Floating rear axle?

B

bikemaniac

Senior Member
Hi,
The other day I pulled my rear drums in order to remove the ovality. I noticed that I can move the axle (tapered part) slightly radially in all directions. But not axially. Is that normal?
Lucas
 
that is normal, the bearing in your rear hub that you removed is what hold the axle in place.
 
bikemaniac said:
Hi,

The other day I pulled my rear drums in order to remove the ovality. I noticed that I can move the axle (tapered part) slightly radially in all directions. But not axially. Is that normal?

Lucas
Click to expand...


I'm a little unsure with your wording of the question, but here goes. The axel itself should have roughly 15-20 thousandths of an inch movement in towards and out from the rear banjo housing (end play). The axel can move up and down/front and back about 1/4" when the hub is removed as this is the amount of space/give that the internal seal has on the shaft (it's inside the end of the axel housing and you can't see it). When the hub/bearing is installed on to the axel shaft and axel housing it holds the axel in the dead Center of the assembly. Check out Tom Endys articles, they have lots of info and pictures


Looking for the front bumper emblem that has "Ford, Made In Canada"
 
The spacing around the axle shaft and the inside diameter of the axle housing hub is how grease is supposed to reach the rear wheel bearing when pumped in through the grease fitting In the end of the axle housing.

Just inboard from the grease fitting on the inside of the axle housing a seal is pressed into place. It is there to prevent grease pumped in through the grease fitting from traveling down the axle toward the differential. It forces the grease to travel outboard around the inside of the hub and the axle. Another grease seal in the bearing area of the brake drum forces the grease into the bearing.

This is how it is supposed to work. However, many Model A's on the road today still have the original axle housing seals in place, which were leather, and by now they are shot. In addition the internal grease passage from the grease fitting is by now plugged with crud.

I have taken numerous rear axle assemblies apart that had the original seals still in place. The diameter of grease and the length that was centrifuged around the axle working its way toward the differential was a sign of how often the owner pumped grease into the rear axle assembly grease fittings thinking he was pumping grease into his rear wheel bearings.

Anytime a rear axle assembly is being overhauled it is important not only to replace the two grease seals in the axle housings, but to thoroughly clean out the area around the seal and the grease fitting.

Tom Endy
 
Thanks for the info. I'm a new member as well as a new owner (inherited) of a '34 cabriolet, which seems to have largely the same banjo axle. Due to leaks around the banjo that persisted after tightening the bolts, I disassembled the rear.The seals appeared to be original and I already bought replacements as well as some double-lipped seals as alternatives.

There's been much posted about needing to replace the seals and how to install them, but I've found nothing about how to get the old seals out -- other than just statements that you have to remove them.

I've driven out pieces from each side of the axle housings with a drift: a spring, an old, rotten seal, a "cup" and a shiny metal plate stamped with "Ford Motor Company.". However, it looks like there's a still a shiny "cup" inside the housing that I haven't been able to get out. I don't want to destroy it any further if it's not supposed to come out, but all the seals I've ever replaced in other motorcycles and cars make me think it still needs to be removed.

I'd appreciate any suggestions on how to remove it. The new seals seem too large in diameter to go inside this "cup."
 
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I have an old favorite screwdriver that has a wooden handle with the shaft going clear though to the end. I use it for removing the grease seals from the rear axle housing. I bent the shaft of the screwdriver into a gentle arc. I set the axle housing down on the garage floor on newspaper, banjo mounting flange down. I place the screwdriver blade tip into the hub opening and catch the metal ridge of the seal and hammer on the end of the screwdriver until I feel it come out and hear it hit the newspaper.

If the seal comes apart as it occasionally does, I put the tip of the screwdriver on the part remaining and hammer it some more.

The new seal is pressed into position from the banjo mounting end. You will need an insertion tool. Most suppliers sell them. They are inexpensive. Screw the tool onto a nominal three foot length of 1/2" pipe. Place the axle housing on the garage floor with the banjo mounting flange up. Put the seal on the end of the tool and apply grease all around it.

Put the end of the tool with the seal on it down into the housing. Hold the length of pipe in the center of the housing opening and give it about four good whacks with a hammer. As the seal hammers into place there will be a dull clunk sound. When the seal hits bottom against the stop the clunk sound will change to a ringing sound.

Check that the seal is in place by inserting your finger into the other end and you can feel that it is up against the stop all around.

Tom Endy
 
Thanks, Tom. I did try the screwdriver route first, but when that didn't work, I filed a slot in the side of a large punch just behind the tip so it would go behind the edge of the seal seat. Both methods are just bending the cup even when I heat the housing to expand around the cup.

I also downloaded your excellent, 65 page PDF and saw the install tool, which I'll likely buy/fabricate. Before seeing your posts and the PDF, I was just going to use a large bolt and heavy washers to pull the seal into place from the end.

Thanks for the quick reply and recommendations!

-Rob
 
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