Hot Rods WHAT THE HECK IS IT !!! Can you identify this old Dropped tube Axle ?

OK Guys, I have had this axle sence the early 70's, It came off of a 29 Highboy back in the day,... it had a stock 32 wishbone on it. It was a old Hot Rod that somebody "Updated" back in 1973 or 74,... This is exactly how it looked back then,...

I have had a lot of guys that are "In the know" look at it over the last 4 decades,... everybody has a guess,... but no one knows for sure. It looks like forged ends, and a tube to mimic a Ford beam welded in the center,.... It's defiantly not a Bell Axle,....

If you take a good look at the picture of the dropped end there is a definite design there,.. It looks to be a stylized "W" in the center of a oval shape, However there is a very thin wedged shaped spear that goes through it,... A couple friends said it actually looks like a stylized "W & A",and a very distinctive tiny dot at the 10 O'Clock & 4 O'Clock position.

I just happened to trip over it again, like I have done from time to time over the last several decades,... Had a camera in my hand,... and thought,... maybe you guys would dig this little mystery.

So,.... What the heck is it ?????

 

...Western Auto?...

 

Looks like a V8 60 mated to regular Ford ends.

 

I have had a couple guys guess Western Auto,.. Another guy thought it might be Winfield,....

 

Nope !,... these ends were forged with the logo in the forging dies and the look of filled ends,... And the tube is round, not like the Ford tube that was oval.

 

I see a V and then something that looks like a backwards D - but with the back more pointed...I see the arrow/dart thing, but not any dots around the perimeter (old eyes, I guess). Somebody from the southern CA area will likely recognize that brand/trademark. I don't think they were dropping axles on the east coast until after it had caught on in "Dago".....

dj

 

Yup, I see that now. It's a cool piece.

 

Its neat.

 

Vintage Chassis Works ?

 

Thanks,.. but no, I have had this axle (And it was old then) way before Vintage Chassis Works was even around,... besides, the ends of a VCW axle are round like a Super Bell. But thanks for the effort Rootie.

 

Dang !,... I might have to eat my own words here,... I just got a P.M. from "RICH B" and this is what it said,... " Does it look similar to the axle in post #5 in yesterday's thread "1948 bell axle?""

So I go to check it out,... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=538928&highlight=1948+bell+axle

And Sho-Nuff looks the same,... But I have owned a number of original BELL Axles,... and they never looked like this,... The Axle in the other post is ground smooth,... mine still has this strange logo on it,..... They might be brothers,.. but I still don't think there BELL.

 

Heres another hambers roadster wich has the above pictured type of axle in it, i believe those also to be cragar/bell axles

 

^ Looks closest so far. Cragar Bell... it's a dandy. More info please...

 

Yep,... your right,.. but that logo on the forgings really throws me,.. It's on both sides of the ends,.. so it appears 4 times on the axle.

 

PM "asidrownyou". that's his roadster in the pic. He just got it a few months ago, but he may have some info for you.

 

Mine definitely doesn't have any logo of any kind. I've seen a couple others recently and I've never noticed a logo on either of those either. Only thing I could think is it is an early one before they were being produced maybe???

 

Look in Hot Rod in 1952-53 Bell auto parts adds for Cragar axle.

 

i have a simular axle that i have had for years, never knew what it was for.

 

There was another thread about that car that had the same axle. I don't remember the cars or thread, sorry. But here is another picture.

 

And the mystery continues.

 

Sure looks close to the Bell axle. I agree with TMoney that it may be a pre production piece.

Possibly a Cragar/Bell prototype? The production piece may have seen the "W" get nixed along with some other refinements prior to production.

Perhaps the "W" logo is the logo of the foundry (ie. "Williams" foundry). Is there a way to find out what foundry Bell used?

Another possibility is that this is a one-off piece knocked out by a skilled 1940's era hotrodder that worked in a foundry (think post war auto...or aircraft industry during WW II) or had access to a (SoCal area) foundry.
Possibly, he intended to place the product into production and for whatever reasons it never materialized. Lack of money? Killed in the war? Possibly Crager/Bell beat him to the punch or they bought out Mr. "W" ?
Maybe a short run was made and you have the only known surviving piece!? Short runs of other more modern Hot Rod parts have come and gone' Creitz intakes, Mehelich wheels, etc.

One thing is for sure, it's a bitchin piece!

 

With no spring pearch holes I think it is a trailer axle.

 

Actually it has spring perch holes,.... But this sounds like a good idea ! ,... Maybe I can find a couple bolt's the right size and weld them in there !,.... And build a trailer out of it !

 

Any of you day time guys have an idea ?

 

??????????pos????

 

I say put some bolts and build a hot rod around it lol...

 

Could this be the logo on your axle? From your picture it looks very similar. If it is then the ends are most likely cast steel. The logo I've sent is from Westlectric Castings, Inc. a steel foundry in the City of Commerce (L.A.), California. They were in business from 1933 until around 2005 and could certainly have poured parts for So-Cal hot rodders at any time in that period.

 

Looks like a single spear through the "W" on the axle but wow thats close.

 

What a great possibility !,... Well it gives me something to look into at least,.. But you are right,... I think you hit it out of the park !,... this has to be the same place,... the ends look like forgings,... but might be castings after all!

 

It's a rusty ol nasty part there Harms. You're way above the "R" rod stage so I think you might as well drop it off in Monroe County. I'll hide it under a car and nobody will see it...for another 20yrs?

I think you might have the answer in the casting company logo. Cheers.