After comparing the stock axle to the CPP one I bought I noticed that there isn't centering hole through the CPP axle I bought for my 56 Chevy pickup. Is it safe to drill a hole right through the pipe section so I can install a bolt? It doesn't seem like torquing down a couple U bolts from the axle to the leaf spring is enough to keep everything in line. If you hit a good pot hole at any decent speed, it could easily knock it out of line.
Return it and have Sid from Sid's Nostalgia Axles drop an axle for you. The CPP axles imho are sketchy
Go to Sid like he said, I really didn't like the look of that CPP axle either. I couldn't be happier with the fit and craftsmanship on my dropped axle I got from him. Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
I am not familiar with a CPP axle but from the description it is a tube axle, The leaf spring should have a nub sticking up to center the axle, the axle pads should have a hole in them set your axle with the pads and weld the pads to the axle. Just like a rear axle. Anyweay I am big on the sids dropped stock axle myself, but if the CPP axle is what you have to work with then that should answer your question. it also sounds like maybe you should get a little help as well. Maybe someone close to you can help you with it.
The axle came with the pads already welded to the axle. There is a hole in the center of the pad but it sits flush on top of the axle. The mono leafs came with a bolt and nut for centering it, but there's no way to attach it to the axle. I scrapped my original axle after this one showed up. I already painted it and installed everything. This was just a question I had regarding keeping everything centered. I was thinking of taking a stud to the axle to use as a centering bolt
Smart advice here. Anything from CPP either has issues or is just total shit. Then when you call customer service to sort it out the only thing you get is a total attitude, no help at all. To say that CPP sucks is really an understatement.
These are common on craigs list for 100 or less- easy to get a good one to have Sid drop, or check with him he sometimes has cores. Jim
I see what your saying, I wouldn't feel comfortable drilling through the hole in the pad into the axle for alignment. Could you fab a shim to weld to the axle pad that's thick enough to accommodate the pin on the spring? Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
You said the plate on the axle has a center hole and the spring also has a center hole, adjust the size of the spring center bolt to fit the diameter and depth of the hole in the axle, then bolt together with your lower plate and u-bolts. The center pin only locates the axle, the clamping force of the u-bolts is what actually keeps it in place. This true whether you are talking about U-bolts that encircle a round axle or the square U-bolts that clamp the spring to the axle plate. Doesn't matter if it a car or an 18 wheeler, the center bolt locates and the U-bolts do the holding.
Yep ^^^ Like I said earlier I am not familiar with CPP axles or their quality or the lack there of, but the mounting process is just like Rich described.
Here is a shot of the axle before installed. You can see there is a hole drilled in the middle for centring. But there's less that 1/16" between the bottom of the plate and the top of the axle. No way you can get a bolt in the to attach the leaf spring to. ALl I ended up doing was lining everything up as straight as I could and took measurements from different points to make sure it was centred.
The bolt doesn't go through the axle, only through the spring, with the head of the bolt ending up in the hole in the axle. You put the the bolt in the spring, head facing down, then put the nut on top of the spring. Then install the axle. You may have to round the head of the bolt to get it to fit. Chris
WEell to start with that is more than a 1/16 plate, it should be 1/8 at the very least and more than likely closer to 1/4. The hole in the plate alone is more than enough to locate the axle, if you must modify the num on your spring to fit the plate. Donot drill a hole in your hole in your axle. The stock bolt that holds your sprin pack is not a hex head it will have a round head on the axle side of the spring. Like I said earlier maybe you need to get someone to help you.
You seem to be failing to understand the center hole in the axle is a locating hole not a mounting hole. This has been explained in several of the previous posts.
What does it matter it's still Chinese/overseas crap! And for something as critical as suspension and/or brakes I would only want quality safe parts that are only made in the US or Canada. If you've not going to consider "your" safety then the least you can do is consider the safety of others around you.
Just think, this guy is going to be driving around in a car he has "assembled" from mail order parts with NO knowledge of what he put together. Kinda scares you don't it.
I wonder if in China they say man you don't want that USA made crap see TVs lol.I doubt there is any thing wrong with a tube axle depending on the thickness and craftsmanship .i have always wondered what stretching the stock axle to lower them really does to them. The guy is asking for advise on what he has not what you guys want him to have. Jake
Well it is not likely the truck will make it this far so I am not in the least bit concerned. Jake, A stretch drop done properly doesn't not alter the dependability of a stock forged ford axle in such a way as to be a hazard on the road. They have been tested extensively over the years, with pretty much the same conclusions by the majority across the board. he has been given advice by several as to how to tackle his problem and has not listened the advice. This is aside from advising him to purchase a better quality axle setup. OH and in China they are not told that no one wants USA crap, they buy whatever the govt tells them to buy. Communism kind of works like that.
all I'm asking for is some advice, seeing how this is the first vehicle I've built with a solid axle. Everything else I've ever done had IFS up front. It was just a simple observation that there is a bolt that goes through the stock axle and not this aftermarket one.
I am not telling the OP what he "should" use because I don't really care how the OP or anybody builds their ride because, it's theirs. However, I am offering first hand advice to the OP and anyone else regarding the quality, or rather the lack there of, of CPP products.
I seriously doubt that there was a bolt that went thru your original axle, usually only a recess for the spring center bolt and four holes for the spring clamp bolts on each side.
As posted by others the u bolts hold it in place, you don't have to grind a bolt head down, you can simply goto a local spring shop and get the correct alignment pin/bolt with round head and proceed. If you need to grind it down to make it shorter so that the axle flushes up to the pad that's okay, once it's all snugged up if you hit something hard enough to shove the axle back, you got worse problems anyway. Are the alignment pins missing from your spring pack now? I installed my drop axle without issues, PM me of you want. Good luck, Scott Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
Dubie, I know what you are asking and I think I know the part you may be hung up on. Regardless of whether the stock locator bolt/pin went "through" the axle or not, by installing a bolt "through the spring" and letting the bolt head protrude enough to fit into the center hole will "locate" the spring without actually "bolting to it. That is the function of the u-bolts as I'm sure you know. I hope that helps a bit. And as far as CPP ..... I have made two purchases from them, nothing fancy or expensive. I have not used the items yet, so can't comment there. BUT,,,,, there were problems with my order/shipping and I gotta tell you guy's Customer Serviced Sucked. Went from ineffective, to condescending, to down right rude, until I mentioned how many internet bulletin boards my story was gonna be on.......... Never did like the look of that axle either, when it's time my 58' will be getting one from Sid. Howard
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