Replacing front diff?

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Stainless

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I’m finally making some forward progress on this!

I picked up an entire 3.73 front diff assembly for my ‘03 for $100 from a local used parts place. I just went in to look, and they had the thing on the shelf ready to go — SOLD!

I had a shop tell me that my front pinion bearing was completely screwed, and that because of it, I’d probably need new gears.

So, how hard is it to pull out the whole assembly and jam this one in to replace it? I’m rarely home due to work, and the shop guessed over-the-phone that it’d be 4-5 hours of labour.
Thanks!

-Al.
 

tommudd

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IF, and it is a big IF you know what you are doing a couple of hours max
Labor Rates will show I think 6 hours to R&R per JEEP
Most shops have no clue how to remove one unless they have done it before and know the tricks to doing it
I can do front and rear R&R in 3 hours or so depending on my mood
But then I have done several and know the tricks

So a shop never doing one or just one or two would take 4-5 hours
and also if you have never done one will take longer
Do not go by the JEEP service manual since it has you removing LCAs and all kinds of crazy stuff you do not have to do
Took me laying under mine for an hour or so studying which bolt to remove, which to cut since Jeep put 2 of them in backwards , what to move etc to figure it out first time, now easy
 
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JeepJeepster

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Took me laying under mine for an hour or so studying which bolt to remove, which to cut since Jeep put 2 of them in backwards , what to move etc to figure it out first time, now easy

I thought very seriously about cutting one of those bolts but I opted to just mark the cam bolt and remove it... Only had to remove the drivers side bolt and I was able to use a pry bar to hold the control arm out of the way while I removed the diff bolt.
 

tommudd

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I thought very seriously about cutting one of those bolts but I opted to just mark the cam bolt and remove it... Only had to remove the drivers side bolt and I was able to use a pry bar to hold the control arm out of the way while I removed the diff bolt.
You just cut the bolts holding the rack in place, never have to touch the LCAs
then drops right out, plenty of room
 

Stainless

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IF, and it is a big IF you know what you are doing...

Heh, let me stop you right there! It sounds like the labour money will be well spent. I’ll definitely make sure to mention the part about cutting the rack bolts to make it easier/faster, though! Thanks for the responses!

-Al.
 

tommudd

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Heh, let me stop you right there! It sounds like the labour money will be well spent. I’ll definitely make sure to mention the part about cutting the rack bolts to make it easier/faster, though! Thanks for the responses!

-Al.
Not rack, sorry to confuse, brain dead here
the bolts that go through the brackets that hold the diff in place and attach near the rack ( front crossmember )
 

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