Removing the rear suspension.

[Adam]

To remove the diff on your gemini you will need the following tools:
Trolley Jack
2 Chassis/Axle Stands
Spanner/Socket Set


1. Park your gemini on a smooth level surface

2. Unbolt the tailshaft from the torque tube using two 12mm open ended spanners and rest the tailshaft out of the way, being careful to ensure it does not come out of the gearbox.
To reach the tailshaft bolts it will be necessary to roll the car back or forward.

3. Securely chock the front wheels, both sides, front and back with SUBSTANTIAL chocks, if the car rolls you are dead, no two ways about it and crack the rear wheel nuts.

4. Place a trolley jack squarely under the diff and raise the car high enough to lower the car onto the chassis stands, placing one under each of the rear sill jacking points.

5. Carefully lower the car onto the stands and remove the rear wheels. Then continue lowering the car until the diff is slightly lower than the torque tube crossmember.

6. Loosen the handbrake cable retaining bolt at the rear of the handbrake cable spreader, remove the handbrake cable and put the nut back onto the lever so you don't lose it.

7. Remove the retaining clip from the brake line union above and to the left of the diff where the flexible line attaches the the underbody of the car, preferably then plug the holes to prevent the ingress of moisture and dirt, carefully store the clip somewhere secure, or attach it back to the union bracket.

8. Unbolt the panhard rod from both the body of the car and the diff, remember to put the nuts/washers/bolts back through the panhard rod at the car end and back onto the diff and the other.

9. Unbolt the muffler heat shield from the back two bolts (12mm??) to facilitate swaybar removal and put the bolts back through their hold

10. Unbolt the swaybar end links from the diff, being careful to note fitted position and put the bolts back through the end links immediately.

11. Unbolt the swaybar "D" shackles and work the swaybar out from under the car, remembering to put the d shackle bolts back into their holes under the car.

(At this point it is good practice to place something to stop the diff from tipping over, lumps of wood are quite acceptable although I guess axle stands are ideal)

12. Bend the handbrake cable retaining clips away from the handbrake cables on the trailing arms and unbolt the trailing arms from the diff and then from the underbody. Taking careful note of the fitted position and don't forget to put the bolts back through. (If you forget which way the arms go in, the bend should be at the diff end and it should bend upwards.)

13. Unbolt the shock absorbers from the diff, again putting the bolts and nuts back through the shocks immediately, if you are planning on changing your shock absorbers then unbolt them from the shock towers also, if not, they can remain in situ.

14. Carefully, with a few sets of hands, unbolt the torque tube crossmember from the car, being extremely careful to support its weight fully at all times, it is quite heavy so don't get squashed. Once it is unbolted put the bolts and spacers back into their holes and support the front of the torque tube (a skateboard or mechanics trolley facing north-south is quite useful here).

15. Carefully rolling the diff assembly backwards, ensuring that it neither tips over nor fouls the underbody, work the diff backwards, as you do so it will be necessary to remove the exhaust hangers one at a time (refitting them immediately) to allow the handbrake cable to be removed.

(a tip here, it is possible to put the wheels back so you can just roll the diff out, I didn't do this, but that doesn't mean you can't)

And that is how we do that.

[old forum]

Why remove the sway bar ??. If you are just changing the diff it is best to just undo the 2 retaining bolts from the bar to the diff. This way there is less friging about. Even if you want to replace the sway bar mounts you need not take the bar off. Just undo the bolts holding the bar to the car one side at a time and pull out the rubber mounts and replace with urethane. As the bushes are slotted you can do this easily. Remember to put the grease on to any part the urethane contacts the bar.
Also it is best to undo the the Drive shaft whilst the car is jacked up and on stands. When you remove the D/S ensure you mark the yoke and and the D/S with a black texta or some other item, so when you out it back in it is aligned correctly. It is easier to spin the wheels whilst they are in the air than trying to squeeze under the car and undo the bolts.

Adam says "Valid points, we removed the swaybar because we were repainting it and because I was bored"

[old forum]

Just wondering if there was any reason why you said to remove the tailshaft while it is still on the ground? Easier to remove it after the car is up on the stands, that way you don't have to move the car to turn the tailshaft. Just put it in neutral, release the handbrake, and turn it.

Paul
Never late in a 308

Adam Says "Well we had actually already removed the tailshaft the time I pulled my diff out... so I never gave it much thought... (the diff was out because the engine/gearbox were out)"