Rear diff bush replacement

Hi all,

Been reading through the various posts on replacing the rear diff front bush as mine clonks as most of the rubber has disappeared

Just wondering if it's best to replace all 3 bushes at the same time due to the strain put on the rear ones caused by the front ones demise?
It's a TD4 early 2004, with 61k miles if it makes any difference...

Also, checking Rave and Haynes (spit!) they suggest there is a special tool for diff realignment - is this really that critical, or is normal practice to just replace them one at a time to avoid movement?

Cheers

d.

Hello Snapper, welcome to the forum.

If it helps, when mine went I had just got to Greece and didn't have a clue where I'd get a new one so I took it out and made a new bush just to stop the dif banging around. A friend was flying out some weeks later so I described the part and got him to bring one with him.
I didn't have a manual or CD and replaced just the one bush when it arrived. Very fiddly but has been fine ever since. (4 years).

You will have to decide if it's worth doing all 3. For the price and availabilty I'd be inclined to do it just for peace of mind.
As for the special tool. Well my opinion is they just produce these expensive one off tools so you don't have to make one. I guess its only used to ensure the diff is central so take some measurements first or cut something to length.

Hi
I replaced all 3 bushed at the same time a few months back, and did not use the special tool!
I’ve had no problems ……yet!
So good luck
Andy

We swapped all three bushes on our R-reg. The front had totally disintergrated to the point where the rear UJ was grinding into the fuel tank. I got all three in one go from the local LR parts place for convenience. (Didn't use the special part, would be interested to know how critical it was...)

However, when we swapped 'em, the other bushes were totally unaffected and showed no sign of damage or wear.

So when the 02' plate started thumping at 60,000miles, we only swapped the front bush.

Cheers

Blippie

I just replaced the front one on mine, no point in replacing the back ones unless there knackered. No special tools are needed, and if you take out the center bolts on the rear ones you don't have to disconnect the prop shaft to get the front one out.

Thanks guys!

Just did the front one in the end; tried for about 15 minutes to wiggle the old one free, but gave up and released the rear mounts and after a bit of jiggery pokery, replaced OK.

Cheers

d.

It will be the front bush all you need to do is undo the bolts on the sub frame so much so you can get the bush out with out easily with out struggling dead easy