Pulling the Rear on a 40

[37fatfender]

I know people here have done this before, so I need your knowledge. I plan on dropping the rear on a original 40 torque tube rear end. I will be doing this on the garage floor with jack stands and a floor jack. That's my premise, here are my questions.

1. With the car on the jack stands is it easier to drop the rear with the tires and wheels off the car? Will I need the extra room to drop the rear with the wheels off?

2. There is a centering bolt in the spring, does this have to be removed before lowering the rear end? It feels like it goes through the cross member, but I'm not sure. I am afraid the spring will come apart and the leafs will separate.

3. I have removed the brake line, emergency brake cable, and the retaining cup on the front of the tube. Any further advise or thoughts will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[JSeery]

1.) I would think with the wheels off. Need something to lower the unit onto to roll it out, like a dolly. Many ways to do it, that is just how I would do it.

2.) The spring through bolt should have a square head on it that fits into a square hole in the frame crossmember. The bolt head should drop right out.

3.) Shock links?

[37fatfender]

I did take the shock links off.

So I should leave the bolt in the spring? Right? The head of the bolt is not secured to the frame then correct? It fits through an enlarged hole in the cross member, correct?

Does anyone have a source for new u-bolts for a 1940 application?

[Pat/Ohio]

Only thing I would add is the shock links as mentioned above. Here is a picture of my '40 rear after rolling it out. I cut out wooden discs (wheels) to help roll the rear end assembly around on the floor. Pat

[JSeery]

Originally Posted by 37fatfender

I did take the shock links off.

So I should leave the bolt in the spring? Right? The head of the bolt is not secured to the frame then correct? It fits through an enlarged hole in the cross member, correct?

Does anyone have a source for new u-bolts for a 1940 application?

Leave the bolt in the spring. The head of the bolt is not secured to the frame. It fits through the hole in the cross member.

[37fatfender]

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Thanks guys, I like the plywood disks. Off to Home Depot.

Still need new U bolts, Any ideas?

[alanwoodieman]

I just use a floor jack to roll the rear end out, but the wooden wheels look good, how about painting ww on them?

[TJ]

Along with the jack stands I would put some large wooden blocks under the frame near the jack stands, Jack stands are not exactly real stable under some conditions. I uses pieces of big header blocks (12X12 or larger) to put under the frame just in case a jack stand fails. I live in earthquake country ,so jack stands in a big "shake" can fail. I had a car on stands when the last big one hit and luckily I had put wheels/tires on the car. The quake knocked it right off the stands and also shifted my drive on rack with my other car on it.. You cannot be too safe when working under a car with no suspension.

[jake197000]

the wooden wheels r a great idea.if u r on jack stands.

[richard crow]

leave the center bolt alone. it has a specal squre head that centers the rear end. the spring does not have to removed. the 40 floor is tight sme times you have to remove some of the bolts near the tunel & wedge the floor up. any spring shop can make the u bolts