Torque Value for rear wheel axle nut?

redmodelt said:
Thank you. While I mostly work on Model A's I do on occasion get the pleasure of having some of the V8 in the shop. :)
As a side note; I looked at my torque wench, it only goes to 150. It is the type that most home mechanics might have in their tool kit. To reach the 200+ you would need to step up to the next one that still only goes to about 250.
Suggestion if it is 100 or 200+, if the slot is too far off the hole, remove the nut and try a different one or remove a little material from the nut.
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Here's what I do. You must make sure everything is clean when
you're putting the hub-drum back on, seems obvious hey? Yet I have seen someone who Ive respected and been dealing with early Fords for ages try to assemble with grease on the taper and do it all up with a 15" shifter!
Anyway, I too like most only have a torque wench that goes to 150lbs. So go all the way with that, then [pucker time] get a big breaker bar and ..gently.. if there is such a thing go to the next castellation in the nut. If you can go beyond that you're better than me..
 
So these should be a dry clean assembly? I normally clean up all surfaces and apply copper coat or similar to taper and key and key way with the understanding that one pulled up to correct torque it will be secure.
Then when time to disassemble it will come apart easier.
Am I wrong?
Phil NZ
 
Ok thanks for that as am in the process of checking now. So will remove clean and fit dry. Always keen to do things the correct way and continue the learning process.
Phil NZ
 
The taper needs to do what I would refer to as "lock up". The keyway is just there to line things up, all of the "holding" should be coming from the taper. Any thing on the taper surfaces defeats this. That is why some lap the joint and then clean it spotless before assemble and torquing it down.
 
For those among us that don't have a torque wrench going to 205 lbs,
A 200 pound man can stand on the end of a one foot long wrench to get to 205 ft. lbs.
A 100 pound man can use a two foot long wrench.

I am 175 lbs, I use a 14" long wrench, and jump on it a bit. My hubs and axles have a bit of character, I did it many times- Finally, got to a point where the nut didn't move.
Never worried about the cotter.

Karl
 
I do the same as Karl above, but I use self locking aircraft nuts. I did an investigation on my roadster, and paint marked the nuts and hub. The hubs were lapped and cleaned and fitted dry. I use a long breaker and lean on it quite hard, not putting my full weight on it. I retightened about 4 times, over the course of a month or so. After that the nuts did not go any further. The paint marks showed that the nuts were not backing off.

A lot of the nuts I encounter are not tight enough, yet the cotter pin is in place, but they must have been tight(ish) when fitted.

On my coupe, I have the stock nuts, no cotters and check them roughly twice a year. Big breaker, lean on it hard.

Mart.
 
BL in NH said:
Is there a value for this nut or is it just a firm tighten til it "feels"right? Can't seem to find anything in my manuals on this. Thanks
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I have been concerned about this question for a long time. I have been torqueing the axle nut about 130 ft lbs. I have read from some of the replys in your thread that you tighten it to a rough figure of 230 ft lbs. A friend of mine says; as tight as you can get it. Well in the past I did that and the result was a stretched axle at the nut. The threads were ok however you could feel a narrowing of the shaft. How I see it is the nut is only holding the hub onto the axle. If the model A book says 125 ft lbs for the same size then that's what it is. Len
 
I don't have a large enough torque wrench, so I use a pipe slid over the handle of the socket wrench, tightening it with a weight scale at the end of the pipe. How much is 200 #' ? Well just measure the length of your pipe in inches, from the axle nut to the end of the pipe, divide that by 12", and tighten the nut with the proper load shown the scale.
Example: If the pipe is 72 inches long from nut to end, it is 6.0 feet long.Divide 200 #' by 6.0. That equals 33.33#. Tighten using the scale to rotate the nut, until the scale reads about 33#. That's it and it will work for any length pipe.
This sounds a bit more difficult than it really is.
 
I use a 250 Ft Lb torque wrench and screw 2 lug nuts on the studs with an old time crow bar inserted between (has the offset flat end) and the curved end on the floor. Have never stripped any threads in all the years of doing it this way. Also always use original Ford nuts!
 
Ford Model A Rear Axle Specifications
Type: Three Quarter Floating

Material: Special Ford Carbon Manganese Steel

Gear Ratios:

3.78:1
3.70:1 (early 28’s)
3.54:1
4.11:1
Bearings:

Rear Wheel:
O.D. of Axle Housing Race – 2.061″ to 2.0635″
I.D. of Wheel Hub 3.188″ to 3.190″ – Max Wear 3.185″
Pinion Bearing:
Timken 28156 (2 each) – Double Taper Roller Type
Bearing Cup: Timken 28317
Ring Gear:

8.4″ Pitch Diameter
1 3/16″ Wide Teeth
Axle Shaft:

1 1/8″ Diameter
1.128″-1.130″ at Wheel Bearing
Dimension From Housing Flange to bearing Shoulder in Axle Housing:

Before 1929: 1.370″ to 1.372″
After: 1.365″ to 1.367″
Axle and Drive Shaft Seal: CR 10926

Rear Axle Seal: CR 20112, Victor 49024

Differential Lube: 600W to 160W

Differential Oil Capacity: 2 1/4 Pint

Torque Specs:

Axle Nut Torque: 100 ft/lbs
 
You also need to check the nuts to be sure they will tighten the hub without stripping them. I've been told the nut should be hard enough that a file will not cut it. I got some from a vendor that were too soft, used the original ones which were ok. This was on my 41 Coupe I own and torqued them to 200 ft. lbs. no problems. Al
 
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