The first order of business is to remove the gas tank. There will be four rubber hoses on the left hand side that go into a venting stand pipe in the trunk. You can remove these and then disconnect the gas line and sending unit electric wire. Next, remove the screws from the left quarter panel that hold on the filler tube and also remove the rubber bung seal inside the trunk around filler tube. Disconnect the metal straps under the tank and drop the tank. Hopefully you've siphoned out the gas first! My tank wasn't in bad shape but it is a little thin and soft around the filler neck and I may replace it. Next, disconnect the emergency brake cables at the fitting where the two reduce down to one. Remove the lower shock absorber retaining nuts from the rear end and also disconnect the rubber brake hose from the union just above the axle. View the larger version of the pictures for additional details.
Removing the rear end is not that tough. We fought with trying to get the front king pins out that ran through the eyelets of the front of each spring because the nuts were rusted and also because the rubber bushing was seized onto the king pins. It is much easier to remove the four nuts from behind the metal gusset plate that holds the leaf spring mounting bracket. These are threaded studs that are permanently attached to the back of the leaf spring brackets. Make sure that you have some weight on the wheels so that the leaf springs do not come flying out when you remove all the mounting nuts. After the nuts are removed, raise the car just enough to get the weight off the wheels and either pry the rear end back or place a floor jack under the pumpkin and slide the rear end back to dislodge the mounting studs. After that is done, remove one side of the shackle from each leaf spring and either bang out the king pins or cut them off. Now you can drive the rear end to here you want it. The rear end will be completely sand blasted, painted, and detailed. Now is the time to drain the old oil and check all the gears, replace the gasket, and recondition the brakes if necessary.