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Model A hubs on T axles..........

Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2019 10:57 pm
by George Andreasen
Before I'm told to research this, I already have but want to verify what I've found.

I'm putting a speedster together, nothing fancy, just fun. Wood spokes add a nostalgic, "antique" appearance but they're simply not as strong as a set of wire wheels. Now the cost of a set of T wires has gone through the roof, but a set of A wires are still readily available and affordable. So......

Front wheels: No brakes on the front, so outer diameter of drum is turned off, leaving sufficient support surface for the A wheel as designed. Inner bearing diameter is purported to be the same for both T and A, but a 1/2" spacer is required on the T spindle to position the drum for the spindle nut. Simple enough.

Rear wheels: Tapers for both A and T axles are purported to be the same, BUT the T axle is smaller. This is solved by installing one (or more) of those rear axle repair shims on the T axle, making it larger so as to fit the A drum.

This is what I've found on the net and trying to verify right now. Brakes are another matter and I'll get into that when the time comes!

Re: Model A hubs on T axles..........

Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2019 12:39 am
by Allan
George, multiple shims on a taper is bad practice. If you do need to make an A hub fit the T taper, at least make up just ONE shim of the required thickness. The more interfaces between components, the worse the problems trying to get the components not to 'work' on one another, and get the taper to bind as intended.
If I was going that route, I would machine the centre out of the A hub, and press a correspondingly machined T hub into it, and scotch screw the two to prevent them moving. I do just this to replace flogged out keyways in Hayes wire wheels.

Hope this helps.
Allan from down under.

Re: Model A hubs on T axles..........

Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2019 12:47 am
by Corey Walker
Here are some pictures of a chassis I bought several years ago somebody put A wheels on. They used A hubs in the front as well. It had a motor on it so I guess they drove it with that set up. They wouldn’t have made it much farther because the rear axle nut is cracked.

Re: Model A hubs on T axles..........

Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2019 5:31 pm
by Les Schubert
I can understand what you are thinking and agree BUT!!
1. I would keep the front brakes
2. I would make a new pair of rear axles that fit everything

Re: Model A hubs on T axles..........

Posted: Sat Apr 27, 2019 8:25 am
by John Warren
I have seen many model A wheels on model T's. Just use the adapter and then if you get a chance at T wheels, they will still fit. I don't recall anyone having trouble with the adapters.

Re: Model A hubs on T axles..........

Posted: Sat Apr 27, 2019 9:13 am
by Tim Rogers
"they're simply not as strong as a set of wire wheels"- another Model T myth...

Re: Model A hubs on T axles..........

Posted: Sat Apr 27, 2019 10:08 am
by George Andreasen
Tim Rogers wrote:
Sat Apr 27, 2019 9:13 am
"they're simply not as strong as a set of wire wheels"- another Model T myth...
Yeah, but you haven't seen my wooden wheels............LOL. Actually after reading these posts I've changed my mind a bit. It would make far more sense to machine the A hubs to a press fit over the T hubs, then weld carefully so that it becomes one unit. The idea is to preserve the A brake drums for proper wheel fit.

Re: Model A hubs on T axles..........

Posted: Sat Apr 27, 2019 11:07 am
by Les Schubert
By the time you do this machining and welding of hubs, it would be easier and cheaper and substantially SAFER to make a pair of custom rear axle shafts. I’ve always just made my own from 4140 shaft material. A couple of hours work each.
Besides welding cast iron is not easy to KNOW that you have not left a host of micro cracks looking to fail!!
Welding cast iron hubs is a total NO NO!!!

Re: Model A hubs on T axles..........

Posted: Sat Apr 27, 2019 12:05 pm
by Mark Gregush
Arn't the rear (or fronts) hubs cast steel?

Re: Model A hubs on T axles..........

Posted: Sat Apr 27, 2019 12:50 pm
by George Andreasen
Mark Gregush wrote:
Sat Apr 27, 2019 12:05 pm
Arn't the rear (or fronts) hubs cast steel?
That's what I thought Mark. I can't see Henry using cast iron for something like hubs.....just doesn't make good engineering sense. In any case, it's going to be a while before I actually get to that point so any information I get is being fed into my reference computer for future analysis.

The stunt of using shims on the rear axles and a spacer on the front spindles is an old hot rod trick. Doesn't mean it was a particularly good idea, but it WAS done.

Re: Model A hubs on T axles..........

Posted: Sat Apr 27, 2019 2:35 pm
by Les Schubert
Every T and A hub I have seen is cast iron

Re: Model A hubs on T axles..........

Posted: Wed May 01, 2019 9:25 am
by Allan
Les, all the ones I have seen looked like cast iron, cracked like cast iron and machined like cast iron too. If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck and and swims like a duck, chances are it is a duck!

Allan from down under.

Re: Model A hubs on T axles..........

Posted: Wed May 01, 2019 1:34 pm
by Dan McEachern
T rear hubs are mild steel. Front hubs are Ford's version of malleable iron.