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Technical Magnum axles

Discussion in 'Traditional Hot Rods' started by RODIST, Dec 29, 2016.

  1. RODIST
    Joined: Dec 29, 2016
    Posts: 154

    RODIST

  2. slinginrods
    Joined: Oct 6, 2008
    Posts: 422

    slinginrods
    Member
    from florida

    There was a factory ford axle in the classifieds that was dropped for 275.00 yesterday


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  3. slinginrods
    Joined: Oct 6, 2008
    Posts: 422

    slinginrods
    Member
    from florida

    [​IMG]
    Sorry if this isn't cool. Just trying to help a guy out. This is not my ad


    Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  4. Moriarity
    Joined: Apr 11, 2001
    Posts: 30,775

    Moriarity
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member





    this looks like a 36 axle to me. I would get the seller to provide a measurement between the perch bosses before purchasing
     
  5. HellsHotRods
    Joined: Jul 24, 2009
    Posts: 1,405

    HellsHotRods
    Member

  6. FritzTownFord
    Joined: Apr 7, 2007
    Posts: 1,020

    FritzTownFord
    Member

    97 - I see no inconsistency in my previous posts about Magnum. I bought a product, I read about a failure, I asked the owner (whom my wife has known for a long time) (I do not do marketing work for Magnum) about the issue. He said they had some "un-inspected" axles that he was concerned about and would either inspect mine or replace it - which he did at no cost to me (and anyone else who bought an axle in that time period). I'm saying that he stood behind his product at a huge cost to himself - not much of that attitude still around. He told me in that transaction that the one failure which started the law suits and negative publicity was not actually a Magnum product - it's just what I was told. No manufacturer, even Ford, is without some product issues.

    Now, the part that pissed you off - if you will search as diligently for "real Henry" defenders as you did for my own posts you will see plenty of the type comments that make me crazy. There are many hoarders that just love to remind us peasants that they possess the rarest and greatest... It would be nice if all us working stiffs could own the (now gold) vintage Ford parts held so high by the current "restoration" hot rodders. But some of us just have to buy reproduction parts and hope to avoid the rath of "purists".

    But... I was wrong to take it out on you and your comments.
     
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  7. falcongeorge
    Joined: Aug 26, 2010
    Posts: 18,341

    falcongeorge
    Member
    from BC

    if you don't have a core, most of the axle droppers can provide one. these are old ford parts, not Duesenberg...:rolleyes:
    if you want shiny new parts that's fine, but if you cant find an early ford axle, then you sure as hell aren't looking very hard.
     
  8. John Lawson bought Magnum back in 2013 and moved it to Fresno. Original founder (along with Ed Moss who left and started TCI) Victor Leon retired, and then in the summer of 2015 Fred James retired. his son Mike still works there.
     
  9. And while forged axles are stronger than cast, Please remember that Ford has used cast front axles (and twin I Beams) under Everything from Rangers to F-350's from about 1980 to 97 in the small trucks and F-150 and to present day in the Super Dutys! That is Millions of trucks out there! Now granted it is not exactly the same thing but the loads these trucks will see, with so much more weight than out hot rods, proves that a properly cast part is more than adequate.
    The fact that there was one batch over one year for all the years before and since that cast I-Beams have been sold for hot rods should not taint or dismiss the use of them.
     
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  10. Mark T
    Joined: Feb 19, 2007
    Posts: 2,033

    Mark T
    Member

  11. Moriarity
    Joined: Apr 11, 2001
    Posts: 30,775

    Moriarity
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member

  12. toolz
    Joined: Dec 4, 2010
    Posts: 52

    toolz
    Member

    Damn but I'm glad I went with a Mor-Drop...
     
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  13. Weedburner 40
    Joined: Jan 26, 2006
    Posts: 954

    Weedburner 40
    Member

    I have had one of the Magnum 40 axles in my 40 delivery for over 20 years. I have more than 100k miles on it with no problems. I had an original axle that had been dropped by Mor Drop, before that. I resized the kingpin bores twice on it when I decided I needed a new axle. I have also seen Mor Drop axles with the kingpin bores broken out. While the forged axles will flex more without breaking, there are literally thousands of cast axles on hot rods on the road, many for many years and lots of miles.
     
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  14. Mark T
    Joined: Feb 19, 2007
    Posts: 2,033

    Mark T
    Member

    He did a '33-'34 axle for me but I know he drops '40 axles.

    Here is a link to his instagram page, he posted a picture of '39 axle he dropped a few days ago.
    https://www.instagram.com/kohlerkustom/
     
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  15. Moriarity
    Joined: Apr 11, 2001
    Posts: 30,775

    Moriarity
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member



    tough to get much drop on a stock 40 axle, there is only 3 inches of length between the perch boss and the hole for the king pin lock...
     
  16. You sure about that? My information shows they are forged along with the radius rods as well.

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  17. Jimmy2car
    Joined: Nov 26, 2003
    Posts: 1,707

    Jimmy2car
    Member
    from No. Cal

    Weedburner
    I'd sure like to see a picture of a More Drop axle with the king pin holes broken out?
    Otherwise, it never happened.
     
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  18. gimpyshotrods
    Joined: May 20, 2009
    Posts: 23,264

    gimpyshotrods
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Yup. Pics, or it didn't happen.

    Old man Marty knew what he was doing. I tried to get him to teach me before he passed, but he was not having it.

    I cried every day I went past his shop and saw it being parted out for scrap.
     
  19. thunderbirdesq
    Joined: Feb 15, 2006
    Posts: 7,092

    thunderbirdesq
    Member

    image.jpeg image.jpeg Hi guys, thanks @trey32 and @Mark T for the plugs!

    I do drop all 28-48 axles here at my shop. It is true that dropping a 37-48 axle much more than 2" and keeping it looking nice can be a challenge. But to be honest, I don't reccomend dropping 32-36 axles more than 2.375" over stock either. Thankfully, Fat fender fords respond well to other small mods to lower the front end so it is still a viable path for a low front end. A 2" dropped axle with a reverse eye, dearched Spring will easily net over 4" of lowering beyond stock. Adding some longer shackles and a simple Panhard bar will get you in the 6" territory pretty easily and still ride and handle great.

    Here are a couple 37-40 I've dropped 2" recently.

    Andy
     
    Last edited: Jan 7, 2017
  20. thunderbirdesq
    Joined: Feb 15, 2006
    Posts: 7,092

    thunderbirdesq
    Member

    image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg And a few other earlier axles too...
     
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  21. Jimmy2car
    Joined: Nov 26, 2003
    Posts: 1,707

    Jimmy2car
    Member
    from No. Cal

    My last comment on this thread:
    With your (collective) safety in mind,
    why would anyone ever put a cast axle under
    a car at all?
    Some here extol the virtues of cast axles.
    It would only take ONE failure to change
    your life forever.
    Jim
    BTW, Andy
    Thanks for the pics. You do great work.
     
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  22. Why? The same reason they can sell 50/50 antifreeze at nearly the same price. Everybody is lazy and manufacturing and catering to lazy sells more than sex sells. Since they are lazy they also are just cheap enough to want something they perceive as value.
    Most after market axles are shiny and new, lots of them are dropped and narrowed too righ out of the box. And it's $100 more for chrome !! But most are made of cast iron.

    Take the 80 some odd year old Henry forged axle, drop it, narrow it, chrome it. Lots of work and time and that's not convenient for the lazy. You can pay to have it done and that's neither inexpensive or convenient for the cheap and lazy especially if they have to ship it. 1 call to 1-800 hotrods and it gets put right into their lazy hands.
     
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  23. Weedburner 40
    Joined: Jan 26, 2006
    Posts: 954

    Weedburner 40
    Member

    Jimmy and gimpy, the broken axle was shown to me probably 40 years ago by Gene Scott, one of the first after market parts suppliers. He started PSI Industries and Antique Auto in Rosemead,CA.
     
  24. adam401
    Joined: Dec 27, 2007
    Posts: 2,856

    adam401
    Member

    When this type of thread pops up its interesting to hear the different opinions responses etc. I believe in early Ford parts. I've read a couple Henry Ford biographies and a few excerpts detailing his business philosophy. Henry didn't believe in planned obsolesence. Henry Ford was very interested in metalergy and quality even though he was a cheapskate. By all accounts he wanted these cars to last. We're still messing with them on a large scale so there's something to it.

    Ford forged axles are durable. I've dropped a few myself (pics on my profile albums) and have seen a few early hand dropped efforts, some of which are on friends cars. Those axles don't split, crack whatever under driving conditions. Horrific accident maybe, but I've seen axles bent damn near 45 degrees in farm fields and scrap piles unbroken.

    I've never had a cast axle and have no feelings either way about them. I'm glad there are guys producing parts for this hobby and making a living doing it. That doesn't stop me from wondering why anyone would not buy an original axle and modify to suite their needs. I have a tiny budget for this stuff and I buy axles at reasonable prices. If anything they've gone down in price in the past year. The cost of having an axle dropped or gearing up to do it yourself is nothing in the grand scheme of the cost of a ground up build.

    But as far as the op's question? Don't know sorry haha. Pad that post count
     
    Last edited: Jan 7, 2017
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  25. falcongeorge
    Joined: Aug 26, 2010
    Posts: 18,341

    falcongeorge
    Member
    from BC

    I think a lot of the confusion here is the age old thing of people confusing total drop with how much the axle has been dropped beyond stock. When I say "the axle is dropped 4", I am referring to total drop, including the original drop. So a '37-'40 axle starts out at about 2" drop, to get it to 4", you drop the axle another 2". When you buy a Magnum axle, and they say its a "4 inch dropped axle" pretty sure they mean the same thing, total drop, right?
     
  26. gimpyshotrods
    Joined: May 20, 2009
    Posts: 23,264

    gimpyshotrods
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Did you personally see the Mor-Drop stamp on that axle, or were you just told that it was a Mor-Drop?
     
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  27. Roothawg
    Joined: Mar 14, 2001
    Posts: 24,523

    Roothawg
    Member

    Don't the bones on the earlier axles prevent you from getting as much drop compared to a 37-41 axle?
     
  28. thunderbirdesq
    Joined: Feb 15, 2006
    Posts: 7,092

    thunderbirdesq
    Member

    Yes you are correct. You could probably drop a model a axle 4" over stock but I bet it would be pretty stringy looking and probably not of much use on a car. I like to go about 3.25" max on them. Anything 32 and up , forget it, you'll wreck the axle.

    Looks like a nice drop! @adam401
     
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  29. falcongeorge
    Joined: Aug 26, 2010
    Posts: 18,341

    falcongeorge
    Member
    from BC

    I think '32/'35 have the most factory drop, 2.25" from the factory? So even if you pull the Model A axle 3.25", it will have about as much total drop as a '32/'35 that's dropped 2"?
     
  30. Moriarity
    Joined: Apr 11, 2001
    Posts: 30,775

    Moriarity
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member



    I just measured my stock axle and my Magnum axle and the Magnum has 3 inches more drop than my stock axle
     

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