Tutorial: tightening/loosening/rebuilding your stock diffs (56K warning)

[XMDrifter]

The stock diffs that come in the starter and in the radioshack AWD have metal pins in them. as some may have already figured out, these diffs are held together with friction. One end of the metal pin is bigger than the other. this is the end that you push on with a screwdriver to tighten the diff. the other end is for loosening the differential or taking the diff apart for lubing.
difficulty: 4/10

I will be performing this mod on my car:

anyways,

1. take the diffs you want to tighten and set them along with all the materials needed for this tutorial:

screwdriver
straight needle nose forceps
diff lube/machine oil/damper friction grease (your pick)
hard desk/table/etc.


difficulty: 3/10 (mainly taking the diff out and putting it back in)

2. put the diff on the table vertically with the geared end up. take your forceps and find the pin in the diff (or use a screwdriver)

3. after you've pushed the pin out, you can set the diff on your table, and take it apart

4. put your lube on the little tiny white gears in the main gear housing (called spider gears or idler gears)

5.put the gears all back then reassemble the diff (make sure your short side is in the side of the maing gear housing that has the non-beveled gear surface!)

6. take the pin and push it with your fingers(you chosse) into the long side

7. take your screwdriver here, and push the pin the rest of the way in (or a tiny bit more pressure will tighten your diff)

8. you have your new diff:

9. install back into your car

10. enjoy!


thanks for reading,
XMDrifter

edit: ps. this diff was actually locked with superglue before this procedure! this can be used to unlock your "permanentaly locked" diff to take more strain off your motor: to do this (5/10 difficulty for patience needed) take a hobby knife and scrape away the superglue on your gears carefully(after you take the thing apart) until there's no more glue left on the gears. make sure you don't cut into the gear tho.

[devbell]

Great picture, clear and to the point. Thanks