Removing differential + transmission: Can it still roll?

[krazy]

Hi all,

I'm considering buying a roller to take out its differential, driveshaft, and manual transmission.

I'm wondering if the roller will still be able to roll and be maneuvered around, once these parts are removed (namely, the differential and driveshaft)?

Figure that the swap will start by taking the these parts out of the donor first, but I won't have one to replace it with. And after I remove it, I'll need to roll it out of my single garage space and around a wraparound driveway, out of the way.

I'm wondering if I'll be able to maneuver the donor down the wraparound driveway, with all of these parts removed (differential, driveshaft, and manual transmission)?

[jeffnhiscars]

As long as the half shafts can rotate you'll be fine. Either suspend them with something like greased paracord and watch them closely or if you dont plan to save them then cut them off close to the outer boot (not so close to melt it).

Other option is to pull the trans and driveshaft in the garage then pull the diff after you've moved it.

[krazy]

Thanks, Jeff.

Re: letting the half shafts rotate - Once the diff is out, will they be weight-bearing at all? Or need to stay in place of some kind? Or is the mandate just to 'keep them off the ground so they can freely rotate'?

[vpilarrt]

You can damage the CV joints if you let the half shafts flop around, etc.

[krazy]

I'm not concerned about preserving the half shafts or CV joints on the roller. I just want to make sure I have a safe, reliable strategy to move the roller around the lot, after these parts are removed.

[Das Delfin]

^ just punch the shafts out of the hubs with a nice sledge and pick

[nrubenstein]

^ just punch the shafts out of the hubs with a nice sledge and pick

Uh, not unless you want the wheels to fall off (while attached to the hubs).

There no problem with rolling it around with no diff or trans. As noted, if you roll it at more than hand pushed speed, you'll trash things, so don't try to tow it.

[jeffnhiscars]

Thanks, Jeff.

Re: letting the half shafts rotate - Once the diff is out, will they be weight-bearing at all? Or need to stay in place of some kind? Or is the mandate just to 'keep them off the ground so they can freely rotate'?

The latter. Even if you dont plan to save them they will flop around and stress your bearings. If you hang them more or less where they were and so they can can turn without binding, you can push the car as far as you want.

[TobyB]

and stress themselves

fixed. The wheel bearings don't give a shit. But the cages in the outer CV "Might" get skooged. A bit.

t

[Das Delfin]

Uh, not unless you want the wheels to fall off (while attached to the hubs).

There no problem with rolling it around with no diff or trans. As noted, if you roll it at more than hand pushed speed, you'll trash things, so don't try to tow it.

The axle shaft doesn't put pressure on the hub to keep it in place..

[jeffnhiscars]

The axle shaft doesn't put pressure on the hub to keep it in place..

Doesn't the half shaft retaining nut tension the bearing so it runs true such that removing the shaft entirely would cause an unreliable wobble ?

[TobyB]

...and eventually the hub would part company with the rear trailing arm entirely,
as I recall- the axle shaft rides on the bearings, and the hub then centers itself onto
the splined part of the axle....

t