MTFCA Forum

I am looking for two differential axle gears (the ones pressed onto the axles) in very good condition for use in my 1915 Touring car. I have purchased new axles, but my existing gears are quite pitted, and I understand that reproductions are not available.

After nearly a year's worth of effort, I have just recently gotten my car back on the road after over a decade of sitting still. Replacing these gears are the final pieces needed for my Ruckstell axle rebuild.

I have just recently joined the MTFCA, but have not yet received my membership number. This forum has been a great source of information during the restoration process.

-Mark

Check with the folks you ordered the axles from, maybe they have a stash of good side gears, keys, and keepers that they could use to install onto your axles before they ship them to you.

Thanks for the reply. I picked up the axles in person at Chaffins last week, but they didn’t have any gears. Dave at Chaffins is keeping an eye out some.

If you can’t find them close email me. Dan

Mark, I have a lot of rear end parts. I will look tomorrow. If I can find some good ones, you can have them if you are willing to pay shipping. Ted 503-728-3476

Ted- Thanks, will appreciate you looking.

Have a couple of axles laying on the ground. Email for pictures. ctleonard64@gmail.com

https://www.ebay.com/itm/155355179024
Nice one

Mark, I found a pile of about 30 axles, I can remove a couple tomorrow,if your are still interested. If you want pictures call me . Phone service is poor at best so don't worry if I can't answer on the first try. Ted

Ted- Thanks so much for looking. I have found a pair locally that I will pick up this weekend. If for some reason that doesn’t work I will contact you next week.
Again, thanks for your time and generous offer,

-Mark

MarkS wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 17, 2023 6:09 pm

Thanks for the reply. I picked up the axles in person at Chaffins last week, but they didn’t have any gears. Dave at Chaffins is keeping an eye out some.

Try Langs? Sometimes they surprise you!

Yes, I did reach out to Langs as they have been very helpful on previous occasions.

Thanks to all who responded either via this forum or privately via e-mail. I was able to obtain a pair of very nice gears locally from a very generous member. Thank you MTFCA!

-Mark

Glad you found a pair! If you plan to press them on yourself, be extremely careful to construct some kind of cage to restrain the axle shaft in case it decides to shoot sideways out of the press and become a missile under the force. My HF 12 ton press wasn't up to the task, I had to take my axles to a machine shop and they used their 30 ton press to install the side gears. When you think you have the gears seated fully, check for movement of the keepers in their slot. If they can be moved, they aren't fully seated, press them further.

Thanks, Mark for the advice. I have gained a lot of insight into this process from this forum. I am in the process of building a restraining fixture to keep the axle from bending and moving out of the press and have access to a machine shop and 20-ton press. I plan on measuring the bores and shafts and dressing them as required to get a proper press fit.

Mark!
You’re on the right track about measuring the ID of the gear and the OD of the axle! I ruined a new axle by not doing that!
The vendor that I got the axle from had a supplier make some new axles and they made a few that were just a hair over the OD that Ford used. Same goes when picking and choosing a gear and axle. Make each one falls in the range so they can fit together! And there are all not exactly the same. That’s why you have to do that. The axles can slightly bend BUT if they begin to something is not right with the measurements!!

Thanks to all on this forum for the gears and advice I received. I built a holding fixture and was able to press the gears onto my new axles without issues. The press fit was 1.4 thousands interference, and I had to dress one side of the new keys a bit for a nice tap-in with a brass hammer fit. For the fixture, I welded a standard 5/8"-18 nut to the baseplate, centered on a 2' piece of 2"x2'x1/4" wall square tube. I drilled and tapped eight 1/4"-20 holes and installed thumb screws. I threaded the end of the shaft into the nut on the bottom until it bottomed out, the adjusted the thumb screws to hold the axle in the center of the tube. I used press-fit lubricant, and the process went smoothly.
Today my T is back on the road with new axles, good axle gears and new ring and pinion!