Rear diff question

[gr8scott72]

I am trying to take the rear diff out of my 93 J but I can't seem to get the drive shaft off the input of the diff. It's just four bolts but there is not enuf clearance to get a socket around the bolt and the wrench doesn't grab tight enuf and I feel like I'm going to round off the bolt. Someone tell me what the trick is.

Thanks

[95-J30tt]

i think they are a 12mm bolts right?, if so, this is how i did it....

get a 12mm wrench that is two sided (the regular wrench on one side, and the circular one on the other side..... just like the pic)

http://www.mytoolstore.com/sk/87018.jpg

make a mark on the drive shaft where it meets one of the bolts on both flanges (i used yellow paint), so when you put it back, the system wont loose it's balance (when you put it back, allign the marks and you are good to go)

make sure you get 2 bolts visible at a time, put the transmission on park, go under, and get the circular part of the wrench in (it looks impossible, but i was surprized that it worked very well every time), now keep in mind that the longer the wrench, the better.... then move the shifter out of park, rotate the drive shaft to access the other 2 bolts, then do the same....... the drive shaft will not drop once you are done with the bolts, you are going to think that there is something else holding it, but there is none...... you just need to jam a good big flathead screw driver in between the drive shaft flange and the differential flange, and it should come out without a problem.... i hope that this helps, good luck