Technical So I bought this axle...

IF you were thinking to scrap it do us a huge favour and run a little experiment.
Put it in a press (using safety precautions of course) and see what sort of load it takes before it snaps and see if there was much deflection before.
I have taken bends out an of original axle and was shocked by how soft and pliable it was .

 

Now that is a great idea. There has been so much debate over the years about cast axles.
How about it @ramblin dan ? A chance to actually do some controlled testing on the subject, and get some truth to us all. An excellent tech article if there ever was one..................

 

It's not that it's cast, this looks to be a Hoffman axle and that puts it into a class all of its own. A really bad one.

 

It belongs in the trash. I'm speaking from 3 broken ribs and happy to still be alive.

 

Holy crap !!!!!

 

Amen brother,,,,,,,cast,,,,,on a structural load bearing member like that,,,,,cannot be trusted .
It will fail eventually,,,,and it won’t be pretty .
I know some are better than others,,,,,but why risk it ?
Especially if it might cause severe injury or death,,,,,even years later,,, for some unsuspecting person down the road .

Tommy

 

I think this needs a little more explanation. Did the axle break causing the wreck ? Or did the wreck cause the axle to break?

 

Thanks for the responses and it sounds like everyone is of the same opinion to not use it. To be fair to the guy who traded to me I don't think he checked it out any more than I did cause it was still wrapped in the plastic so lesson learned. I got the gas tank for free I traded for it so I'm not out really anything. Maybe I could use it for a rear bumper on that someday gasser project I'll get to one day. Thanks.

 

Would any drive you took in a hot rod with that piece of shit underneath it be relaxing?

 

The axle broke because it was a cast piece of shit and caused me to loose control instantly.

 

Make a small trailer.

 

Good idea. I already got a 1926 Chevy front axle with the tie bar cut and welded to the center of it for a trailer. It must be sturdy enough cause my uncle used to haul cattle in it back in the forties and fifties.

 

Yeah, a good cast axle, preheat, proper rod and a needle gun for stress relief and I would run one. BUT, if that is Hoffman crap I would not suggest anyone run it. Even as wall art I would be leery of it coming apart and injuring someone.

FRIENDS DON'T LET FRIENDS BUY HOFFMAN!

 

Ski-rap

 

Don't trade or sell it to anyone even with the understanding that it's only to be used as a wall hanger or art. Some unscrupulous person may doctor it up with JB Weld, spray bomb it and flip it to some poor unsuspecting slob. I agree that the casting looks porous in the first place.
Boycott Chinese junk parts!!!

 

had this happen a few months ago with a 15,000 lbs Yale forklift we bought at auction.

looking it over I happen to see one of the mast mounting points welds looked “ funny” just really smooth and slick .

touched it with my finger and it squished a bit?!?!
Dug it out with a screwdriver and the weld had failed and some dough head just siliconed the crack !!

I gouged it out with my die grinder all the way around the weldment , made sure everything was lined up and had my welder run a bead.
All of 2-3 hours work and $150 bucks to my welder .

but no , silicone is structural now

 

Maybe he thought he had grabbed the Gorilla glue and got the silicone by mistake?

 

Either that or Gumby worked on it!

 

I'd probably torch it in two to make sure someone less attentive never ends up with it and tries to use it.

 

I know where a 40's ford pickup is laying upside down on the edge of a field. Evidently they ran into a big post or tree, hit the axle dead center. It has a nice U-bend in the center, a quite pronounced one foot deep U-bend. It did not break!!! Reminds me of the picture, can't find it now where they twisted a ford front axle like a piece of licorice (sp) I too would like to see some destructive testing done on that cast axle. Lippy

 

wall art .paint on the back side..DO NOT USE...WALL ART ONLY....