I am starting work on rebuilding the front axle now and need some advice. When I lay the axle flat on the table I see a bow in it which is maybe 5/16" high from the table in the center of the bow. The books I read only talk about having the spindle and perch holes in alignment. The bow can be seen in the picture. Should I push it back straight with a jack or should it have a slight bow?
Also the spindle bolt holes are sloppy in the axle and will need to be bushed and have thread inserts put in. Any good ideas how to go about that while keeping both perfectly straight? I don't have the expensive Stevens tool and the lower hole with the treads is actually oval on one side which complicates the repair.
Thanks for any input!
Find a better candidate for rebuild.
Ditto on the better axle. You can buy one already rebuilt cheaper than you can buy the tools. And trying to fix it without proper tools is like doing brain surgery with a paper clip and a tea spoon.
The axle should be straight but don't go by the forging. You need the alignment pins to know if it's straight.
Of course, there's owners that would just run it as is and be content.
I agree finding a better axle is likely to be easier and cheaper than fixing that one.
In addition to straightening, you need to be sure all the holes are parallel.
You can set up the axle upside down in a drill press and use a 1/2 inch dowel to line up the spindle axis. Most likely you can use a helicoil tap without drilling the hole As it is likely to be oversize already. You need to put the tap in the drill chuck so it stays in alignment and start your threading. Put your helicoil in from the bottom and cut it off to the correct length. You can use a straight edge or string to check if you have gotten the bow out of the axle. You form a steel shim and insert in the top of the axle and ream it to size.
It likely won' t be perfect but it will be serviceable and you can fix it in your garage without buying a bunch of expensive tools.
Justin: If you do not find a better axle, PM me. I fix axles, you can ship it to me and I can fix it. Dan.
Justin: If you do not find a better axle, PM me. I fix axles, you can ship it to me and I can fix it. Dan. "END QUOTE"
Do you also do Model A's!!!!!!!!!!
You can have a knot tied in the axle as long as the holes are parallel and the car will still track straight. Not really an issue. If you can repair the threads and only straighten the axle enough to align the holes it should drive well.
Herm : Only if you hold a gun on me! Dan