Smashed front differential

Anyone able to tell me the easiest way to change the front differential? Is there any short cuts.. or links online to this job 

remove wheels, brakes and hubs and pull half shafts out from the axle. then you can take the diff out.
No short cuts that would save time or hassle.
You might not have to remove the tie rod ends as some videos say. you can just swing hubs out the side.

You have to remove so much you might just service the lot when you are in there.
OR if you have to buy the diff from a breaker, ask for the price for the whole front axle and compare to just the diff.
For me the price was the same for the whole axle.
Beware that the diff from before 05 would not fit the cars after 04 and vice versa.
and auto/manual also are different. see wiki for gear ratios.
www.bigjimny.com/mediawiki/index.php/Tra...ssion_gearing_ratios

How did you break your diff? larger tyres or engine?

The only "shortcut" is to pull the stub axles rather than taking out the kingins and disassembling the swivel. But that depends on the condition of the 14mm stub axle bolts. If the heads are heavily corroded it can be tricky, and will be slower than taking apart the whole swivel.
Once the halfshafts are out you can pull the diff from the axle.
Nearly all diffs are interchangeable except early G13 engined cars have a slightly different axle with an 8 bolt diff. The 8 bolt diff will go in all other 10 bolt axles but a 10 bolt diff won't fit in an 8 bolt axle without some "machining". 3 different ratios are available for pre 2005 manual, pre 2005 auto and post 2005 cars.

As the others are saying, the quickest way is to

Drain the axle oil.
Whip off the brake callipers and hang somewhere under the wings
Remove/disconnect the abs sensors
Knock off the tie rod and track rod ends.
Undo the ring of small bolts around the dust seal on the back of the hub, prise the dust seals off and leave hanging over the axle ends.
remove the kingpins.
Snatch the whole hub off complete with driveshaft both sides.
Now the diff will come out.

You can live dangerously by just pulling the hub outwards a couple of inches and support it on something, but this will put strain on the oilseal, and it will probably leak afterwards, but you won't need to touch the ABS sensor as the wire will be long enough.

Tbh, for sake of 10minutes, I'd take the freewheel hubs off, remove the circlip & washer off the CV joint and leave the driveshaft behind, then pull it out with the hub off. It will be a lot easier to re-engage the driveshaft in the diff when you aren't trying to keep the swivel bearings together and put the hub on at the same time.
I'd change the oilseals too while they are on show.

Depends to an extent just how badly the diff grenaded itself but I would see this as an excuse for a full inspection and rebuild because if bits of diff have found their way past the oil seal if the half shaft has been wobbling about then everything is going to need a proper clean anyway. It's only time and money when all is said and done.