Floating rear axle kit

[Great Lakes Greg]

There is a kit for converting the rear axles to floating with the idea being that the stress of the current design can cause axle breakage resulting in the back wheel passing you as you go down the road.
I suspect there are a thousand ways to die driving a Model T, so I am trying to weed out the necessities from the gimmicks. I want to have a safe car, but refuse to drive in a padded bubble.
The question is; (there are so many variables that I hate to ask it this way) what are the odds of a rear axle break? This is assuming the rear end has been torn down and properly restored with new parts.
Thanks for my continuing education.

 

[Jack Innes]

Greg,

I do not think that the original design would be a cause of axle breakage but in the case of an axle breaking the outer, now free, piece of the axle can freely come out of the housing with the wheel attached. If the axle breaks at the taper the wheel will fall off in any case.

There are more than one type of the floating axle conversions & I have only been involved with one type. It consisted of a sleeve that fit where the original Hyatt bearing went & was sealed, sort of, with an O ring. It has one 6000 series ball bearing that rides on the axle. There is a locking screw that goes where the grease cup formerly sat. This screw should fit loosely in a blind hole in the new bearing sleeve. If it is tightened fully it will interfere with the end play of the axle. With this setup the axle is riding on about 3/4" of bearing where it formerly was supported by about 5" of Hyatt bearing.

The one I worked on had been in use for quite some time & showed evidence of leaking & bearing deterioration. In reality a broken axle near the wheel would cause the wheel to come off, even if it broke anywhere near the outer end I think the bearing & its retainer would give way.

The way I see it is that the Ford Motor Co. used about 60 million of the Hyatt rear axle bearings without making headlines over axles flying off; the aftermarket better idea (at least the one I worked on) is based on a cheap ball bearing meant mainly to operate in an electric motor with very little end thrust. Personally I would favour a good set of axles & original bearings.

 

[CharlieB]

I think I'd go with improved brakes or new spokes or maybe better lighting before I got into this "up-grade".

 

[15max]

A fellow stopped here driving from Florida to Oregon several years ago. He had the Floating hubs and a bearing went out. He couldn't find a replacement bearing and we had to go back to a standard Hyatt set up to get him on the road again. Improvements aren't always as convenient as the original.

 

[Steve Jelf]

I have no experience with this particular modification, but my experience with other deviations from stock is that most "improvements" aren't. There are a few notable exceptions, such as the Fun Projects pinion bearing, coil box kit, and voltage regulator. But in general, Ford had the right idea.

 

[CharlieB]

Your right Steve. It's that almost 100 years of technological advances do actually create some better replacement parts. I'd add a number of replacement seals to your list. And if they don't show it's even better.

 

[Steve Jelf]

Yep, I'll use the neoprene rear axle seals, but I also plan to put the felt monsters in the housings behind them. Can't hurt, and might help.

 

[jackdaron]

Steve,prestretch those felts over the taper on an old axle before you try to install. I use a piece of large conduit to drive them in with.

 

[redmodelt]

I had to replace a blown leather seal on the one side of my rear end. All I had was a felt type. AC brakes work great now as a pair!

 

[Greg Jones]

Hmmm which ones are we talking about? At the recommendation of a Model T guru, I bought the Stoltz floating hubs for my 26 with wire wheels. Haven't gotten around to installing them yet, 12 years later.....

 

[redmodelt]

There are 2 types, the ones that use 2 bearings and are instilled in place of the sleeve and roller bearing and there is the type that just uses one bearing and is mounted to the outside of the axle where the outer axle seal cap goes. As far as I have heard the 2 bearing type have been ok, not sure about the other one.
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/411944/412639.html

 

[Kohnke Rebabbitting]

There are 2 types, the ones that use 2 bearings and are instilled in place of the sleeve and roller bearing and there is the type that just uses one bearing and is mounted to the outside of the axle where the outer axle seal cap goes. As far as I have heard the 2 bearing type have been ok, not sure about the other one.
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/411944/412639.html

Red, the ones that are made with two bearings are Not Floating Hubs.

If you want True Floating Hubs, the only place to get them is Dan Mc Eachern.

Others very from the way they should be made and were made in the track racing days for the Model T.

Greg, read the site Mr. Red put up.

These are Dan's Hubs.