Attendance 10,037
The Ibrox men had led 1-0 at Tannadice thanks to a Steve Davis goal on 1 November when the game was abandoned due to a waterlogged pitch. No such problems tonight - but visiting fans were in short supply this evening with many having boycotted the game due to the host club's decision to impose fresh admission charges. The home fans however had turned out in force - perhaps in their largest numbers for many years.
'Gers Manager Walter Smith made one change from Saturday with Lee McCulloch replacing Kevin Thomson.
The first yellow-card of the evening arrived in ten minutes - and it could easily have been red when Danny Cadamanteri went right through McCulloch.
Sixty seconds later DaMarcus Beasley's twenty-five yard drive produced a superb one-handed save from home goalkeeper Nicky Weaver.
The Ibrox men were on top in these early stages - McCulloch being inches wide with a 22-yard volley from a Kris Boyd knockdown in fifteen minutes.
United's first goal attempt of note came ten minutes later when Jon Daly's header from a Craig Conway free-kick was held by Neil Alexander.
The opening goal duly arrived in 26 minutes - and it was the Light Blues who took a deserved lead with a superb strike when Beasley's twenty-yard angled left-foot drive from a Kenny Miller pass flashed past Weaver into the net.
Boyd was inches away from making it 2-0 in 37 minutes when Miller's low cross flashed across the face of goal.
Sixty seconds later Boyd was again agonisingly close with a curling shot from the edge of the box.
It had been Rangers' half, although United did test Alexander on the cusp of the interval when Jon Daly's shot on the turn from 25 yards was held by the goalkeeper.
Rangers restarted very much as they had played throughout the first-half - in the ascendancy - and Miller made it 2-0 in 58 minutes when he headed the ball home following a mazy run and cross down the left from Nacho Novo.
The visitors were rampant now - sixty seconds later Beasley's inswinging corner was fisted clear from under the crossbar by Weaver, then from a Novo corner from the other side of the park Darren Dods had Weaver to thank as he produced a fine one-handed save to prevent an own goal.
It was one-way traffic - in 63 minutes Madjid Bougherra's header from a Novo cross was just wide of the target.
Ten minutes later Boyd's header from a Steve Davis cross was fumbled round the post by Weaver.
The third goal was merely delayed - and it arrived in 75 minutes when Beasley - in fine form - worked his way along the goal-line before cutting the ball back for Miller who swivelled before rifling the ball low into the net.
The game was won - and as the travelling Light Blue followers celebrated their return to the summit of the League race they sang "There's only one Dick Campbell."
Afterwards Walter Smith reflected on his team's triumph:
"I'm pleased with the win. This is always a difficult venue to visit. The boys were terrific, they played very well from the start."
DUNDEE UNITED Weaver; Kovacevic (S. Robertson 45), Dods, Kenneth, Dixon; Gomis (Goodwillie 67), Buaben, Dillon, Conway; Cadamarteri (Myrie-Williams 58), Daly
UNUSED SUBS Banks, D. Robertson, Swanson, Casalinuovo
RANGERS Alexander; Broadfoot, Weir, Bougherra, Papac; Beasley (Naismith 81), Davis, McCulloch, Novo (Fleck 84); Boyd (Lafferty 81), Miller
UNUSED SUBS Gallacher, Whittaker, Little, Wilson
REFEREE Mike Tumilty