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October 16, 2026, 01:00:43 PM

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[BigNorm]

There are several reasons why you would want to remove a diff ie:ratio change, kaboom  etc and there are also several alternative methods, this is how I do it. It's not difficult, you just need the right tools and a bit of common sense and you're away.

I did this on a TC Sedan with TD trailing arms(difference being the TD has a rear swaybar) on my back driveway at home. This is for educational purposes only and to serve as a display. If you're unsure of what you're doing then dont do it.

Tools Needed:
1 x good quality trolley jack with a decent amount of lift.
2 x jack stands
1 x 1/2" drive ratchet or impact gun
1 x wheel brace if you dont have an impact gun.
17, 19, 21 1/2" drive sockets
7/16", 17, 19mm ring spanners.
1/2" pipe or open ended spanner
1 x sidecutters
1 x long nose pliers
1 x brake line clamp
1 x hammer
1 x large screwdriver or small lever.

Time Taken:
25 minutes to remove including stopping to take photos of each step.
60 minutes to refit including bleeding and adjusting brakes.

On with the show....


Step 1:


Jack the rear of the vehicle up and place the jack stands forward on the lower trailing arms on the chassis rail to allow the trailing arms to move. Also chock the front wheels  to stop the vehicle from rolling. *If you dont have a rattle gun, crack the wheel nuts before you raise the vehicle.

Step 2:


Remove both wheels and with the handbrake released remove both brake drums.  

Step 3:


Dismantle and remove both brake linings to disconnect the handbrake cable. Undo and pry off the little clip at the backing plate where the cable comes through and remove the cable from the backing plate. If your forgetful or not 100% confident you'll remember where all the brake bits go, take a photo or draw a picture for reference for use when reassembling.

Step 4:


Remove the 4 tailishaft bolts and disconnect the tailshaft. Theres no need to remove it from the rear of the transmission. Also it's not a bad idea to wrap tape around the universal cups to keep it together and clean.

Step 5:


Clamp and undo the brake hose. To disconnect it from the diff housing use a screwdriver and pry the retaining clip out.

Step 6:


TD onwards have a swaybar which mounts inside the lower trailing arms and the bolts run horizontally thru the trailing arms. remove both of these bolts from each side and pry the sway bar out of the channel. You should then have one of these:


Step 7:


Remove both nuts from the upper trailing arms where they mount to the diff but dont remove the bolts just yet.  Do the same for the lower arms and the shock absorbers.

Step 8:


Support the diff with your trolley jack and raise the housing to remove the weight off all mounting bolts.  Position the lifting plate of the jack so it is central between the backing plate and the pinion ofthe diff to prevent it rolling backwards or forwards. With the diff raised slighlty the shockabsorber bolts should now be easy to remove. Raise the diff slightly more and remove the upper trailing arm bolts. *DO NOT REMOVE THE LOWER TRAILING ARMS BOLTS YET AS THEY ARE STILL UNDER SPRING PRESSURE......well not unless u enjoy the feeling of busted fingers.

Step 9:


Slowly lower the diff on the jack being careful to prevent the diff rolling off the jack.  At this point if you have coil spring retainers in the lower arms, remove them via the bolt which goes thru the trailing arm from underneath. This should now give you sufficient clearance to remove both springs.

Step 10:


With the springs removed there is no longer any force on the lower trailing arms bolts apart from gravity so the bolts are safe to remove.

Step 11:


With a bit of a wiggle and lowering of the jack the diff is now essentially out. All you have to do is slide it out.  TADA!!!

To refit the diff, it is done exactly in reverse.  A few things to note and pay attention to:
Dont tighten anything until every bolt has been started.
Properly align the springs with the upper spring saddles.
Make sure the handbrake cable follows it's original route.
Be 110% sure the brakes are properly bled and adjusted.

Any Questions, fire away.

Enjoy!!


p.s. if you're wondering why i took a seemingly perfect diff out and refitted it with another one, here's why:

[te_78]

gday mate. very nice job on the DIY article. ive noticed that all of yours a very precise and informative. just wondering how you converted to 5 stud? did you cut down a diff or get axles to suit the corty housing?

[BigNorm]

those axles and drums are standard cortina issue and have been redrilled to suit.

[te_78]

and this is common practice in converting to five stud? is it reccomended?

[BigNorm]

cant answer that. dont really know. i bought it like that and i dont plan on doing any rally or drifiting in it so i'm not worried about it.
my other car has a 9inch with shortened falcon axles.

[braddyxe51]

I was going to put 5 stud in mine. Asked if I could get falcon axles cut down but the diff place na we redrill the axles for 5 stud.

[te_78]

oh ok fair enough. well il give it a go. only way to find out.

[CortinaD]

re-drilling is fine. They re-weld the area and then drill, as you can see, all bar one hole is in fresh metal.