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Hot Rods Can an early Ford axle be sleeved to save it?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by curbspeed, Oct 21, 2018.

  1. Wondering if an early Ford axles can be reamed and sleeved or bushed? My 37 tube axles is bad on one side and I would like to fix it if I can. I found this out today after driving my car for the first time. Kinda bummed I didn't catch it earlier. Any thoughts on this? Is there such a thing as oversized kingpins and bushings that can be bought?
     
  2. hotcargo
    Joined: Nov 9, 2005
    Posts: 307

    hotcargo
    Member

    a good blacksmith will be able reduce the size of the eye , then ream the eye and cotter hole to correct size , I have done quite a few years ago .........also had the axles shot peened and x rayed

    cheers Steve in Oz
     
  3. My dilemma is the axle is already chromed a long time ago and I don't want to rechrome it.
     
  4. akoutlaw
    Joined: May 13, 2010
    Posts: 1,258

    akoutlaw
    Member


  5. prez
    Joined: Apr 7, 2009
    Posts: 78

    prez
    Member

    hey you can buy oversized kingpins ..
     
  6. hotcargo
    Joined: Nov 9, 2005
    Posts: 307

    hotcargo
    Member

    Well in that case the ball is in your court , but a bandaid fix could be a new hardened cotter bolt and red Loctite , and then make sure you shim the verticle movement between the axle and stub securely , I would never sleeve it .....have seen a few flogged out....................or try to locate an oversize king pin and then ream the stub and axle to suit


    cheers Steve in Oz
     
  7. Well, I'm looking for options.
     
  8. Where?
     
  9. metlmunchr
    Joined: Jan 16, 2010
    Posts: 861

    metlmunchr
    Member

    Any competent machine shop that does repair machining should be able to bore and sleeve the end back to size. The problem with reaming the existing hole oversize is a reamer follows the hole, and if the hole is worn then the king pin inclination (KPI) angle will be off if you just run a reamer thru it.

    I'd use a Bridgeport to fix it. Set the angle of the head to the original specified KPI angle. Level the axle on the mill table. Indicate the approx center of the worn hole and use an adjustable boring head to clean it up. Once it cleans up, check the ID and make the sleeve with .001" press fit. Rather than try to guess how much the bore of the sleeve might shrink when pressed In, I leave the sleeve bore on a part like this a bit undersize, press the sleeve in with the part still in the mill, and then bore it to whatever fit it needs. Rather than having to spend a bunch of time setting up to run a cutter back thru the hole for the locking bolt, I'd do some measuring and notch the sleeve to clear the hole prior to pressing it in. That way you don't chance cutting that hole in the axle oversize, and the notch can be cut such that it provides plenty of clearance for the bolt without sacrificing any strength.

    This sort of repair is common in a lot of various parts of machinery, etc and is a normal job in a repair shop. Depending on market prices in your area for machine work, the job should run somewhere between $200 and $300 and won't pose any danger of damaging your plating. The axle will still use stock size king pins and bushings and both ends will use the same parts. Assuming you put new kingpins and bushings in when you were building the car, you should be able to reuse those parts. I could be wrong on this, but I think the oversize parts are made for times when the kingpin has worn all the way thru the original bushings and chewed into the eyes in the spindle. Actually not an oversize kingpin but rather bushings with an oversize OD to allow for cleaning up the spindle bores which isn't what you need to do anyway.

    I've done the same job in the past on some steering axles from forklifts where the steering was never greased. Basically the same operation as described above, and it saves a part that costs $3000 to $5000 if its even available from the manufacturer. Not a difficult job at all, and most of the time is spent on making sure the axle is set up correctly before cutting any metal.
     
  10. deathrowdave
    Joined: May 27, 2014
    Posts: 3,518

    deathrowdave
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from NKy

    I have seen a few correctly done as just explained , need seen or heard of one issue when done correctly . I have seen farm tractors and different dirt playin machinery so worn out you wonder “ how in the hell “ is that still working .The old Harley springers had bronze bushings at the pivot points , everyone I have ever had my hands on were worn egg shaped . I have had every one of them repaired just as described and driven many a mile on that repair . My point is if I trust this type of repair on 2 wheels it damn sure must be ok , to make stated repairs safely . A quality machinest is what I call a metal surgeon he does the unbelievable daily as routine work . Finding someone to take time from a production based business is going to be the greatest part of the repair task at hand .
     
  11. 51box
    Joined: Aug 31, 2005
    Posts: 1,099

    51box
    Member
    from MA

    I had one done last summer at a local machine shop no issue. Over sized on the milling machine and pressed sleeve then reamed to size.
     
  12. I have a competent machinist that I trust so that is not a problem. What is a good suggested material for sleeving it? Any suggestions on OD of the sleeve?
     
  13. alchemy
    Joined: Sep 27, 2002
    Posts: 20,404

    alchemy
    Member

    Since those tube axles already have a notch out of the boss, I'd be apprehensive about cutting more to install a sleeve. I'd try to find oversized kingpins.
     
  14. metlmunchr
    Joined: Jan 16, 2010
    Posts: 861

    metlmunchr
    Member

    Most any steel would be fine with the exception of any leaded free machining steels. Leaded steels will rust in normal dry air about as fast as other steels will rust in salt water. Most shops are going to have 1018, 1045, 1117, 1144, and 4140. Not necessarily all varieties, but all will have some of those and any of them will work well for the bushing.

    You let the diameter of the hole determine the bushing diameter. I'd avoid an extremely thin walled bushing, but .060" or so wall is plenty. IIRC early Ford kingpins are 13/16 dia. Lets say thats right for explanation purposes anyway. So you'd want to take the hole out to around 15/16" or .9375. Say your finished hole measures .950". To have an .001" press fit you'd make the bushing OD .951". To make this bushing, you start with stock a bit larger, like 1" OD. You chuck a piece of stock with enough sticking out of the chuck to make the bushing. Drill the stock and bore it somewhere around .030" under the 13/16. Then you turn the OD to .951" and part the bushing off the stock. You don't just pick a stock size and try to bore the hole to match as its much easier to hit a close OD than a close ID. By starting with larger stock, you assure that your finished OD is both on size and round, and by using a piece longer than necessary you don't have to worry about the chuck squeezing the part out of round since the part you're making is hanging out in the air at all times.

    Since you want the bushing to press in straight, once the final bore size is established, I'd adjust the boring head about .005" larger than the final cut and put a counterbore of this diameter about 1/8" deep into the axle bore. That way, when you set the bushing in place, it drops in and the shoulder at the bottom of the c'bore aligns it square with the hole. At that point its easy enough to use a piece of threaded rod and some washers and nuts to pull the bushing into the hole. The final step is to finish bore the in-place bushing to the proper fit with the kingpin.
     
    patzfab and BJR like this.
  15. pitman
    Joined: May 14, 2006
    Posts: 5,148

    pitman

    Good practices to achieve a sound fit.
    Thanks MetiM!
     
  16. Thanks for all that great advice. I will share it my friend and he can read it and take it all in. I really appreciate it Metlmuncher.
     
    Last edited: Oct 23, 2018

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