Morris Minor Owners Club

How briefly do you take the rear axle off, and where and how is the car supported for this

No one seems to cover this

I guess at some point the half shafts have to come out and the diff -but i've seen some pictures where the whole of the axle still attched to the leaf springs is backed off from the car - but i can't see how the car is then supported

any ideas folks?

know it'll be a big job but need some help

I found the same thing- no instructions in the manuals- so after doing the job myself, I put a guide in the East kent branch website. (also has rear chassis and spring hanger guides).

Hope its of some use. I put it up for Nick who was on a restoration course with me at the time.

http://homepages.gotadsl.co.uk/~jgm/ekm ... hanger.htm

provided the rear of the boot is solid, you can support the very rear flat section of the boot of car with a large block of wood, supported by a couple of large axle stands.

Thank you chicken john - thats the nearest description i've ever seen - so if this terrible weather finishes some time i can prepare myself for an interesting job

No worries Valium. BTW, you can also put a large block of wood and axle stand (say 1 foot long 4" x4") across the rear floor pan just in front of the spring hanger.

It wont damage the floor as the wood spreads the load onto the stand.

Let us know how you get on!

On an LCV (never worked on a car) you can remove the axle to the side, which saves playing with the spring hanger bolts. Easiest if you remove the diff and half shafts first to save weight, and means you can support the body via the chassis legs. As I say, never tried it on a car, but positive that it can be done on an LCV - I've just done it (for the Nth time ) on mine
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when removing my different axles that i've had, ive just pulled it to the side too...i have a saloon...seemed pretty easyish, brakes pipes are always a bit of a pain obviously! but all in all...the axle was one of simpler things i've done(and i genuinely am a novice with mechanics!)

Yes, I should clarify, my guide was intended as an axle removal guide when doing some serious restoration, eg replacement of spring hangers and rear chassis legs. You can leave the springs in place if just remocing the axle. In this case undo the four nuts on each U bolt that hold the axle to the spring.

Never support under the boot - always go for a thick plank across the car just in front of the spring mounts. Probably easier to drop the rear ends of the springs - althouhj I'm sure it can be slid out as cally reports. No need to remove half shafts/diff etc unless for weight reduction reasons.

It can, absolutely unequivocally, and weight was the precise reason I gave for removing the diff and shafts... I'd also argue that dropping the rear end of the springs isn't "easier", but each to their own.
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As you're taking off the axle to either weld on new brackets or replace the whole thing, I'd remove the halfshafts and diff first to make it lighter to move to one side. An axle is quite heavy when you're lying on your back trying to shift it out through the springs. Its probably easier if youre changing the axle to drop the back of the springs and then detach the axle . Usually one of the difficult bits is detaching the brake pipe from the flexible - just saw through the flexible and then fit a new one when you can get at it.

Just had mine out for the third time in 20 years,to clean and repaint.Unless I was going to recon the diff, bearings, etc I would'nt strip the axle.Each time I have done it like this.. Put a good trolly jack directly under the centre of the diff and jack the car up as far as it will go. As mbc says place a stout wooden beam accross the car just in front of the front spring hangers I put three axle stands under this beam one at each end and one in the middle.Disconect the prop shaft,hand brake cables and flexi hose.lower the jack slightly to get the weight of the car onto the beam and off the springs,so that there is no weight on the springs the axel being held up by the jack. Disconect the rear spring shackle, they are a two part system,pull the flat plate off, its then possible to pull the spring off the other part that hold the shackle pin.One side at a time.Slowly lower the jack.The springs come down with the axle.When halfway down disconect the u bolts on both side.Its then possible to push the rear of the springs down out of the way,leaving the axle balanced on the jack.Carefully roll the jack and axle out from under the rear of the car.and let it down onto the floor. Leave the front shackle attached to the car ready for axle replacement unless you are doing work of the area arround the spring hanger It's probably a good idea to do this and renew the bushes anyway.This assumes you have a trolly jack of course,don't think I would like to do it without one.Just my lowly advice Good luck with it

Exactly! The rear spring shackles are dead easy to disconnect - and then no struggling with heavy axle - it just slides down the springs.

Got it off ok (the rear axle) -it was the rear axle mounts

Well done - and thanks for telling us three times (now removed) ;)
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