On my new car, it has the wrong gear ratio in it, and my old parts car has one I would like to put in it. So I plan to swap them.

My new car is a northern car with some rust. The bolts are rusted into the LCA's and Panhard. So I need to cut them out.

I'm thinking die grinder and sawzall. Anyone ever had to do this before and have some tips for me? Other better solutions?

 

Why not just swap the gears out instead of the entire rear end?

 

Let the rear hang down as far as it can, so that you don't get the spring force slamming anything into you.
Remove the shocks so it'll hang really low, then chop your panhard and LCA's. Hopefully you can save the TA, it might come in handy.

 

comp, I dont have the tools to swap gears. Plus the axle housing on this one is rusted quite a bit as well.

Sonix, Where are you saying to cut? I guess I could cut them all in half first, then that would give me more space to move about under the car to make more precise cuts at the mount points.

 

Usually when the bolts are rusted inside the bushings, beating the snot out of them with an air hammer will get them free.

 

I was wacking on them with a 5lb mallet, no movement.

Last night I sprayed them with more penetrating oil, if they wont come out on there own sat, they will be getting cut.

 

Air tools and oxyacetylene torches always works for me.

You don't have the tools to do a gear swap and you're trying to do a diff swap with hands tools?

 

We didnt want to bust out the torch for it may catch the rubber on fire.

I have 2 walls of tools, but for a gear swap you need feeler gauges and micrometers correct?

To me, id rather swap in an axle I've had for 5 years, correct gears, not rusted, better e-brake cables. Cause the rusted up bolts need to be removed anyway.

 

definetly use a torch! im swapping a moser 12 in right now and the only thing that got the panhard bar bolt out was a a lot of propane.

you dont have to worry about catching the rubber on fire unless you put the flame right on it.

I also tried to sawzall it out but had no luck.

Craftsman make a tool set called easy outs that have saved my butt on many ocasions. if you have some spare change you should look at them.

 

If the old suspension bolts are that rusty then the bushings are probably not in that good of condition anyway. If they're still original, you should think about changing them so don't worry about burning them.

 

Luckly I got off work early today. 7.5 hours to pull the rusted one out.

Ended up torching the lca's in half. Then that gave alot more angles/space to move about. Cut the threaded part off right at the body. Cut the head right between the head n washer. Spread the mount and they popped out. Had to do this to the panhard as well but didnt cut it in half.

First then in the morning I push my old car tail end up to this one and pull it out. Luckly its all loose already with no rust. All I really half to undo is the break system.

This is one hell of a job, hopefully 2 step lower in gears is worth it.