Rear Axel, I have done something stupid

[Ed in Maine]

When I started the restoration of my 31 Cabriolet I removed the rear axle to change the gaskets. It was leaking oil. I found that the ring gear had three broken teeth. The car worked but was only operating on 1 1/2 in. of good teeth. Also, the previous owner did a poor job of cleanup. There were chips everywhere. I cleaned everything up and installed new seals and bearings and replaced the ring gear. I did purchase a ring gear/pinion gear set.

I got lazy (and stupid), and did not change the pinion. I didn't have the tools. It is a case of "not enough time to do it right but plenty of time to due it over." What happens is that the rear axle has some interference in one spot as you turn a wheel (with both wheels jacked up).

My question is this: After rolling the rear axle out from under the car, can I remove the torque tube and pinion gear from the banjo without touching the rear spring? I want to install the pinion gear that came with the ring gear. Thank you for your comments. Ed