Although I haven’t posted in a couple of weeks, there has been major progress in the last little while, starting with the complete dis-assembly of the rear end. My goal is to have the frame completely stripped by the end of the day, so this was a very large push in the right direction. I inspected the rear end to make sure there were no shims (so many shims) on the back of the frame which would require noting. Once I knew how the assembly went together and came apart, I went straight to work.

My particular GT6, being a “Plus” model has the rotoflex couplings in the rear. These are to say the least, a massive pain to get off – I can’t even imagine how long it would take to replace these if the body was on the frame. Noting this, I have decided that I will be doing a proper CV conversion on this vehicle as I do not think it is worth while to be paying the absurd price for new rotoflex couplings as well as the additional time investment to install them every ten thousand kilometers.

Floating the frame, I removed both of the rear tires, as well as the leaf spring ends that attach to the left and right side uprights. Removal of the plate that holds the spring to the top of the differential was crucial as well. What I have really enjoyed about this project so far is how simply this car goes together – with the exception of the rotoflex couplings of course. Everything is simple bolted assemblies.

After the leaf spring was removed, I took the axles out followed up the removal of the rear control arms. I decided to keep each hub assembly together, as I believe it is much easier for organization and cleanliness in the garage. It should be noted that I removed the drive shaft earlier on before any of the dis-assembly occurred.

The final task to complete the rear end stripping was the differential. I tried to be smart about this one, as I knew there was going to be quite a bit of weight to it. The differential is mounted via three bolts, one that allows it to rotate up and down, and two that mount with rubber bushings to the frame to allow for vibration absorption. Before removing the bolts, I decided to use a jack to hold the weight when the differential comes loose, where I could simply keep it from falling and lower it safely. Having to wiggle it free, I temporarily removed the jack. Once free, I had to keep it from falling onto the ground so I grabbed one of the four leaf spring bolts which slipped out of my grip and ended up slicing my thumb open. Duct tape and blue shop rags kept the pressure up and the bleeding down so I could continue to work.

I slid the parts aside and glanced at the light weight frame that stood before me. This car keeps on getting more and more awesome.

– Sean