Front Axle

BillCNC

BillCNC

Well-known member
Hello Folk's,

I was wondering if anyone knows of someone in SoCal, who straightens front axles or, know were I could get my hands on a dimensional drawing of the front axle? It's for a 31 Tudor but they were all the same from what I have read.

I searched the forums search engine and came up with nothing. I did see a couple of post talking about doing it yourself and it seems simple enough. One thread had a link that everyone said it should be a magazine wright-up but unfortunately the link is dead.

Regards
Bill
 
I'm afraid I can't help with your request but if someone is able to post the specs, I'd find them very useful as I have just checked a couple of axles and have a plan to straighten them but I'm not 100% sure of the specs. I believe the king pin inclination is 7 degrees.
Is someone able to post the specs please - I'm sure they will be useful to both of us on this thread.
 
theres got to be an RV shop or semi truck shop around you - they all have i beam axles that need straightened periodically so theres gotta be at least one shop.
 
I recently checked a local truck shop that was known for fixing bent axles here in Tacoma, WA. The guy just laughed. They got rid of the equipment to avoid potential law suits. He said most truck shops are no longer doing this type of work.
 
Our club meets at the local Junior College in their automotive training area. They have a 50 ton press and we have straightened numerous axles using that press.
 
Send it to Wiley Higgins and he will take care of everything for you..You will find him in the listing on the sticky
 
You might check with Rick at Vintage Restorations in Bakersfield. I think he uses a local front end shop that still does I beam axles.
 
So has anybody got any experience running a front end with a king pin inclination more than 7 degrees? Like a couple of members above, mine measures a little more. Just wondering whether it is worth the effort to adjust it. I'm inclined to do it but why bother if say, 8 degrees is OK?
 
Synchro909 said:
So has anybody got any experience running a front end with a king pin inclination more than 7 degrees? Like a couple of members above, mine measures a little more. Just wondering whether it is worth the effort to adjust it. I'm inclined to do it but why bother if say, 8 degrees is OK?
Click to expand...

Id say +-1* I wouldn't worry a bit. anymore and you may run into noticeable tire wear issues.
 
Thank you Gentleman,

I cannot find anyone and the truck stops just smile and say, … What? Um, No!

I bought a 12 ton press and will go at it myself, but the perches are being really stubborn and don't want to release. They both need to be replaced, one perch has an oval bushing hole and the others threads have about had it. I have been tapping it with a hammer, using the press and trying to rotate the perches but nothing so far. I cut the head off of an old lug wrench and inserted it into the bushing hole on the perch with the assistance of a 6' breaker bar, … only to bend the lug wrench.

Time, applying BP and tapping it with a hammer looks like my future for now. Agrrr!

Regards
Bill
 
Thanks, Seaslugs.
Bill, I think anybody who has worked on a front axle has had to press a sprong perch out of the the axle. They can be very tight.:(
 
You all are doing spring perches the hard way.

You need a long throw air hammer and cut off the end of a tool to make it flat.

Next you need the axle supported such that it can not move. I have a 100+ pound vice that does the job.

Put a nut on the end and press hard against perch with the cut off end of the tool. It takes a bit but it does come out. Worked on 2 perches were everything else failed.

More interesting was you could see the threads were mushroomed out a but, but the nut still threaded on the perch.

I will add I was using an about 4" long automotive air hammer. They have a larger and heavier internal hammer part then the X type aircraft air hammers.
 
Look up CWPASADENA
He posts often on here.
Chris can probably point you in the right direction.
He lives down that way.... extremely knowledgeable
Gil. NoCal
 
Not sure of where you are in the SoCal Desert but If you decide to pursue commercial repair, I've had a positive experience with these folks when I lived in Santee.

Frame & Axle Service of El Cajon
210 Cypress Ln
El Cajon, CA 92020
(619) 444-9439
 
The front axles bend very easy. I have a 30 ton harbor freight press. No heat should be used. The trick is to line up the perch holes with the center seam of the axle. Most if not all axles are bent. Just taping a curb with a front tire is enough to bend it. If the axle were twisted effecting the king pin inclination I would just replace it.
 
RonC said:
The front axles bend very easy. I have a 30 ton harbor freight press. No heat should be used. The trick is to line up the perch holes with the center seam of the axle. Most if not all axles are bent. Just taping a curb with a front tire is enough to bend it. If the axle were twisted effecting the king pin inclination I would just replace it.
Click to expand...

Agreed on the easy to bend but king pin inclination would be affected by a bend in the axle, a twist would affect the castor. They are so soft that like you say, even tapping a kerb can upset the axle.
I intend "untwisting" the slight twist in mine because I have found that like you say, nearly all axles are bent so finding a good one is like the proverbial needle in a haystack.
 
When I was restoring my 28 tudor I had the axel straightened at a local machine shop. They used a big press, and had to press it beyond straight because it bounced back when the press was released. It worked good, and I still have my tudor.
 
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