[shaeff]

<3 fabrication.

On a related side note: I just picked up a 90k mile 3.38 LSD with a Mike R. diff brace already on it for $550 shipped.

My stock diff worked fine, but I've wanted a 3.38 for a while now. Not to mention the fact that when I removed the subframe, one of the axle stubs pulled about 1.5" out of the diff. I can't imagine that's normal. LOL.

[OahuMPower]

while it's not "normal", it's perfectly fine for those flanges to come out......

[PurduinaM3]

You bought the diff that I was going to buy I hate joo




good luck with it all and let us know how you like the 3.38!!

[Roland H]

Originally Posted by shaeff

On a related side note: I just picked up a 90k mile 3.38 LSD with a Mike R. diff brace already on it for $550 shipped.

That's a great price. I'm thinking about selling my 3.38 with 68k miles on sometime soon, but for a little more.

My stock diff worked fine, but I've wanted a 3.38 for a while now. Not to mention the fact that when I removed the subframe, one of the axle stubs pulled about 1.5" out of the diff. I can't imagine that's normal. LOL.

It's actually completely normal. The output flanges pop right out of the diff with very little force. Much easier than unbolting all of those inverse torx bits.

[shaeff]

Originally Posted by OahuMPower

while it's not "normal", it's perfectly fine for those flanges to come out......

Good to know!

Originally Posted by PurduinaM3

You bought the diff that I was going to buy I hate joo




good luck with it all and let us know how you like the 3.38!!

LOL, sorry dude! Prime opportunity for me to swap it out while the rear is apart so I jumped on it! I'll post my thoughts on the 3.38. I'm sure I'll love it! I'm an acceleration *****. LOL

Originally Posted by Roland H

That's a great price. I'm thinking about selling my 3.38 with 68k miles on sometime soon, but for a little more.



It's actually completely normal. The output flanges pop right out of the diff with very little force. Much easier than unbolting all of those inverse torx bits.

There ya go, Bobby! Buy Roland's! I agree, def. a great price.

I'm glad it's normal. I was planning to remove the diff cover anyway to inspect those pesky bolts that supposedly back out. Should I do the same with the 3.38 and loctite them?

Maybe I can sell my 3.15 now to recoup a little money. Worked fine, and only has 101k on it. I'm quite happy now!

[PurduinaM3]

Hey Roland, I'll trade you my seats for joor 3.38 and brake pads

[Roland H]

Hah! Thanks but no thanks. Diff for $650+shipping is probably going to be my asking price if I do let her go.

[shaeff]

So I went out today around noon, maybe 1pm to start disassembling my subframe assy. Got it all pretty much broken down now.

I also received my new rear subframe, which was cool as hell. Someone tried to burn one or two of the bushings out. Whoever it was got one bushing's guts removed, but the steel sleeve remained. Of the five total subframe bushings (4 sub mounts, 1 diff mount) it only took me fifteen minutes to remove them all.

The MIS RTAB puller worked like a charm. I used a small propane torch to heat the subframe around the bushings, not hot, just warm them up- then used the RTAB puller to pop them right out. No issues at all.

I even put two larger nuts in between the end of the puller and the front diff bushing and used the same method. Popped right out. I'll weld my reinforcements either tomorrow (if I have time) or during the week/next weekend. Not sure when yet. Tomorrow I'm going to help my friend pull the front differential out of his pickup. In exchange for helping him do that, he's letting me use the shop press to take care of all the other bushings (upper/lower control arms, and the knuckle bushings.

I didn't pick up new wheel bearings yet, I have to go back and read where Cal got his *** wheel bearings, as I want to replace/repack them like he did.

My question for the day: Should I remove/loctite the bolts in my new 3.38 differential while it's out of the car? Is this something I should be worried about? The seller removed the rear cover and said everything looks great inside. Just wondering if this is worth while at this point in time.

Here's a bunch of pics I took of the progress.
"New" rear subframe. Note the surface rust- mostly from where someone tried to burn one or two of the bushings out then quit.




Left RTA detatched. After a few brief pics I kinda skipped the rest of disassembly. Once the subframe is out it's super easy to take apart. Took me only a few minutes with an 18mm open end wrench and an impact gun. <3 air tools:






Note the difference between these two pics. Old vs New:



Why I decided to replace rather than weld. This was failing before I got the car and I missed it while I was inspecting it. Live and learn:






Used my MIS Tools RTAB puller to remove the subframe bushings. Works very well if you lightly heat the outer subframe sleeve where the bushings are pressed into. Don't need it super hot, just enough to make the rubber greasy and they pop right out:











Even used it on the front differential mount bushing, simply using two larger nuts as spacers to push out the bushing. A little heat and it popped right out:



All the bushings from the subframe- the one that's already hogged out is the one that was burned out already:


My MIS RTAB tool:


And last for today, the bare subframe all ugly and surface rusted. I have an outdoor sandblaster so after I do the welding I'll blast it and paint. I decided I don't currently have the funds for powdercoating, as I've got a project car that sucks up lots of money. Paint will do until the project car is complete.

[OahuMPower]

wow.... some serious work there, and that old subframe was NUTZ...

[OahuMPower]

Get rear wheel bearings from CMUZZY on BFC... $44 a piece