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Superbell broken axle

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by the mercury kid, Jun 7, 2012.

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  1. FlynBrian
    Joined: Oct 5, 2007
    Posts: 761

    FlynBrian
    Member

    Anybody know where the super bell cast axles are made? Can't seem to find that info searching Google or the Hamb.
     
  2. budd
    Joined: Oct 31, 2006
    Posts: 3,478

    budd
    Member

    maybe we need a list of the makers of new forged axles.
     
  3. gnarlytyler
    Joined: Feb 2, 2007
    Posts: 1,004

    gnarlytyler
    Member

    I would never buy or run or recommend or ride in a car with a superbell or mag cast axle and neither should anyone, you can thank the profit motive for cheap products and money mattering more than a life

    .. I see lawsuits happening if it hasnt already
     
    Last edited: Jun 9, 2012
  4. Not only are the aftermarket axles junk, they're kind of silly looking too.
     
  5. fuel pump
    Joined: Nov 4, 2001
    Posts: 3,620

    fuel pump
    Member Emeritus
    from Caro,MI

  6. 117harv
    Joined: Nov 12, 2009
    Posts: 6,589

    117harv
    Member

    There is a thread on here somewhere about dropped origonals and repros regaurding looks. If i remember right there were a few replies that said dropped origonals looked ugly and the repros with the tapered ends looked better:eek::eek::confused::cool:
     
    kidcampbell71 likes this.
  7. FlynBrian
    Joined: Oct 5, 2007
    Posts: 761

    FlynBrian
    Member


    This guy says he's knows the owners, and the super bell axles are made here in the U.S.
    Does anybody know this for a Fact? Are they made here or offshore and milled here?
     
  8. I have a dropped original '34 axle, and a superbell in my garage. I can take pics for comparison, but there really isn't any to me. I guess it just depends on who drops them, whoever did this one did a fabulous job. The superbell doesn't belong to me, but I think it would make a great mailbox post.
     
  9. 19Fordy
    Joined: May 17, 2003
    Posts: 8,025

    19Fordy
    Member

    I counted 8 drilled holes in the web on each side and it looks like it broke "before" the first hole. had the holes been "at fault" I would have expected the break to be at a hole.
     
    Last edited: Jun 9, 2012
  10. landseaandair
    Joined: Feb 23, 2009
    Posts: 4,485

    landseaandair
    Member
    from phoenix

    Looks like 9 to me, broke right through the center of one.
     
  11. Jeem
    Joined: Sep 12, 2002
    Posts: 5,882

    Jeem
    Alliance Vendor

    Yep...I'm one of 'em. Anyone know who modeled the tooling for the first SuperBell I-beam? They freakin' got it right. It's a beautiful design. Someone with an eye for form. Sorry, many of the original axles that got dropped back in the "day" looked like hell. The irony for me, is I love hand crafted bits and pieces, that's why I love hot rods...many of those old axles though.....yikes.

    I will say, most all of the Ford axles I've seen dropped recently look way better. More attention to the final shape worked into the stretch.
     
  12. 117harv
    Joined: Nov 12, 2009
    Posts: 6,589

    117harv
    Member


    I agree, some of the older ones do leave alot to be desired for sure, but one done right just looks super sexy. I think maybe one of the reasons i like a dropped Henry axle is you can spot it at a distance, and i like vintage origonal steel parts...they taste delicious:)
     
    kidcampbell71 likes this.
  13. I always thought Valley Vintage's forged axle was the first aftermarket I-beam,
    and all the subsequent cast axle makers followed Valley's general design of the
    area beween the perch bolt and kingpin.

    In my opinion even the old hammer dropped axles like dago's have more hot rod soul than the more stylized aftermarket axle.
     
  14. Mart
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 4,893

    Mart
    Member

    The shots of the severely bent axles show that a cast axle is a suitable axle for these cars because it behaved exactly like a Ford axle would have in the same circumstances.

    The shot showing the broken axle with the cold brittle break and the superbell logo tells me one thing:
    It is not the same as the (presumably) older ones that bent.

    Which means one of two things:
    The same people make them and the material or process has changed, OR Someone else is making them either for or instead of the original maker and it is not the same material as the old ones.

    They couldn't have made them for all these years if they behaved like the OP's one. People have used them for years and not had a problem.

    Something has changed, either just the material or the manufacturer and the material.

    And it needs to be addressed and quickly.

    Mart.
     
  15. Jeem
    Joined: Sep 12, 2002
    Posts: 5,882

    Jeem
    Alliance Vendor

    ...and I can DEFINITELY appreciate this sentiment. Part of the reason I think many of us love old hot rods...their perceived soul.
     
  16. Jeem
    Joined: Sep 12, 2002
    Posts: 5,882

    Jeem
    Alliance Vendor

    Mart. You have hit the nail on the head, Sir. I hate seeing one of my most favoritist hot rod aftermarket companies taking such a hit.
     
  17. Littleman
    Joined: Aug 25, 2004
    Posts: 2,617

    Littleman
    Alliance Member
    from OHIO, USA

    Soul is something to sell to the Devil in exhange for Horsepower and Speed..ha ha ha.....For the record the SuperBell I bent in both directions was purchased over 7 yrs ago or longer...maybe there was a process change of some sorts.....I never liked the idea of the amount of heat it took to drop an original.......Your messing w/ its metalurgy in some shape or form as well.....I understand the process before and after...but still.......I like the narrow width of the after market stuff....I replaced the one I bent w/ a forged after market........But I bet I can bend and break that one too...........Build-em as safe as you can....and alway's inspect your stuff every spring before they hit the road again and or make it a point to check your stuff if you live in a year round pro HotRod climate.......Think about it...how many stock axles would be left if they did not make any after market ones....Littleman
     
  18. This is not a statement of my endowment so don't take it that way but to say that you broke a Magnum condom is something that you could be proud of.

    I don't buy from Speedy Bill as a rule but it is a personal thing. I have heard of good customer service from them but I have also talked with manufacturers that said that they wanted to buy their seconds. All of this information would be second hand to me so it is now third hand to you.

    I have known Jerry Slover (Pete and Jakes, & Super bell) for a long time. I don't know that I would want to work for him because he can be real nit picky but I wouldn't have a problem buying an axle from him if I needed one. I am pretty sure that if that is a Super Bell axle and it is flawed as it obviously is he would have no problem standing behind it.

    This is a concept that many of us may have never tried but maybe a conference call with Super bell and Speedway is in order. then between them they can decide who needs to warranty the axle.

    Think about this, there are probably hundreds of thousands of those axles on the road today. With that many there is bound to be a few flawed. Maybe even a bad run.

    That said the issue is not the issue here. Not a discussion of axle material but a discussion of customer service.


    Unless there has been a real recent change they are made here.

    I don't check for bugs but I never get on line without putting on my tin foil hat.

    For the record like most of us I do know that a forged part is stronger than a cast part. I prefer to run forged lower ends in my engines for instance. Given my options I would run a forged axle before a cast one.

    That said I have seen broken forged parts in my life time axles included. I had an older friend in the Pac NW when I was in high school that had a Henry forged axle hangin' on his wall in two pieces, it broke though the perch boss on the drivers side. He said it was rare and that was why he kept it, rare being the operative word here.
     
    Last edited: Jun 9, 2012
  19. killerbunny
    Joined: May 21, 2012
    Posts: 51

    killerbunny
    Member
    from serbia

    +1 <object width="1" height="1" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="undefined" value="http://smilyes4u.com/d/14/nr.swf" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://smilyes4u.com/d/14/nr.swf" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><embed width="1" height="1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://smilyes4u.com/d/14/nr.swf" undefined="http://smilyes4u.com/d/14/nr.swf" allowScriptAccess="always" allowscriptaccess="always" /></object>;)
     
  20. Here is the good news, Jerry Slover at Pete and Jakes has become involved, he sent UPS to get the axel and it is now on its way to him, there is a resolution coming to this soon....as to why the mercury kid has not posted more photos, he doesnt have the axel anymore...but there is more damage than $300.00 for the broken part...
     
  21. Thats good news, at least super bell are coming to the party on this.
     
  22. captainjunk#2
    Joined: Mar 13, 2008
    Posts: 4,420

    captainjunk#2
    Member

    im interested to hear what the results are , i have a superbell axle i was going to use in a T bucket build but all this talk makes me want to hang it on a wall and use my tube axle instead ,
     
  23. 19Fordy
    Joined: May 17, 2003
    Posts: 8,025

    19Fordy
    Member


    Thanks for the correction. I retract my assumption based on the fact that I was wrong.
    I am now going to practice my "count to 10" skills. Your "hole" theory DOES make sense. Thanks for correcting me.
     
  24. dirty old man
    Joined: Feb 2, 2008
    Posts: 8,910

    dirty old man
    Member Emeritus

  25. zman
    Joined: Apr 2, 2001
    Posts: 16,730

    zman
    Member
    from Garner, NC

    Lots of issue with aftermarket parts they never covered. Some of the aftermarket MII suspensions comes to mind.
     
  26. boo
    Joined: Jul 6, 2005
    Posts: 580

    boo
    Member
    from stuart,fl.

    have any of the droped tube axils had any trouble with the cast or forged ends??? bought one from speedway.
     
  27. Don's Hot Rods
    Joined: Oct 7, 2005
    Posts: 8,319

    Don's Hot Rods
    Member
    from florida

    What I don't understand about this situation is that the OP posted this on the 7th and hasn't been back to answer any of the questions raised since that original post. Plus, I gave him the name and extension of the man at Speedway who is standing by to help him out, and he hasn't told us if he called them or not.

    I'm not saying I am skeptical, but a bunch of people have given opinions and not a peep from the OP in response. If nothing else it is unfair to the two companies mentioned to take a swipe at them and then not be around to discuss it further with us.

    Don
     
  28. F&J
    Joined: Apr 5, 2007
    Posts: 13,222

    F&J
    Member

    There may be a reason for no more comments. He has a wrecked new build, and what appears to be possible head injury at least, so I doubt I would settle for a refund on just the axle, if it were me.

    He may or may not, be under counsel at this point.
     
  29. brigrat
    Joined: Nov 9, 2007
    Posts: 5,615

    brigrat
    Member
    from Wa.St.

    It would have been hard for me to give up the Axle like that ( send it back) UNLESS I had a neutral private third or even forth party evaluation of why it broke..............................
     
  30. Don's Hot Rods
    Joined: Oct 7, 2005
    Posts: 8,319

    Don's Hot Rods
    Member
    from florida

    Where did you see that he wrecked and had a head injury ? I must have missed that. :confused:

    Don
     
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