My Dad's Forty Standard, a factory 60hp car, has a tube axle. My 39 Standard, a factory 60hp car, came with an I beam. From what I read (I had thought on here), they released 100 cars a week with the tube axle, all on 60hp cars. Kind of like letting the public do your testing. Dad has a perfect 39 I-beam axle in the rafters of the shop, for his car. "I don't believe in that weak axle". He is now in a state of dementia, and is car will probably be mine sooner than I want. I think it will keep it's "god given" tube axle.
He has been offered a lot of trades and money over the years for the axle, but he always said that once you sell parts, you end up parting the car.
Beautiful car , sure seems to have the axle laid back , gotta be more than 6-7 degree's, or perhaps a bad camera angle ??
I have a 37 v8 60 axle that I plan to use for a salt flat style 34 Chevy build but am concerned about strength and how big of an engine they can safely be used with. Does anyone have information on that?
Here are some links to work I'm doing on my tube axle to install some oversize kingpins since the axle eyes were worn considerably. Thought some here might find it interesting. Obviously there are a lot of ways to fix things, this is just how I decided to do it. The oversize kingpins. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1950s-tube-frame-sports-car.993579/page-12#post-14222972 Modifying the round back spindles to take the F100 bushings. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1950s-tube-frame-sports-car.993579/page-13#post-14224516 Making some parts to allow me to maintain the correct dimension between the lock bolts and kingpins. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1950s-tube-frame-sports-car.993579/page-13#post-14228622 I'll update this post once I get the axle bored. Should be in a week or so.
Does anyone know if the tube axle had a particular part number? I was thinking about ordering a blueprint from HenryFord.com but I was surprised to not find it listed in the Green Book. They list many of the parts like the special kingpin lock bolts which are listed as fitting the 60HP but no mention of the tube axle.
I've got a bunch of these axles, and only had one with the king pin retainer bolts, so I am now offering new king pin retainer bolts/steering stops for these axles, as they are completely different from the I beam style. I have them in 304 ss, and 1215 high tensile strength steel. Exact reproductions. They come with the correct castle nut and Cotter pin. DM me if you need any. I'll post an ad if I can remember how.
I'm glad someone is making these. I've made a couple sets out of 4140 but the stainless or 1215 would be fine I imagine. My last set I made .100 taller than stock to stop the steering sooner. I've posted this print before but here it is again. How much are you selling a set of yours for?
They're $50pr for steel and $80 for stainless including shipping. I made 14 pair last week and sold them all in one hour...didn't even get to keep any for myself, so I made some more.
Nice! I sold one of my pairs for $60 so at least we are in the same ballpark. That's great you were able to sell that many. I've been too busy with little kids to make more. If anyone else asks me I'll send them your way.
I followed that link, but it's just to a medical services site. Is there another "HenryFord.com" I'm missing?
Sorry it's .org instead of .com https://www.thehenryford.org/collec...-resources/popular-topics/ford-parts-drawings
Thanks, that's a pretty neat resource. Too bad it seems none of the drawings are posted on that site, and the link to the Model A site is broken too! (But the site itself is still up, thankfully).
I found my axle on E bay out of Texas in 2005. It came chromed, not great but good enough, chromed 37 spindles with new SS king pins. Everything came as described but the king pin bosses were egg shaped so I had to install oversized pins. The guy that I dealt with was selling it for a friend and didn't want to get a bad review so he adjusted the price.
My eyes were loose too so I ended up boring my axle and using shortened pins from a late 50s half ton Ford. Did you find oversize early Ford pins? Here are a couple pictures of when I was boing mine. I wonder if these axles tend to egg the pin hole out because of the window in the end.
I was using a special pin I made to keep the kingpin bore in the right location to the retainer bolt hole. I was also using the face of the milling tool holder to make sure I was lined up straight with the original bore. After that locked the fixture block in position and tightened the stud thru the perch hole.
Bringing this back up. Got a tube axle late summer early fall. Had a few additions that needed to be removed and a hole to patch. As bought. Straight and in good shape, but had some ugly to repair. Deuglyfied! The repairs were easy. Next was to check out the kingpin bores. They were nice and clean, but had some play on stock 46-48 passenger car kingpins, or 48 F1 kingpins. Which by the way are identical except for the part number... So an adjustable hand reamer to enlarge the bores to F100 kingpin size, which measure 0.859 inch diameter. Final sizing will be done with the Sunnen honing machine when I clean up the garage so I can get to it... Since I'm going to use 48 F1 spindles I'll put the appropriate bushings in and hone them to size also. And what I find interesting is how many of these axles have shown up in articles over the years in the different magazines. Looking thru old and new magazines, I've seen so many cars with these axles. Which begs the question of just how many were actually made by Ford. And for how many years and models.
Thanks for the kingpin dimension info, never knew one was larger, great for correcting ovaled holes. Noticed the Rockwell test mark, wonder if Ford tested every one?
Mine is tested in the exact same spot. So that would make me think they tested every one like Dave says.
33 Willys has a 33 Willys axle. Rat rod has a dropped I beam. 27 has a Ford tube axle. 27 roadster has Mopar axle, last but not least I have a display chassis with a Ford tube axle. And I have 2 more Ford tube axles in stock. 2-13-24 update. The black 27. That axle advertised on the HAMB for $175.00 in CA. No questions asked. I offered $250,00 shipped. He knew he had a sucker. He said $300.00. OK. It was bowed. 1/2 hour to straighten it. King pins loose. I installed wedge K P lock bolts. Worked good. 27 now retired to my showroom. PS; I am just finishing changing from I beam and bones to Ford tube and hairpins on my double tube frame chassis.
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