Removing a Freelander rear diff

[Les Henson]

Park the vehicle on level, solid ground and chock one of the front wheels - in front and behind.

Slacken the rear wheel nuts on both sides, raise and support the vehicle with axle stands placed out of the way of the work area and then remove both back wheels.

Both driveshafts have to be pulled out of the diff, so the hub/suspension assembly has to be detached.

There's a single long bolt directly behind the hub and this can be removed (15mm bolt head and 18mm nut).

This one was siezed in the bushes, so I opted for disconecting the two lower arms where they connect to the rear subframe (again - 15mm bolt and 18mm nut)

On the passenger side the exhaust is in the way. In order to remove the nut/bolt, you can quite easily lever the pipe out of the way.

The handbrake cable prevents the hubs from being pulled out far enough to disengage the driveshafts from the diff, so remove the 10mm head bolt either side.

The subframe has to be lowered a small amount to make diff removal easier. There are two 18mm head bolts either side. Undo each one about 15mm and the subframe will drop down under it's own weight.

There's no drain plug on the diff, so you either get it all pour out when you remove the driveshafts, or slacken the 13mm head bolts that hold the pan in place, tap a paint scraper or similar in the join (no gasket - it's RTV sealant), then allow the diff to drain.

Tie bar next - it can be detached on the back of the hub, but the nut/bolt is usually rusted and hard to undo. The bodywork end is more protected, so I undo it from there (15mm socket).

Once the diff oil has drained - tighten the pan bolts to prevent it from endlessly dripping.

Propshaft bolts next - the bolts are E12 torx and 18mm spanner.

If you plan to rebuild the diff yourself, then you will need a 28mm socket and a breaker bar to undo the drive flange nut - it's very tight, so considerable leverage will be required. Don't remove the nut entirely - just undo it a couple of turns.

The inner CV joints need to be popped out of the diff - they are held in place by a C-clip on the end of the driveshaft. Place a suitable lever so that it levers the joint away from the diff and give it a sharp whack with a hammer. The joint will pop out a short distance.

Grasp the hub assembly and the drive shaft and pull it clear of the diff. The shafts will not drop down, so place them out of the way of the diff mounts.

Front diff nose mounting next, this looks like a nut and bolt, but the nut is captive, so undo the 15mm head bolt and the two 13mm head bolts that hold the mounting to the diff case.

You can then remove the mounting - this one is obviously broken and will be replaced.

Rear ones next - you may have to move the driveshafts about in order to remove them. 15mm head bolt on the subframe and two 13mm head bolts on the diff casing - both rear mounts are the same.

The diff can possibly now fall out (it usually doesn't though), so support it with a jack, lower it a small amount and disconnect the breather pipe by pressing the red ring into the casing and then pulling the pipe out. If it's siezed-up, then unclip the pipe from above and remove the diff with it still attached.

The diff can now be removed. They are not particularly heavy, so take the weight of it and lower the back of it downwards - making sure that the front mounting points don't catch on the subframe.

Les.

[bishbosh]

That looks like a fun task Les!

Nice write up as usual

[Les Henson]

Thanks Bish

It's not that bad really (bought myself a rattle gun, so the bolts just fly off).

If only it wasn't so cold

Les.