Weld Seam on rear axle bells

midgetracer

midgetracer

Well-known member
Putting together a rear axle for my 30 Coupe, I noticed that the weld seam on the bells was on top on one side and on the bottom on the other. On further examination, I had bells with the seam on top, back and bottom. What is the logic to the seams? Am I mixing up a bunch of different years, or did Ford welders just put the seam randomly? I appreciate all comments
 
The very early axle housing seams were on the side. To be correct they should be installed so they face forward. However, they can be interchanged so they face aft and they will function correctly.

Later axle housings had the seams on top. You can switch these around and they still end up on top.

During 1929 there was a series of axle housings made with the seams on the bottom. These can also be switched around and the seams will still be on the bottom.

Regardless where the seams are they can be installed on either side and and they will work just fine.

There was also a change made that is documented in the service bulletins that changed the thickness of the banjo gaskets that required the axle race seats to be machined deeper. This adds to the necessity of establishing the carrier pre-load correctly as it is difficult to tell which version you may have.

Tom Endy
 
Tom Endy said:
There was also a change made that is documented in the service bulletins that changed the thickness of the banjo gaskets that required the axle race seats to be machined deeper. This adds to the necessity of establishing the carrier pre-load correctly as it is difficult to tell which version you may have.

Tom Endy
Click to expand...

I'm not sure how important it is, but technically Ford changed the housings by reducing the depth of the pocket for the bearing. The purpose was to increase the preload on the bearings. At that time they began offering a thinner gasket for service to increase the bearing preload on those units already manufactured and in service.
 
If I understand correctly, the change in depth of the carrier bearing race was to reduce axel end play; at the same time the thinner banjo gasket was introduced to be used on the earlier axel housings to reduce axel end play.

These changes appear in the Service Bulletins, Oct. 1929, Page 382.

It is sometimes overlooked as the index has a printing error; shows the change as (Truck) when in fact it is for passenger cars.

If you are using axel housings from different rear axel units and the seams are facing forward I feel its good to check that you don't have a mixture of early and later housings as it effects the banjo housing gasket you need to use.

In my last paragraph: should read " with seams facing up" not "facing forward".

Ron
 
Last edited:
forever4 said:
Tom, As far as I know, there was not a LH and RH axle housing part number, only a common housing, quantity 2.

If so it is not really possible to assemble them having both seams on front or back.

Did Ford have a LH and RH part number in the early years?

In actual fact, Ford may have made housings with the seam on either side, however they were all the same part number, and it is very unlikely they were paired in any way, if they did make two styles.
Click to expand...

I said the same in the past and then decided to go "hunting". The first production housing assembly was A-4010-B which was made in two versions. One had a seamless tube and the other (optional design) had a seamed tube with the seam facing forward. In this case they also made housing assembly A-4011 LH to pair with it. It does show up in the October '28 price list.

Yep, seems crazy to me but they did it!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top