Artiki
03-08-2006, 03:47 PM
Just before Christmas last year, I bought myself a quick-change for my banger-powered coupe from Kiwi Quickchanges in New Zealand. Here’s what you get for the money….
http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/2470/kit3af.jpg
http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/9550/centres7sr.jpg
You also get a single sheet of A4 instructions which helped but as this was the first time I’d stripped an early Ford axle, I was on a real steep learning curve.
First thing you’ve got to do is pull the old axle, tube and ‘bones assembly.
http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/3470/aswas7rh.jpg
Lay the axle on the floor and remove the left-hand axle end from the banjo. The carrier assembly with axle shafts can then be removed from the rest of the axle.
http://img488.imageshack.us/img488/9038/axlestrip15rc.jpg
Once that assembly is out of the way, the torque tube can be removed and so can the driveshaft. The driveshaft comes out – with the pinion – through the side of the banjo once the two large nuts have been undone. The other axle end can then be removed and the original centre section thrown away or used in the garden as art.
Carefully disassemble the crown wheel carrier and axles. Make sure the spider gears are marked so they can go back onto the same part of the yoke and that the shafts are marked LH & RH. It’s not a good idea to get them mixed up.
http://img329.imageshack.us/img329/1315/carrierbits6ms.jpg
The quickie uses the original A carrier, crown wheel and pinion. The pinion moves to the rear and is driven by the shorter of the two new shafts, via the drop gears at the back. The only serious modifications that are needed internally involve machining clearance from the middle of the carrier and the spider yoke.
http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/1314/carrier4iy.jpg
You can see the machining in the centre of the carrier, this is to clear the main input shaft - the one that in effect extends the drive shaft to the rear of the casing.
Once that has been done, it is simply a case of reassembling the axle as you would a stocker, using gaskets as shims to check for carrier bearing pre-load and backlash. Because this QC uses stock A innards, the tolerances and pre-loads are identical to standard A.
Once you have assembled it all, it should look something like this…..
http://img104.imageshack.us/img104/4003/completedonfloor4jl.jpg
The new centre section uses the same 600W oil that stock A’s use, the rear section uses EP90 gear oil. You’ll need to weld a threaded bung into one of the axle ends to take the oil and it’s a good idea to drill a small hole to act as a breather at the top of the other.
By the way, the driveshaft needs to be have the tapered end removed and the shaft resplined to just under 50” in length. A six spline adapter is then used to connect it to the input shaft on the quickie.
Oh yeah, forgot to mention. The aluminium casing used different bolts to original, a much coarser thread, so I found some new bolts but had to trim them down to fit. It was doing this that I managed to crush my finger tip between the vice and the saw frame. This photo doesn't do the pain justice. The nail split and the flesh underneath it peeled back causing me to use up all the established swear words, revisit some of the older curses that never really get an outing, and then start making up my own brand new vocabulary of nasty words you can't repeat at the dining table or in front of young children.
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/217/crushedfinger9rw.jpg
Once any fingers you have left are healed, it is time to get the dreaded spring spreader out and fit the axle. Much caution is needed with these springs, as you know they can pack a real punch.
http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/1114/on8lo.jpg
The long-awaited test drive was great fun. I haven’t sorted the speedo out yet, so I don’t know what I was doing but nothing passed me for ages! With 31” tyres and 3.48-1 gears, 3000rpm is about 80mph. I don’t think I was going that fast, but it was certainly scooting along nicely. By flipping the two drop-gears over, I’ll have 4.11’s to play with. That may be too low for my little banger so Winters will be getting a call this month.
http://img308.imageshack.us/img308/5122/outside3xm.jpg
http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/2470/kit3af.jpg
http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/9550/centres7sr.jpg
You also get a single sheet of A4 instructions which helped but as this was the first time I’d stripped an early Ford axle, I was on a real steep learning curve.
First thing you’ve got to do is pull the old axle, tube and ‘bones assembly.
http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/3470/aswas7rh.jpg
Lay the axle on the floor and remove the left-hand axle end from the banjo. The carrier assembly with axle shafts can then be removed from the rest of the axle.
http://img488.imageshack.us/img488/9038/axlestrip15rc.jpg
Once that assembly is out of the way, the torque tube can be removed and so can the driveshaft. The driveshaft comes out – with the pinion – through the side of the banjo once the two large nuts have been undone. The other axle end can then be removed and the original centre section thrown away or used in the garden as art.
Carefully disassemble the crown wheel carrier and axles. Make sure the spider gears are marked so they can go back onto the same part of the yoke and that the shafts are marked LH & RH. It’s not a good idea to get them mixed up.
http://img329.imageshack.us/img329/1315/carrierbits6ms.jpg
The quickie uses the original A carrier, crown wheel and pinion. The pinion moves to the rear and is driven by the shorter of the two new shafts, via the drop gears at the back. The only serious modifications that are needed internally involve machining clearance from the middle of the carrier and the spider yoke.
http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/1314/carrier4iy.jpg
You can see the machining in the centre of the carrier, this is to clear the main input shaft - the one that in effect extends the drive shaft to the rear of the casing.
Once that has been done, it is simply a case of reassembling the axle as you would a stocker, using gaskets as shims to check for carrier bearing pre-load and backlash. Because this QC uses stock A innards, the tolerances and pre-loads are identical to standard A.
Once you have assembled it all, it should look something like this…..
http://img104.imageshack.us/img104/4003/completedonfloor4jl.jpg
The new centre section uses the same 600W oil that stock A’s use, the rear section uses EP90 gear oil. You’ll need to weld a threaded bung into one of the axle ends to take the oil and it’s a good idea to drill a small hole to act as a breather at the top of the other.
By the way, the driveshaft needs to be have the tapered end removed and the shaft resplined to just under 50” in length. A six spline adapter is then used to connect it to the input shaft on the quickie.
Oh yeah, forgot to mention. The aluminium casing used different bolts to original, a much coarser thread, so I found some new bolts but had to trim them down to fit. It was doing this that I managed to crush my finger tip between the vice and the saw frame. This photo doesn't do the pain justice. The nail split and the flesh underneath it peeled back causing me to use up all the established swear words, revisit some of the older curses that never really get an outing, and then start making up my own brand new vocabulary of nasty words you can't repeat at the dining table or in front of young children.
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/217/crushedfinger9rw.jpg
Once any fingers you have left are healed, it is time to get the dreaded spring spreader out and fit the axle. Much caution is needed with these springs, as you know they can pack a real punch.
http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/1114/on8lo.jpg
The long-awaited test drive was great fun. I haven’t sorted the speedo out yet, so I don’t know what I was doing but nothing passed me for ages! With 31” tyres and 3.48-1 gears, 3000rpm is about 80mph. I don’t think I was going that fast, but it was certainly scooting along nicely. By flipping the two drop-gears over, I’ll have 4.11’s to play with. That may be too low for my little banger so Winters will be getting a call this month.
http://img308.imageshack.us/img308/5122/outside3xm.jpg