Note: All self-locking nuts and spring washers must be renewed on reassembly.

Removal
1 Chock the front wheels, jack up the rear of the vehicle and support on axle stands placed under the side members. Note that a loaded vehicle must not be jacked under the differential casing.

2 Support the relevant side of the rear axle with a jack, using an interposed block of wood under the axle tube to spread the load.

3 Unscrew the nuts, and remove the two U-bolts on each side of the vehicle which secure the axle to the leaf springs (see illustration). Note that there is no need to disconnect the shock absorber from the U-bolt counterplate.

19.3 Unscrew the nuts (arrowed) from the rear axle-to-leaf spring U-bolts

4 Unbolt the leaf spring from the front bracket on the underbody (see illustration).

19.4 Leaf spring front bracket

5 Loosen the spring shackle-to-underbody bolt, then unbolt the leaf spring from the spring shackle and remove the spring (see illustration).

19.5 Leaf spring shackle

Refitting
6 Refitting is a reversal of removal, bearing in mind the following points.

7 Do not fully tighten the leaf spring mounting bolts or the spring shackle-to-underbody bolt until the weight of the vehicle is resting on its roadwheels.

8 Renew all self-locking nuts and spring washers.

9 Align the axle on the leaf spring so that the locating pin on the spring engages with the corresponding hole in the axle. Similarly ensure that the U-bolt counterplate engages with the locating pin on the leaf spring.