Broke an axle

J

jimTN

Well-known member
Broke an axle in my 34 yesterday, no pop just all of a sudden the engine speeded up. It's on the drivers side of the Columbia so I hope to pull the right housing, Columbia side instead of pulling the rear end. Anybody got a extra 18 tooth 33/4 axle, I amd in the market for one. Please PM me.
 
jimTN said:
Broke an axle in my 34 yesterday, no pop just all of a sudden the engine speeded up. It's on the drivers side of the Columbia so I hope to pull the right housing, Columbia side instead of pulling the rear end. Anybody got a extra 18 tooth 33/4 axle, I amd in the market for one. Please PM me.
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Jim, You'll need to pull the left housing off to remove the axle. You may leave the right-side axle housing intact.
What is the overall length of the axle?
 
Remove the left housing then remove the bolts holding the ring gear to the Columbia planetary housing then remove the ring gear and the spider gears and cross and the right axle should slide out.
 
1933 & 1934 axles usually bring a good price. I had a 33/34 rear end I parted out a few years ago. I wish I had another.
 
Thanks all. I have a complete good rear end with axles but hope to locate an axle and not have to strip this one. Not sure of the length at this point.
 
Seth Swoboda said:
1933 & 1934 axles usually bring a good price. I had a 33/34 rear end I parted out a few years ago. I wish I had another.
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I have both axles from a 33-34. Both used. I haven't looked at them in a very long time. If interested, let me know, and I'll look-see if I think they are any good.
 
Kube said:
Jim, You'll need to pull the left housing off to remove the axle. You may leave the right-side axle housing intact.
What is the overall length of the axle?
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They are 32.18” long. I had to tear apart 3 rears to find a good pair of axles when rebuilding mine (no Columbia).
 
It's times like this, you might consider replacing the rear with a more modern axle Ford 8' or spicer/dana 35/44. Not the easy way to go, BUT??
Gramps
 
I'll say it . . . you'll probably find it is a heck of a lot easier to just remove the whole rear-end - so you can easily work on it, than to try to do all of this under the car. I used to do all sorts of crap on the cement floor of a garage . . . I've learned that I'm not 18 anymore and I like to get stuff up where I can work on it!

For rebuilding rears, I made a plate that mounts to my engine stand - this makes it a whole lot easier!

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Jim, if you don't already have brake drum safety devices installed, you should put them on when you rebuild the rear.

When you break an axle, the drum can easily come off and catastrophic things happen when this occurs.

I know it is a rare deal, but can you imagine if you were going around a corner when an axle breaks and the whole wheel/drum comes off. Bad JuJu!
 
Progress report. Removed the old axle, really was quite easy. Car is up on four stands, put a stand under the center housing, used my small porta power to push the spring, removed the shock connection and radius arm, housing and then the axle. I will make up some 3/8 guide studs to make it easier to install the ring gear and housing. Pete, love that rear end stand. I am going to build one using the end from a old torque tube.
 
ever wounder why the axle broke. the cause may bey the axle race on the housing is worn. & the drum race is worn plus the bearing. this causes the axle to ride off center flexing just a few thousands every revereloution thus causing fetige. mike the housing race & the hub race . the housing is over 90 years old & seen plenty of mileage
 
richard crow said:
ever wounder why the axle broke. the cause may bey the axle race on the housing is worn. & the drum race is worn plus the bearing. this causes the axle to ride off center flexing just a few thousands every revereloution thus causing fetige. mike the housing race & the hub race . the housing is over 90 years old & seen plenty of mileage
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NOT tightening that big ol' hub retention nut down near the 205 ft. lbs. when reassembling these rear drums is cause for a lot of cracks. That hub is wobbling on that tapered axle IF you haven't tightened it near spec. NOBODY is doing themselves a favor by making it easier to get that drum off the next time. That taper MUST be TIGHT, clean and dry to function properly!

Coop

.
 
jimTN said:
Progress report. Removed the old axle, really was quite easy. Car is up on four stands, put a stand under the center housing, used my small porta power to push the spring, removed the shock connection and radius arm, housing and then the axle. I will make up some 3/8 guide studs to make it easier to install the ring gear and housing. Pete, love that rear end stand. I am going to build one using the end from a old torque tube.
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Hey Jim, the stand was something I did - Pete helps out with photos one can actually see!

On thing on the Torque Tube approach is that you can't easily get to the pinion to set backlash, thrust and overall pinion and differential "drag". I needed to fit my wrenches in there as well as my inch/lbs torque wrench. That is why I made mine sit up above the engine rotation point - for easy access.
 
V8COOPMAN said:
NOT tightening that big ol' hub retention nut down near the 205 ft. lbs. when reassembling these rear drums is cause for a lot of cracks.
.
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What I do is torque down to a lower number - say 150, drive it a bit, retorque again to 200, drive it a bit and then retorque it again. When I say "a bit" I'm talking just a few miles.

I will say, every time I take my big ole' torque wrench and go to 205, I'm gritting my teeth, making funny faces and praying to God to "just let me torque this one more time . . . please".

It is kind of a "sphincter snapper" to put that much torque on the axle thread. Many bad thoughts go through my mind - many! :eek::eek:
 
Broke axle had a crack half way thru, just was not caught when the C was built. I have stripped the extra rear end and got a good axle to go back in tomorrow.
 
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