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Technical Do I need to replace one of the ends on my 9” housing?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Hot Rod Dan, Mar 19, 2018.

  1. Hot Rod Dan
    Joined: Jan 22, 2006
    Posts: 332

    Hot Rod Dan
    Member
    from Texas

    Craziest thing, while driving down the highway at about 70 mph I had BOTH axles come out of the 1957 Ford 9” housing in my 32 sedan. It happened quickly and was quite exciting.

    From what I can remember it seemed like driver side axle came out first (bearing and retainer were destroyed) and while I was trying to slow the car down and the lower shock mount & drum backing plate were grinding on the pavement, the passenger side axle came out (leaving an undamaged looking bearing and retainer in the housing end).

    What the heck! How do both axles come out at the same time on a 9” Ford where only 1 bearing fails and the other (pressed on) bearing comes off the shaft?

    I plan to buy new axles, bearings, retainers, however the driver’s side end of the housing inside was tore up a little by the incident. Below in the first picture is the passenger side end of the housing which appears to have received no damage.

    IMG_2065.JPG

    The next pictures are the driver’s side housing end. The first and second recesses where the bearing and retainer sit appear to have no damage. The third recess where the silver lip is looks like it got beat up by the axle leaving and/or the bearing failure. Is this going to cause me problems if I leave it like this (maybe just clean up the ragged edge with a half round file) or do I need to replace the end?
    IMG_2066.JPG
    IMG_2070.JPG
    IMG_2064.JPG
     
    chryslerfan55 likes this.
  2. Pete Eastwood
    Joined: Jul 27, 2011
    Posts: 1,324

    Pete Eastwood
    Member
    from california

    How long have you been driving the car with those axles ?
    Did the bearings have the retainer ring pressed on behind them ?
     
    Poh likes this.
  3. That looks like the axle seal is all that's beat up unless my eyes are too tired to see it correctly.
     
    egads and squirrel like this.
  4. saltflats
    Joined: Aug 14, 2007
    Posts: 12,592

    saltflats
    Member
    from Missouri

    So why did this happen?
    This is not common on a 9 inch axle.
     

  5. Mr T body
    Joined: Nov 2, 2005
    Posts: 2,228

    Mr T body
    Alliance Vendor
    from BHC AZ

    The first pic appears to have the pressed on bearing sleeve in the tube. There should be sufficient clearance with the tube so if it wasn't properly pressed would go into the housing or out with the axle.
    On the other side, was the inner race still on the shaft with the bearings missing? Where's the sleeve?
     
  6. There's been recent reports of some Ford bearings coming with stamped sheetmetal retaining rings rather than the heavier machined ones. The stamped ones have been known to fail. The recommendation seems to be to do 2-3 heavy tack welds to the axle if you have those, although that complicates changing bearings later and you have to be careful to keep the axle seal surface clear. Personally, I'd make sure I got the machined rings...

    And I agree with Beaner; looks like it's what's left of axle seal is what's beat up.
     
  7. Hot Rod Dan
    Joined: Jan 22, 2006
    Posts: 332

    Hot Rod Dan
    Member
    from Texas

    These were old bearings that appeared to be ok when I was putting the car together. The car had been a "garage queen" and I just wanted to get it on the road figuring I'd upgrade the axles and bearings later. The retainer rings and bearings came off the axles and stayed in the housing. However the driver side bearing and retainer were in pieces.
    IMG_2060a.JPG

    I thought the same thing also at first, but after checking I think the ball bearing has the seal built into it.
    bearing.JPG

    I really don't know. I'd think the odds of it happening are quite rare. Maybe when the driver side failed and the car came down on the left rear side, the side load on the passenger side caused an old bearing and retainer to pop off? I don't know it's weird.
     
    Atwater Mike and zzford like this.
  8. brigrat
    Joined: Nov 9, 2007
    Posts: 5,615

    brigrat
    Member
    from Wa.St.

    Got pic's of the axles?
     
  9. Hot Rod Dan
    Joined: Jan 22, 2006
    Posts: 332

    Hot Rod Dan
    Member
    from Texas

    I'll post some tomorrow.
     
  10. The older Ford 9" bearings are sealed, but there's an additional seal in the housing to prevent the gear lube from getting out past the bearing. Which it will do if the seal is missing...
     
    sunbeam likes this.
  11. brigrat
    Joined: Nov 9, 2007
    Posts: 5,615

    brigrat
    Member
    from Wa.St.

    Never seen it, never herd of it, that high boy '32 doesn't weigh enough to tax the strength of a '57 rear end. No noise, no grinding, no warning?
    Warped housing?
    Axles to long?
    An idiot that last installed the bearings and retainer?
    Got my attention!
     
  12. 56sedandelivery
    Joined: Nov 21, 2006
    Posts: 6,695

    56sedandelivery
    Member Emeritus

    Any pics of the axle/bearing retainer ring? The stamped steel retaining plate, should be replaced with a 1/4" thick aftermarket steel plate. Unless the wrong bearings (too wide) were used, and not letting the bearings/retainer plate fully seat and effectively "bulge" out the retainer plate, to start the axle bearing pulling through, it's hard to see how this happened.
    I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
     
    brigrat likes this.
  13. Hot Rod Dan
    Joined: Jan 22, 2006
    Posts: 332

    Hot Rod Dan
    Member
    from Texas

    I guess I really just need to know if that's a seal I can pull and replace. I'll start searching the web for a replacement seal.
     
  14. inthweedz
    Joined: Mar 29, 2011
    Posts: 580

    inthweedz
    Member

    Has your housing had any welding / brackets / lowering blocks / shock mounts, done to the outer ends??
    I had the same thing happen to me, but the axles didn't walk at the same time, right side first, them about 40 miles later the left side..
    Luckily there were other club cars with me to help out.
    It was on the first ''shakedown cruise'' of my 39 Chev coupe, I had bought it as a rough driving project, and re-did most of the original work until it was finished..
    When the right side came out, we pulled the axle, went back into my work where I machined a new collar, and pressed it all back together.
    Carried on crusing, then bam the left side does the same thing.
    This time we pulled the axle and headed on (about 20 miles) to the first farmers yard, where we hammered the bearing and collar back on, and tacked it with a stick welder in three places..
    Both collars were stamped from steel sheet, L shaped..
    Back home, I checked the diff housing, and found the outer tube ends had bent / distorted upwards where the lowering blocks had been welded by the previous owner..
    I replaced it with another housing that needed 1'' off either side, didn't have any problems after that..
     
  15. Terrible80
    Joined: Oct 1, 2010
    Posts: 785

    Terrible80
    Member

  16. Poh
    Joined: Apr 17, 2007
    Posts: 266

    Poh
    Member
    from Quincy,Ca.

    Why do the bearing retainer plates look to be machined to fit over the bearing?


    Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  17. Poh
    Joined: Apr 17, 2007
    Posts: 266

    Poh
    Member
    from Quincy,Ca.

    Sorry my eyes were playing tricks, I now see they have been removed


    Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  18. On the way to the Street Rod Nationals in Detroit in 1972, I was driving my buddies 1962 full size Chevrolet station wagon. At about 60 mph, the drivers side axle came out, it rubbed against the wheel well opening, and made tire smoke like an early top fuel dragster. I got the wagon stopped, jacked the wagon up, hammered the axle back in pace, nd limped to the next exit and a gas station. They replaced the axle bearing, and retaining ring, and tack welded the ring in place. We couldn't see the original retaining ring, and proceeded on our way. We found it at about 65 mph in the left lane. Or I should say we heard the crunching as it took out the ring and pinion. I made an immediate exit of the next of ramp, and was lucky that there was a gas station right there. His lift was busy, but the let us use a floor jack in the parking lot. Some good old boys showed up and took me to a junk yard where I bought a 3:36 pumpkin for $ 25.00. We proceeded to clean out the housing as much as possible, and installed the used pumpkin. When we finally got to the campground where we were staying that evening, we found out that they shut the showers off at 9:00 PM. What is NSRA's motto ? Fun with cars.
     
    Atwater Mike likes this.

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