Diff swap- do I need anything else?

[Jafxod]

I Highly recomend ratchet wrenches If you dont plan on dropping the subframe. I took me an entire night to tigten the 4 main bolts down with just a normal wrench, having to tighten it 15 degrees at a time while using a jack handle on the wrench for enought torque to turn it.

[rammstein]

I Highly recomend ratchet wrenches If you dont plan on dropping the subframe. I took me an entire night to tigten the 4 main bolts down with just a normal wrench, having to tighten it 15 degrees at a time while using a jack handle on the wrench for enought torque to turn it.

I bought a set last night based on comments like this! Hopefully it will work out now.

As for the cv boots, I am wondering if I am better off just getting new axles? Napa apparently sells rebuilt axles for $140 apiece. The also have 'new' ones for $90, but for some reason I don't trust that. If I just said screw it and bought new axles, changing them should be easy, right? I think I would just need to get a 30MM impact socket to get off that one big bolt and then it just comes off, right?

[bimmerteck]

The nuts holding the driveshaft to the diff are most definitely 17mm, always.

Your correct, I couldn't for the life of me figure out why i had a 13mm under the car a few weeks ago though yet I remembered putting it away. Crawled under and looked, seems it was for the CSB mount bolts, forgot I had to put them in at the same time b/c I was also installing my drive shaft.

[rammstein]

Well nevermind on NAPA- they don't have any in Florida. Why isn't this something I could do on another day? As in, the only work similar to the diff change and the axles are the 8 allen bolts per side on the diff- that doesn't seem like that big of a deal... or wait... (putting my stupid hat on) if I pull out the axle, does diff oil pour out?

[bimmerteck]

no

[rammstein]

no

LOL- no to what? I asked too many questions...

[Jafxod]

LOL- no to what? I asked too many questions...

The oil will not pour out when you pull the axles.

[rammstein]

OK cool. I think I will go ahead and just do the diff tonight, and order some remanufactured axles from BMA for like $230 (that's for a pair including shipping). I have so little time, and the changing of CV boots seems like such a PITA, why not just get the whole axle and be done with it? Its not even that much more expensive really, and I get fresh axles too.

[rammstein]

One other thing- I have a new gasket for the cover, but I found some DIY articles showing them using both the paper gasket and some of that ultra-gray permatex gasketmaker with. Should I just use the paper gasket, or should I run a small bead of the gasket maker on each side too?

Thanks guys- I'm feeling pretty good about doing this now.