Basically, yes. I have no drums attached to my hubs because I'm using aftermarket drums that fit outside the hubs (late model style) so I'm just using the hubs on the ends of the axles. A little bit of lapping paste on the taper, push the hub on, hold the axle still with vice grips and a rag and work the hub around and around and around....and back. Clean out the paste and repeat. Then go to the finer grade. And as per the suggestions in this thread I'm finishing with cutting compound for the smoothest finish I can get. Pete Drewfus, I didn't quite get there. School pick up time came around too soon.
The most famous drag racer in Australia from back in the ay - John English - told a mate of mine who told me, and I'm telling you .... Pack the axles in dry ice for some time just before you assemble the rear end. When they shrink from the cold, you do 'em up to 200 ft lbs, then they expand holding them firmer. That is after you've lapped 'em in, like you are doing. so how does that work out? Ever here of Mr Drag Racing breaking an axle???????
The dry ice thing would probably work. I suppose you could also heat the hubs. Shit I might want to get them off one day though.
Anti-sieze I think is lube plus particles of aluminum or copper...that could not clear out from pressure. Ford had no torque spec until very late, about '47-8, apparently. Just tighternhell. When they released the spec it was real high, maybe 175-200, then they put out another service letter lowering it to 150, I think. Will get actual numbers and post. Axle shaft had different heat treats at different parts to withstand all this. Note that that is probably higher than you would do instinctively, and is really quite tight. On really tight fits puller force is to extreme for a 3-legger to be used...it is really, from actual experience, capable of deforming the hub at that level. I actuallydistrorted an A hub so much the drum split once! Only safe pullers at that level is the KRW center type or the old Snap On-Blue Point dreadnaught, or the adaptor plates that allow a 3-legger to pull at center of hub. Pulling a hub seated at 150 with clean undamaged tapers maked the pulling VERY difficult.
I have 32 V8 axles: just bought NOS axles, nuts and keyways. I will probably buy new hubs, too, before I reassemble. I will lap! And assemble dry! And probably will dry ice. Maybe dry ice axles and heated hubs, too. Now: How tight? Numbers have been all over the range from 75 to 275. These are NOS 32 V8 axles. My hubs are integral with the drums. Can I get a drum that is removable from the hub? That will ease future brake work.
With a little machine work, you could make a hub that would accept a removable drum. Might take some searching to find an acceptable drum or possibly modify your existing drums to fit.
I thought that some early (or was it later?) Fords had separate hubs. I am not up to speed on early Ford hydraulic brake intechangeability.
Once again, I'm soo happy I found this place. I'm about to mount my drums and now I know what to do. I was wondering the same thing.
Yep, for thread that size that seems reasonable to me, That's about what the torque on Hartzell propeller mount bolts is, along with a few common head bolt torque specs.
I'm not sure about interchangability between all the years either but I'm running a '48 rear. I bought some aftermarket drums from Binga, here in Australia. The original drums mounted behind the hubs. The new ones fit outside the hubs. The trick I found was that I had odd hubs. One was 1/4" thick and the other was 3/8". The 1/4" one has a shoulder that registers nicely into the centre of the drum. the thicker one had no shoulder so I machined it back to 1/4" to match the other one and give myself that shoulder. I used Dorman studs 610-120 which I machined slightly to fit the holes in the drums. I think the same drums as I got are available from Macs and no doubt most early Ford parts houses. Pete PS It gives me a bit more confidence to crank my hub nuts up nice and tight, knowing I can still get to my brakes.
If you do this, how do you get them back off again without doing some major damage? Striper are those drums fitting ok?
Have not yet located Ford '48 spec, but pretty sure it was up around 150. Will hunt til I findit. That is recently located info, and certainly more than I have ever used! With proper install, pulling fron center of hub becomes MANDATORY, and you must have the screw-on guard for the axle end while pulling...that can be made from a common repro "Bingo" puller cut down. "Friction" is an inadequate description of proper fit; I believe the axle actually "advances" in technospeak into the hub taper, meaning hub is stretched like a rubber band and axle is in a hole that wants to be smaller in diameter than the axle where it is...hence the need for terrifying amounts of pressure on the puller. Removeable drums are normally modern repro mounted on Ford hub.
Hey @Bruce Lancaster , it's been been about ten years. Have you found the tightening spec yet? I'm still waiting
I know this is an OLD thread...but for anyone new...putting hubs/drums onto tapered axles... The Studebaker manual has in bold type...assemble CLEAN and DRY. Mike
Clean and dry. For those that complain that it makes then hard to remove, that's the point of the dry fit taper and that's why they make the heavy duty dog bone pullers. They are supposed to be hard to disassemble.
As a machinist of 45 years and millwright the last 20 I vote clean and dry. I have seen tapered hubs split because someone put never-sieze on them. Yup, it's an old thread.
Clean and dry..! Take a guess what happens when you use lube....????? Pretty simple really. The hub/drum WILL go "further" up the taper..! Making it MUCH more difficult to remove years down the road at the next brake shoe swap. If you take it apart again the next day, not too big a deal. BUT... Mike
Tapered shaft and hub - they are supposed to wedge tight together. That is what keeps the hub from spinning on the shaft when you peel out - the key is nothing. The wedge action depends on them being a close fit and dry. Lapping them together makes them identical. Should not be necessary if they are not scored.
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