Axle exchange

Matt in Alameda

Senior Member
I may have broken an Axle in my 1935 5 Window Coupe........Who sells axles? What years interchange with 1935? Thank-you,....Matt in Alameda
 
Matt, '35 to '41 are the same length and are interchangeable with the corresponding spider gears. '35 to '38 axles have 18 teeth, '39 to 41 have 16 teeth. there is no way to determine which you have until you dismantle the assembly, so don't buy a single axle without knowing which you have now.

Closest to you is All Ford in Campbell. I'm sure they will have what you need.

See you at Pino's tomorrow?
 
You could try to pick up a good used axle, but carefully examine the threads, keyway area and depth of wear ring where axle housing seal rides. Magnafluxing would be recommended as well.
 
Actually from what the "old-timers" used to tell me the opposite is true. If you look at the teeth on a Ford axle, you can see the factory machine marks. On used axles the marks will be worn away on the side of the tooth that takes the force of the spider gears. By carefully observing each axle as it is removed you can then swap them side for side to get a "fresh" contact area.
 
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OK, ...just how is he to determine that?
And if he could determine that, what would it matter?
For the reason that an axle that has been used to being 'torqued' predominately in one direction, might not respond well to being torqued in the opposite direction, as would be the case when swapped from one side to the other.
If you examine a 'used' axle closely at the taper end, you can usually determine which direction it has been turning.
This happened to me some years ago when I overhauled a 34 diff, used a supposedly better axle, 2000 miles later, I thought the car had slipped out of gear.......wrong!!
 
So, your "better" axle broke in 2000 miles and the reason was that it was turning the wrong direction? Or because the gear was polished on the wrong side?

Hmmm... I'll think on that a while............
 
I found that switching & looking for wear marks doesn't matter. Did you ever bend metal one way the reverse it. There are little molecules all lined up & you try to change them & they are stubborn pay you back by seperating. Just like wires quit working if you let the smoke out.
Wore meself out.
Time to take a nap after that one. heh heh he
 
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