Drop IRS for diff bushing change - Tips?

[cm.]

Hi All,

 

I have an XR6 FG Mk II with of course a shot diff bush. I've been on a bit of a DIY learning spree lately and am contemplating doing the job myself in my (smallish) garage. I have 8 jack stands and obviously a jack to do this with - no hoist obviously. 

 

My plan is something like the following:

 

1) Put the car on stands and remove the rear wheels

2) Disconnect tailshaft (mark position with paint), parking brake, brake calipers, ABS sensor

3) Paint mark all the bolts on the IRS, then undo most of the bolts holding the IRS in

4) Using the jack, drop the rear of the car into the floor, with a plank of wood under the IRS on a

5) Undo the last of the bolts and raise the car back up onto stands

6) Slide the the IRS out from the side of the car on the wood plank (I might screw in some handles onto the wood to assist moving 200kg+)

7) Replace the bushings using some good youtube vids... (Ideas?)

8) Put the new bushings in

9) slide the IRS back under the car

10) Very Very slowly... drop the car back onto the IRS... bit by bit...

11) Connect everything back up without torquing

12) Raise car, torque everything back up aligning bolts in position via paint marks

13) Schedule in a wheel alignment for the following day. 

 

Doable? Has anyone done this before? 

 

I'll budget a whole weekend for the job including a couple of trips down to bunnings/repco/SCA for bits I'll be sure to be missing.

 

---- Tools for the job ----

 

Safety:

- safety glasses & gloves

- Jacks & Jack Stands

 

IRS Removal:

- Breaker bar

- Sockets & wrenches

- Uni socket

- Paint marker

- large plank of wood...

- bungee cord (to hold calipers onto the frame)

 

Bush removal:

- hack saw

- Hole saw??

- large sockets to press out the bush (plan to use something like this guide: https://www.suspension.com/blog/how-to-install-a-bushing-without-a-press/)

 

Bush install:

- Small wood plank and hammer??

- still researching this one...

- Whatever grease the bush manufacturer recommends

 

IRS install:

- removable threadlocker

- Torque wrench

Also - while the IRS is out, anything else I should replace while there? Car has done 126,000km

[Renton]

Sounds like you're on the right track. There's quite a few videos on youtube if you haven't searched already.

 

Not sure how you plan to jack the car up and down with the cradle out, but I'd be putting it up on stands first then lower/raise the cradle in and out using a trolley jack.

[cm.]

Thanks - I thought about the method regarding jacking up the cradle, however my question is how? If I lower the IRS with the jack... how do I then get it off the jack and slide it out without risking it tipping over. Same with reverse - how do I slide the the jack under the IRS, then slide the IRS under the car and jack the thing up without risking it falling over and damaging something? I could use a plank of wood but I'm still a bit uneasy about it. 

 

Cheers.

Edited 02/10/18 02:47 PM by cm.

[El Andrew]

When I removed mine I lowered it onto two planks of wood with castors on them that I'd made for moving furniture at home on my own. You can get these at Bunnings already made too.

One under each end, then just rolled it out.

[Puffwagon]

That's a good idea. I just dragged mine out and I can tell you that they aren't light! 

[El Andrew]

Lol I then loaded it into the back of a Ford Transit with one other guy and a jack, with the brake discs, springs and arms still attached.

I agree, they aren't light!

[cm.]

Thanks for the tip regarding the wood + castors, I was brainstorming something like that actually but thought with the castors that clearance might be an issue. 

 

So I guess that solves one issue - the other is how do I lower and raise the IRS safely without risk of it tipping over? I've thought of maybe buying a cheap second jack from gumtree and lowering slowly from both sides? This will be a one man job though so could be a bit of a fk around. After the job is done I'll sell the jack again. 

[Puffwagon]

I used one jack at the back and a long pole and another jack on the front.

 

Someone needs to develop a cradle adapter, similar to a transmission adapter, and then send me one for the great idea 

[4321]

try fleabay for hydraulic scissor lift table $250 +delivery rated to 150kg (what would they know) done my rear bush's 2 weeks ago-roll it under where you want it, jack it up, unbolt everything, drop it down, wheel it out, do what you have to do, wheel it back under, jack it back into position put some bolts in & done! it's very stable obviously it adjust to a usable work height. I had my complete  mtr , box & frount suspension on it a couple of months ago & it didn't worry it. Have had it for 6-7 years & it gets used (abused?) regulary

[Ralph Wiggum]

On 03/10/2018 at 9:54 AM, Puffwagon said:

I used one jack at the back and a long pole and another jack on the front.

 

Someone needs to develop a cradle adapter, similar to a transmission adapter, and then send me one for the great idea 

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