Well that is what this one is going to get, cut and weld. I got a camber gauge and referenced off the rear, left front is 3 1/2 degrees neg, right is off the scale. If it had the wrong spindles, I would think they'd both be the same. There is no dents in this axle that I can find but there was something that happened a long the way. I still kind of think that it was used under a home made trailer and severely overloaded. I don't think heating and bending is going to work, not on the right side anyway. The left would have to go 3 1/2 and then another 1/4 of a degree to get it into spec so I don't think you could move it that much.
Let me know if the axle is hollow, I don't think it is. find a junk one to test on..I can't beleive that Plymouth would make a tube for that many years when Ford only did it for a very short time.
You probably want a different axle. That one is damaged. they aren’t hard to find and you’ll have 4x dicking around getting it right, the camber, the concentrics and smoothies of that tube. Wayyyy to much effort for what it is. I’d cut anything apart or into 2 or 3 and weld it back together. I have to stake not only my life on it but others as well. THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO DO. I can weld a cats ass to a telephone pole and Different alloys and recently some semi exotic crap. So that’s not the problem at least for me. I’m Not saying that just anyone can do this But personally I wouldn’t be afraid of cutting and welding the axle. What I am saying is I wouldn’t because I know what will happen, how it will come out and how easy it is to find a good one. You’ve only got time to loose trying, I’ve got no knowledge your welding skill level but if it’s not impeccable and beyond reproach then farm it out. All of a sudden it just seems cheaper easier and safer to get another.
I've got to agree with 31Vicki with a Hemi. if that axle is damaged you are far better off to find a good one and turn that one into wall art.
Stock '37 Dodge box. About 50 years ago I trimmed the mast jacket for a little extra exhaust manifold clearance; later someone decided to beat on it instead of replacing a bad motor mount, dumb.
Axle is a hollow tube, not solid. Plymouth did lots of things in the early 30's that Henry didn't even dream about, e.g., hydraulic brakes.
If you get an opportunity, I'd appreciate if you could measure the distance from the centerline of the steering column, to the outside end of the Pitman shaft.
ahh, so reading between the lines. that year axle could work with 32 ford spindles - 37-41 the previous owner found some chevy or f1 spindles with the wrong king pin angle fit them and noticed they were wrong had a go at bending the axle on the one side. gave up and it all ended up at the swap meet.
Why not make a cardboard template of the bottom of one half of the axle and see if it's the same as the other half.
The axle hasn't been involved in a wreck, no damage any where. It looks like some fat women set in the middle of it kinda toward the right side. If it was the wrong spindles I would think it'd be out the same degree on both sides. I have never seen one of these axles around here, all the older stuff people crushed years ago. They drug them out of hollers and every where else. My late father in law had a gold mine. 30's, 40's, 50's and some 60 cars on his land, at least 400, a building full of chrome mouldings, a bunch of 57 chevy, all marked, and no telling how many parts, all crushed. He had some complete cars and let it all go. It is a damn shame that so much of the vintage stuff just disappeared.
Bent = “damaged” any day of the week and twice on Saturday. Fixing “bent” by fat ladies = straightening by over bending the opposite way or cutting and welding. And of course- Over bending = damaged And Cutting welding = damaged So yeah it is damaged
My buddy frank Hansen made his own tube axle at 80 years old, great guy, frank. Build in the geometry you need....
Find a frontend shop that works on big trucks with front axles, they bend them all the time, a car axle is simple for them to do.
OK I can agree with your thought that if the spindles were wrong, both sides would be the same. So lets work with the idea that the axle is just bent. Now, if you try to bend it back by cutting and welding all of the "correction" will be in one place. The bend is not in one place but spread over a large area, maybe even more that half of the axle. What will be the result of fixing the bend in one place? will this make one side shorter than the other? Will one end be higher than the other? Maybe if you made a template of one side and then match it up to the other side just to see where it is bent. Maybe if it is bent just a very little, close to the center it would make the big difference you are seeing at the end. Maybe you could attack just the slight bend (if you can find it) and it would be ok. But to tell the truth, I would just try to find another axle.
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