Front axle ID?

[Steve Jelf]

The front axle I've been using on my 1915 runabout is bent enough to deserve replacement. I've found one that has good threads and is nice and straight. Rods through the spindle holes line up perfectly. I intend to use it whether it's "correct" or not, but I'm curious about its vintage. After checking the restoration guidelines and the Rodda books I'm still stumped on that. It has NO markings. No DB, no Ford, nothing. When did Ford use unmarked front axles?

[Ruxstel24]

Possibly a replacement ??

[DanTreace]

Steve

Unlike a Ford part to have no markings, esp. from the forging companies, like Transue-Williams and Herbrand that supplied Ford for a long time, even when Ford was making its axles in house.

Have set of Record of Changes for the forgings, and finish size of forgings on the front axles, the T-202 and T-202B-1 that was the pattern that Ford mfg. first dies made 11-24-1919, on 7-15-1920 was changed to the 'straight' design at the perch hole to yoke, and one change note states that T-W wants to only used the former curved style, so Ford allowed this vendor to use the older design.

One change record , dated 6-20-1914 exactly calls out for vendor markings, to be placed on the side of the axle between the boss for the spring perch and the yoke. 3-19-1919 called for name 'Ford' in script to be incorporated in the forging for the T-202-B-1.

The earlier changes are all about dimensions on the finish size, from adoption date 10-19-1907 for the 56" T-202-A front axle, but can't find any record of markings, by the vendors. But would supposed so, esp. from Dodge Bros. with the D-B mark as they made most of the early front axles and spindle bodies. Now early axles '09-'10 or to 1911 or so many may be unmarked, but were marked with D-B by 1912 or either D-B or T-W. If you have an early axle, there are specs you can tell, such as the notch for the one-piece spindle arm among others.

[Susanne]

I would question an unmarked axle, as every one I've seen has been marked both with the ford script and the part ID number (and in most cases the forging company's ID). I wonder if instead of not being marked, if the axle was "over-restored" to remove such markings?

Even the spurious axles in the day usually had a forging mark on them (Ford put out lists of known "forged forging" marks)... finding one totally unmarked would raise all sorts of red flags for me.

My 2¢... Sus

[Steve Jelf]

Boy, was I wrong! I should have blasted the thing BEFORE asking.

Getting it naked revealed the Transue Williams mark, the letter U, and the Ford logo. I gather this would be in the twenties after they started putting the Ford mark on just about everything.

There's also an upside-down 51 near the center.