Great googly moogly, this is a bigger pain than I'd expected!
I'm re-installing the whole front differential/stub0shaft assembly on an '89 Runner. It was easy enough to get out, gravity was working in my favor. Seems like this should be easy... maybe I'm just a weenie...

Being a guy working alone in his garage... any tips/neat tricks on the logistics of getting this sucker all lined up and lifted back into place? The general problem is that it's just freaklin' heavy, and not much room to get one's body in around it to lift/line up/etc. Been using a floor jack, but b/c of the asymetry of it, it'll never lift straight up or balance well. Seems a tranny kjack would be ideal, but who has one of THOSe just laying around...

I have it re-attached to the driveshaft, and I removed the front X-member and attached it to the front of the diff, thinking it could be used to line it up. Seems if it was in place you could lift the diff up there anyway b/c the big bolt hole would get in the way anyhow. There some magical place to put the jack so that it will lift straight up?
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Maybe i just need to use more profaity....

The last time I installed mine many years ago, I used the floor jack to get it up, put the big bolt in the front, moved the jack back by the pinion and jacked it up into place. Maybe took an half an hour if I remember right but I could be wrong because I have not had IFS for about eight years.

Well, I got it.
looks like the "Profanity Rule" holds once again.

For the record, in teh end, here's the process that worked for me.
I took off the front X-member, set it aside.
Set the diff on the jack so it was kinda balance, but mostly supported on teh back end. Jacked it up so that the back (pinion end) was sticking up. Of course it was flopped over to 1 side b/c of the inequality of teh weight.
Pulled out the front driveshaft a little, finageled everything until I coudl attach the pinion to the driveshaft.
Once the back was connect, I then re-jacked the base of the diff, and lifted it as possible... just managed to get the bolt into the driver's side support, just a thread or two.
From tehre it was easy, pushed/pulled til the other side support in a few threads.
Then just used impact wrench to tighten then down, pulling the back of teh diff up a bit.
THEN jack up the front as high as possible, and slip in teh front X-member, drop it down so the front pin is place-able... yer done.
Oh yeah, instal CV axles.

FYI, it's nearly impossible to just raise teh diff into place if the X-member is there. The big bolt flange on the front diff cover will hit it and you can't raise it up.

I think you're just a weenie Ratty!!! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I've done this three times and never removed the front crossmember.... I don't think there's an easy way to do it..... by yourself.

i did mine with a floor jack an A WHOLE LOT OF CUSSING <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/notooth.gif" alt="" /> left the front crossmember in.....but had a lil bro running the jack.....they're handy for things like this

Just did that 2wks ago. Taking a deep breath, i'm holding up the whole diff with oil & driver side cv bolted on, figure 100lbs+, my buddy pulled out the driverside knuckle to aim the cv shaft in the bearing hole. Once the CV shaft is in the hole, i push up & forward so he can put the bolt through the flanges on the front x-member. Then push up more for the other 2 mounting points. Was a good workout of the day. + some mild back pain the next day lol... at least we had a lift for the truck...