Thread: Is changing diff centres a DIY job?

IMO if you are confident enough to pull shafts, remove prop, drain oil and remove a diff, then you are smart enough to have a go at it. If you have new carrier bearings ready then you don't have to struggle getting the old ones off the old carrier without wrecking them. You won't be removing the pinion and you will be refitting the same crownwheel so all you have to really worry about is fitting the bearings and making sure they are 'home', swapping the crownwheel (loctite needed here), and refitting with the correct backlash. There's ways of doing this, but as long as you get the teeth meshing in the center of the teeth you are near. I'd get it all apart and start the swap then shout/post pics if you get stuck...

Haven't done a diff but I've done industrial power transmission gears.
Setting the correct backlash and mesh pattern is fiddly buy not that difficult.
Be careful with bearing blue though, a little goes along way and it will get all over everything if you give it half a chance!
As you won't be touching the pinion that removes half of the fussing about in one go, makes the job much easier.