Q. How is the rear axle removed?
A. Jack up car and remove rear wheels as instructed below. Take out the four bolts connecting the universal ball cap to the transmission case and cover. Disconnect brake rods. Remove nuts holding spring perches to rear axle housing flanges. Raise frame at the rear end, and the axle can be easily withdrawn.
Q. How is the universal joint disconnected from the drive shaft?
A. Remove two plugs from top and bottom of ball casting and turn shaft until pin comes opposite hole, drive out pin and joint can be pulled or forced away from the shaft and out of the housing.
Q. How are the rear axle and differential disassembled?
A. With the universal joint disconnected, remove nuts in front end of radius rods and the nuts on studs holding drive shaft tube to rear axle housing. Remove bolts which hold the two halves of differential together. If necessary to disassemble differential a very slight mechanical knowledge will permit one to immediately discern how to do it once it is exposed to view. Care must be exercised to get every pin, bolt and key lock back in its correct position when reassembling.
Q. How is the drive shaft pinion removed?
A. The end of the drive shaft, to which the pinion is attached, is tapered to fit the tapered hole in the pinion, which is keyed onto the shaft, and then secured by a cotter pinned “castle” nut. Remove the castle nut, and drive the pinion off.
Q. How are the differential gears removed?
A. The compensating gears are attached to the inner ends of the rear axle shaft. They work upon the spider gears when turning a corner, so that the axle shaft revolves independently, but when the car is moving in a straight line the spider gears and compensating gears and axle shaft move as an integral part. If you will examine the rear axle shafts you will notice that the gears are keyed on, and held in position by a ring which is in two halves and fits in a groove in the rear axle shaft. To remove the compensating gears, force them down on the shaft, that is, away from the end to which they are secured, drive out the two halves of ring in the grooves in shaft with screw driver or chisel, then force the gears off the end of the shafts.