***1914-1921 Driveshaft Cross Section***

[VowellArt]

1913 was the last of the 2 piece driveshafts, and in 1914 the ball and radius rod connection are one piece, this allows the bushing to move further forward to between the radius rod mounting lugs. This places the bushings support nearer to the U-Joint. Also worth mentioning is the U-joint pin plugs changed in 1918 from the dome type typically found in years previous to 1918, to the flat style, that continued through 1927. Another change happens in 1921 from the previous loose ball thrust bearing to the captured ball between two race plates (inner and outer).

[Allan]

Martynn,
I'm not sure you are asking for input for these, but there is a detail missing from your drawing.
The casting/forging at the rear end of the tube does not have a flat face which meets the bearing spool. Rather, it has a step on the outer diameter, and that step goes over a corresponding relief machined in the bearing spool. This helps to locate the two components.
Similarly, the rear end of the bearing spool has the same step on the outer diameter, which goes over a relief machined in the rear axle housings, again to align the two components.
Mixing and matching closed and later open spools on different axle housings becomes complicated because of the steps on closed bearing spools.

Allan from down under.

[VowellArt]

Allan I completely forgot about that, not sure what the depth is though...is the correct?

[VowellArt]

Ok, another change, gonna have to make this slight change through all the drawings though, has to do with the woodruff key, I had it a bit too small.

[Allan]

Martin, the lip on the tube is duplicated on the back end of the bearing spool also.
Allan from down under.

[VowellArt]

Ok, did a little checking and it seems I got quite a bit wrong...sooo, how's this one? The thing I'm not sure of is the length of the hardened inner race 2596, in that does it extend past the hyatt bearing to include the thrust bearing or not...seems to me it should, but then I really don't know.

[ShirkWood]

Martynn,
Thank you for taking the time to create these detailed drawings. The area of the driveshaft seems to be one least understood assemblies. Here is my take on it. Starting with the pinion gear and driveshaft. The pinion gear will only go on so far due to the taper. The inner sleeve should come up tight against the back of the pinion gear. The ball bearing thrust should bear against the inner sleeve. The ball bearing thrust should be held from going forward by the back end of the driveshaft housing. With all of that said, the driveshaft parts as described will not go forward, towards the engine.

On the square end of the driveshaft you have the u-joint and the bronze thrust bushing. When you drive the pin in the driveshaft, the u-joint is "set". The back side of the u-joint that rides against the bronze thrust bushing needs to be smooth (not pitted, scored, etc.) because it is what keeps the pinion gear end of the driveshaft from going deeper into the differential. It seems like Ford said 0.003'-0.005" thrust clearance, but I could be wrong.

On the early (1914-21) driveshafts with the enclosed spools I have torn apart, most of them had a flat washer with an I.D. slightly bigger that the O.D. of the inner sleeve. The O.D. of this washer should be smaller than the retaining ring that holds the ball bearing thrust together. I believe this flat washer was there to keep the front end of the roller bearing from getting into the ball bearing thrust assembly. The originals flat washers I have seen are only about 1/16" thick. I don't think the later driveshafts (1922-27) had these flat washers. My guess the reason for this is...the later style ball bearing thrust did not have the snap ring like the earlier style bearings had. One area of wear on the driveshaft ball bearing thrusts is the point where the inner driveshaft sleeve hits the ball bearing thrust. Many of these ball bearing thrusts have a ring worn into them where the end of the driveshaft sleeve hits it. The good news for the 1922-27 T owners is that you can turn that ball bearing thrust around and you will have a "new" surface! The earlier cup style bearing owners can't turn the ball bearing thrust around. The "cup" of the earlier style ball bearing thrust is sandwiched between the back of the driveshaft housing and the outer sleeve in the spool.

One thing I have not been able to determine is if there were any gaskets on either end of the driveshaft spool. I can't see why you would put one at the front of the spool as it should be holding the thrust bearing tight and a gasket is not really something which would allow that to happen. If there was one, it might be on the pinion end. I can see trying to shim out the pinion bearing away from the ring gear. Model A and Early V-8 Ford ""banjo style" rear ends use various thickness of gaskets to adjust the rear axle and driveshaft assemblies in all kinds of directions but the Model T, not so much.

I hope this helps!
Verne Shirk
Wichita, KS

[VowellArt]

Vern, on my drawing you see a space between the back of the gear and the sleeve...that space is actually the woodruff key slot that's in the sleeve, for the sleeve to fit tightly against the back of the pinion gear, that slot has to be there to accommodate the woodruff key.

I had assumed that the slots in the front bushing were for grease, to lubricate the U-Joint where it rides on the bushings flange, since there is not hole drilled in this bushing from the vendors, until assembly and I've been told that the inside of the bushing where the hole is drilled for the grease cup, is grooved along the length of the bushing, so naturally I thought it must line up with the flange slots on the bushing or why would these slots be in that flange?

Vern, did I get it right?

[ShirkWood]

Note #1 - The back side of the driveshaft housing T193B is flat where the arrow points. The Thrust Bearing Cup would need to be moved to the right a little after T193B is made flat. The rabbet on the outside of T193B is correct as is the Spool. The top photo shows what that area looks like. The thrust bearing cup is flush with the front of the spool.

Note #2 - The 2596 Inner Sleeve does not extend all the way to the front of the Thrust Bearing. It stops at the right of it (to the right side of 2587. The purple colored thrust bearing race that the ball is resting on should continue down, almost to the driveshaft itself. The front end of the Inner Sleeve will bear against it. If you look at the second photo, you can see where the inner sleeve has been wearing on that thrust bearing. It was flat originally.

The last couple of front driveshaft bushings that I purchased did not have a groove cut in them. I don't know if it was a cost saving measure or they forgot it or they think it is not needed.

[VowellArt]

Ok, Is this correct Vern?

All of those bushings I've seen have that slot in them, I even asked the question of Lang's as to what it was for, the response was "to clear the woodruff key", which is why I'm showing it. Do you know if Ford's original bushing had that slot in it or not?