Tech Week.... Drilled, Dropped Axle How to

<hr style="color:#e5e5e5; background-color:#e5e5e5" size="1"> Never posted for Tech Week before.... Hope this is something people can use to save some money and dress up an axle.

I've done a few of these now, but none have turned out this nice. I guess it's the unbeatable quality of the So-Cal axle that helped in the process.

4" Dropped So-Cal axle. Mag drill with 1 1/8" Slugger bit, steel welding table, metal rule, punch, BFH, tri-square, (2) C-clamps, Shop Vac, broom, Kroil, and a 12 pack.

On a standard drill press this takes all day, blood, sweat, tears and about 10 drill bits. With the Milwaukee Mag Drill this should take no more than a couple of hours from start to finish. This works great on stock axles too.

The result is 21 precision milled holes that need nearly no de-burring.

Here we go....






Wa-La....









[/SIZE][/FONT][/I]
<hr style="color:#e5e5e5; background-color:#e5e5e5" size="1"> Last edited by OoltewahSpeedShop; Today at 01:07 AM.

 

Not to be that guy but for me the pics aren't workin.

 

I don't think little red x's will win tech week.
Hope all is well with you and yours in the stormnado.

 

Sorry guys, I copied from Ryan's original post and the pics didn't transfer. Hope this works better now because I hate X's....

 

That's the best tech ever! I've always wondered how to drill an axle. That's something everybody can use. Good job, you got my vote. That's a weird looking drill, what is it used for? Other than drilling axles.... lol

 

The drill is a magnet based, electrically operated, drill press. Normally used for drilling beams in the field. Used by Iron workers, Millrights, and Electricians to PENETRATE something.

Glad you liked the Tech.

Kevin

 

Nice job !! real straight forward. Great Idea with the drill motor you used.
Did you have to resharpen the drill bit? Or did you use more than one bit.
Good luck!

 

good tech, pics came thru ok.

 

Those bits are like broach bit in a mill. I've been using the same bits for 15 years without sharpening. I used the same one for all 21 holes and then back on the "Real Job" all week. As long as you keep them square on the metal and lubed up, they will last a lifetime.

 

That's just too smart. You have all the cool stuff, is that the axle for your coupe?

 

Good tech tip. I have an axle for a project i'm working on and want to drill it out. Do you get these drill presses at rental stores??

 

Bitchen work Kevin!

 

Nice work kevin

 

Great post,that's the way I'm going to do mine. Nice results.

 

Just curious....there are always residual internal stresses in a fordging. Just wondering if after drilling all the holes if some of these stresses are relieved which might change the shape of the axle , and the king pin alignment ????

 

looks great ! i had the luxury of using a cnc mill to do mine in about 15 min but this is a very good way to lay it out and tackle it for the average guy , nice work !

 

where is the dropping tech?

 

When I did my undroped 40 front axle, I used a 1.125 " hole saw in my drill press after doing the layout and center punching. It was easy to debur the holes with a very large counter sink I have. I've got only about an hours time invested in the whole job.
That axle is now installed on my 26 Ford modified and looks good.

................Jack

 

Thats pretty slick, see a lot of those kind of drills doing bridge steel work.

 

Yeah, I think the title is a bit misleading. I expected to see an axle being dropped as well. A Ford Axle.

 

Really? I read it in english. What language did you "used". I didn't put it up for Tech week. "Drilling a Dropped Axle" would have been a better description of what was posted. I'm just sayin.

 

Worthy of mention, if you plan to plate the axle, polish the area to be drilled before cutting the holes. You really don't want the nice square edges rounded off in the pre-plating process.
Thanks for the post. Ron

 

Extra bonus points for posting this during a tornado!

 

Nice work!

 

What do those magnetic drills cost?


Don

 

No dropping tech, just drilling.

Sorry about the confusion, nothing in the title mentions dropping a FORD axle. Hope everybody can get the tech and use it on their own stuff.

No kidding, right? Can't let a little Tornado interrupt Tech Week.

There are a few different manufacturers but the Milwaukee version is my favorite. Our Hougan drill is not as smooth. They run about $1500 with all the bells and whistles, + bits.

 

Nice work!

 

I haven't seen any change in the shape or king pin alignment on the beefy So-Cal or even the stock axles I've done.

I haven't seen the new cutting foam. Gotta check that out. Thanks.

Not sure if you can rent these drills or not? I doubt it though because of how easy they are to break if not used properly and VERY expensive bits.

Yes, that one is for the coupe.

 

There are a few different manufacturers but the Milwaukee version is my favorite. Our Hougan drill is not as smooth. They run about $1500 with all the bells and whistles, + bits.[/QUOTE]

Looks like I will be using my trusty drill press and holesaws for a while !

Don

 

Looks like I will be using my trusty drill press and holesaws for a while !

Don

Luckily we use them at work.