th Sep 2015 6:16 pm
Disco_Mikey
Member Since: 29 May 2007
Location: Dundee, Scotland
Posts: 20855
Watching with interest,as my diff is growling away. Though I expect you are doing exactly what I had intended to do...My D3 Build Thread
Member Since: 08 Jun 2010
Location: cotswolds
Posts: 1482
Ahh the suspense, please continue
Or do we have to wait until next Wednesday for the next episode.
Andi.
9th Sep 2015 7:04 pm
grzesiul
Member Since: 11 May 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 6415
wed 9PM
9th Sep 2015 7:39 pm
eenomc
Member Since: 07 Oct 2013
Location: Moray
Posts: 173
Excellent write up Nodge68, done 4 diffs now exactly the same way. Only extra thing i do is put the inner bearing race in the oven at 130C to make it a little easier to slide on. Funny how it is always the same bearing that breaks up too.
9th Sep 2015 8:39 pm
Bodsy Site Sponsor
Member Since: 06 Nov 2006
Location: In the Clubhouse
Posts: 21361
Great write up Nodge
I've got a diff in the shed, might strip it apart once I've done all the other things I need to do!Bodsys Brake Bible
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9th Sep 2015 9:28 pm
Allan_T
Member Since: 10 Sep 2012
Location: Northampton
Posts: 1034
Good job
Just had the front diff replaced so I'll likely take the old one apart and rebuild as a spare.GAP IID Pro Multi Vehicle Defender L316 2007-2015 - Discovery 3 - Discovery 4 - Discovery Sport L550 - Freelander 2 - Range Rover Evoque L538 - Range Rover L322 - Range Rover L405 - Range Rover Sport L320 - Range Rover Sport L494 Electrical Fault Diagnostics
9th Sep 2015 9:54 pm
DN D3 Decade
Member Since: 23 Jun 2006
Location: W.London.
Posts: 2346
Great write up Nodge do you have a p/no for the offending bearing,( I can see Timken LM603011 on part of it but not too sure to go by that) and the oil seal etc, and can you suggest a supplier ?D3 owned from new, P017 brake recall, BAS FBHIC, new FBH, LR013487 oil pump, new water pump. RRS front lower suspension arms. New suspension compressor/ relay. New Denso alternator. CuNifer rear brake pipes. New GKN rear propshaft. New HPFP belt & tensioner. New A/C Condenser.NO WARRANTY for many many years.
9th Sep 2015 10:06 pm
DDDad
Member Since: 10 Jan 2015
Location: Angus
Posts: 1201
hugeviking wrote:
Ahh the suspense, please continue
Or do we have to wait until next Wednesday for the next episode.
It's a real diff-hanger! Went for a job as a human cannonball. Not the right calibre.
9th Sep 2015 10:45 pm
Sloss
Member Since: 18 Aug 2013
Location: Aberdeenish
Posts: 1691
Quote:
he new outer ring is simply tapped into the pinion housing, using the old outer ring as a tapping block. Tapping one side then the other until it's fully home. Don't forget to refit the shim if it came out.
I'm wondering if that shim is part of the initial build to get the correct bearing fit?
The new bearing may be a micron or too different in size.
Excellent job Stew,
2010 D4 gone but I really loved it
Went back to Merc - C350 AMG
10th Sep 2015 8:51 am
Nodge68
Member Since: 05 Sep 2014
Location: Newquay
Posts: 1014
eenomc wrote:
Excellent write up Nodge68, done 4 diffs now exactly the same way. Only extra thing i do is put the inner bearing race in the oven at 130C to make it a little easier to slide on. Funny how it is always the same bearing that breaks up too.
Thank you
I've used heat to help bearing fit on other diffs and gearboxes but decided not to in this case. The old one came off easy enough so decided the new one will go on easy, which it did.
I'd read that it's only the one side that fails on these diffs. Maybe it's something to do with the loadings applied by the drive shaft, in addition to taking diff carrier loads.
I'd have thought the bearing would be rated to take the load. Interestingly, the same bearing is used as a wheel bearing in some LR models.Freelander SE 2005 Auto.
D3 TDV6. Gone.
10th Sep 2015 11:48 am
Nodge68
Member Since: 05 Sep 2014
Location: Newquay
Posts: 1014
Sloss wrote:
Quote:
he new outer ring is simply tapped into the pinion housing, using the old outer ring as a tapping block. Tapping one side then the other until it's fully home. Don't forget to refit the shim if it came out.
I'm wondering if that shim is part of the initial build to get the correct bearing fit?
The new bearing may be a micron or too different in size.
Excellent job
These Timken bearings are made to such exact specifications, the new one should be fine on the old shims. It's prudent to check for tightness with a temporary case closing, as I did. Freelander SE 2005 Auto.
D3 TDV6. Gone.
10th Sep 2015 12:06 pm
Disco_Mikey
Member Since: 29 May 2007
Location: Dundee, Scotland
Posts: 20855
Nodge68 wrote:
I'd have thought the bearing would be rated to take the load. Interestingly, the same bearing is used as a wheel bearing in some LR models.
Member Since: 15 Jul 2015
Location: Southampton, 'Ampshir'
Posts: 169
More likely the torque/power applied by the pinion causing the one bearing to more highly loaded than the other. The other possibility is the castings when machined have traces of 'fines' left hidden that migrate more easily to that bearing, or debris from the gears...
Good job, though I'd use a hammer and drift I'd remove the outer when installing the inner and bearing to reduce mass and the possibility of brinelling the new bearing, a press is better if you have one.
10th Sep 2015 12:19 pm
DDDad
Member Since: 10 Jan 2015
Location: Angus
Posts: 1201
Learnt a new word: brinelling. "To make a permanent indentation in a surface". Went for a job as a human cannonball. Not the right calibre.
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