Hi Guys

Having taken the Cage out of '50 Shades' My Grey XJS I was wondering if it would be possible to do away with the 4 Bolts that go through the Top of the Cage into the diff and just have stubs poking through instead

The reason being without those 4 Bolts you could drop the IRS out of the bottom of the Cage in about an hour, if for instance you wanted to get to the Calipers or the Handbrake

 

No. That is a major part of what holds the differential to the cage. Without them, you run the risk of putting your foot down to overtake and instead end up twisting off the differential and have it flapping around loose. There is a risk of the entire suspension collapsing.

With experience, I have the entire IRS out in 45 min, I can't actually see leaving those bolts out making it any quicker to remove callipers, because things like the inner fulcrum shafts still need to come out, and that's easier to do with the IRS out of the car where I can use my impact wrench.

 

Alex
There is about 300 BHP going down the propshaft, turning through 90 degrees in the diff, and transmitting itself to the road wheels via the hubs! If that diff (and thus the brakes, the driveshafts and the hubs) is not attached to the subframe (= not attached to the car) the first time you brake, or turn left out of Orangeblossom Towers, many disasters ensue!
Those little dogbone castings that hold the bottom of the dizzy to the cage are not remotely man enough to transmit the loads, or to stop the 60 llb dizzy rattling about!

 

Hi Greg and Jagboi

I had a feeling that might be the Case but no harm in asking as I'm sure you two would know