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Gears and Transverse Leaf Springs

93Rubie

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 19, 2009
Messages
777
Location
PA
Corvette
1993 Ruby Red 40th Anniversary Coupe
So I am thinking about putting 4.10's in my Vette, but everything I read says I need a transverse leaf spring compressor to even remove the rear diff. cover. Anyone ever used one or know where I can get one, I found some online but they are like 600-900 dollars. WOW!!! Heck, I couldn't even pull the whole center without this thing. Anyone know of how to get around this without the use of one??? That or I find a shop that can do it for me...I shudder as I write this...I'm a auto technician by trade, but I work on Fords, I cannot jusify buying a tool for 600 to use on my own car, once.

On another note even if I can get the center section out to put in the new ring and pinion, I dont know what I am getting into with the Dana 44 rear end. It seems similar to GM diffs, and the only thing I would need to do the job is a pinion depth gauge. Anyone know where I can find a detailed book/article on setting up Dana diffs.

If it got the tools and good info I can do the job. Problem is how much do I need to spend to get the tools and info versus letting (again I shudder) someone else do the job, for a price.

Any short cuts to circumvent this leaf spring compressor would be greatly appreciated as well...as long as they are remotely safe. We are dealing with a spring that can support over 1500lbs.

Man, it stinks trying to figure out GM stuff, I love my Corvette and Corvettes in general but man the speicalized tools kind of stink. :ugh
 
everything I read says I need a transverse leaf spring compressor to even remove the rear diff. cover.

A what :ugh
You put your floor jack under one the end of the spring , take the weight off and undo the bolt through spring to hub , and lower. Repeat other end.
Undo the 4 bolts holding the now uncompressed spring to batwing ; DONE.:thumb

Disconnect the D/S and halfshafts, disconnect the C beam and tie rods, remove the 2 bolts holding the batwing to chassis , lower diff with floor jack leaving hubs and susp in car.
Once you have diff out and split apart is no different to any other. Consider the batwing a rear cover plate like on 12 bolt or 8.8 .
D44 has 12 Bolt style "C " clips retaining the side yokes into the carrier.

Be aware
The C4 Corvette D44 (D44-HD) is unique to C4's and Vipers. It is different to the D44 in C3's (D44 -ICA ) and to regular D44's as found in trucks and Jeeps.

Parts easy to come by ; just make sure you buy the corrrect ones.

I love my Corvette and Corvettes in general but man the speicalized tools kind of stink. :ugh

Nice to have but in many cases the factory recommended tool can be subtituted for something else or a different method; big hammer , etc!
 
Hmm, that sounds like it will work. Thanks.
Yeah, I try big hammers too at work, but then again it is not my car. Even at that I hate to improvise, sometimes it doesn't work out very well, but like they say improvisation is the mother of invention. We usually have the right tools for the job but like I said Ford tech, driving a Corvette, go figure.
 

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