I'm starting to get a little pissed off so I'm taking a break and figured I would look around for some help...
I'm in the middle of replacing this bushing (the one on the car was in two peices ) and I'm having some issues. I thought it would be easy to just remove the 4 bolts on the front of the diff and tilt it backwards but its not working out too well.
Has anyone tried to replace the isolator without completely removing the diff from the car, or is it even possible? Also, is there an easyier access panel under the back seats (i have a 2+2...) to get to those top nuts on those 4 long diff bolts?
Thanks in advance for any help...

 

Isolator, or Insulator??? You're talking about the mustache bar right? It's the mount connecting the cover to the body? You don't need to drop the diff to replace it. Just the 2 nuts on the cover side, and the long bolt holding the mount to the frame.

 

Yeah thats the part I might have had better luck looking around if I was looking for the right name...
Anyways, I removed the three nuts (two on the diff and the one going straight down from the frame) and I got the old one out, mostly because it was in two pieces. I can't get the new one back in as easily it seems. Is it possible to remove that long stud from the frame/crossmember? The Haynes manual doesn't really show how to change the insulator, just how to remove the whole diff, and I was just hoping I could get it in without removing the diff...
I gave up early on it, hopefully tomorrow I can get it in with little trouble

 

If the mount won't come off... just remove the 4 long diff neck bolts & slide the diff forward enough to drop the mount (gotta drop the back end of the driveline too). The easiest way to loosen the 4 neck bolts is attach a wrench on the top to hold them from spinning, and use a ratchet on the bottom. An air ratchet makes it 1000 times easier.

 

I've got the old mount off, I'm trying to get the new one on. I got the 4 bolts off the front of the diff, but its still not giving me enough room to get the new one on. I was hoping not to have to remove the drive shaft, but It sees I have to. Thanks for the help.

 

er... to get the mount on is the same thing.

It's just 4 nuts/bolts to drop the back end of the driveshaft.

 

I don't know... I can tilt the differential down but it doesn't give me enough room between the two studs on the diff and the long one coming from the frame to get the new insulator on. Hopefully I'll have better luck tomorrow...

 

Do you have the mount attached to the diff or the frame stud first? You should just be able to install it on the frame stud, and slide the diff back onto it once the insulator is in place.

 

Right now neither
I didn't think of trying that!

Hi, I'm an idiot LOL