Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

The previous owner destroyed the hole on the passenger side where the shackle goes in. Do I have to buy a replacement wishbone axle? I'm about ready to give up on this car.

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

Not sure what your dealing with, but I see coil springs and welding to the backplate. Might explain what this is!

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

It's where the rear leaf spring goes in. The holes are where the pin goes in to hold up the leaf spring shackles. The first picture is the passenger side and the 2nd pic is the drivers side. The passenger side hole he drilled above the pin destroying the hole.

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

Remove the old pins from the original holes. You should be left with a partial 3/4" hole. Fill the holes left by the PO with Devcon plastic steel. Let it harden properly. Take a 3/4" hand reamer and ream the original hole to proper size and install new shackles.

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

find another rear axle and change out. around here you can get one for free from a hot rodder, I just brought home 3 from a shop and they called me and offered to bring them to the house!!

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

With due respect, DEVCON is not the answer.
Can you please post more photos showing the entire suspension package you are working with?
It's a bit confusing as it looks home made to a large extent.

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

Coil springs, backing plate welded to the housings, and you want him to use Devcon? Oh, well, it figures.

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

A person could just change the axle bells as long as they have the right ones. It might need new carrier bearings & bell seals but what the hey. It would be like a new one if the pinion bearings are still good to go. I assume this is a 42 thru 48 type wide axle assembly. It can be welded and rebored but it would be a lot of work either way.

I can attest that Devon plastic steel is tough stuff but spring and road pounding pressures would likely be a bit much for anything but forged steel.

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

Where do you get the Devcon plastic steel from?

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

I'm still not sure what I'm seeing in the photos, might need to post a photo backed out a little. The coils look like overload springs maybe. But it still looks like the spring bracket is welded to the backing plate, is it just an optical illusion?

Seems like it would be much easier and a better fix to just replace the axle assembly or at least the bells and backing plates.

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

Here this should help.

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

Thanks, that helps. Now to figure out the best solution!

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

I'm with the guys recommending replacing the bells. It'll be easier and faster than trying to repair those holes and you won't waste time grinding off the coil spring set-up. Also, have you had the wheel bearings out? You may find the axel races in a condition that replacement bells are your best bet.

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

How much am I looking at spending to replace the bells, and how do I go about finding them?

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

If you're looking for housings for a "Fat-Fendered" Ford (like in your avatar), I have a couple (I think they're '46-'48) you can have if you want to drive to Breezy Point. It's nice up here this time of year!

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

I think you have to find a group of people in this hobby local. There are many clubs and some businesses that cater to the HotRodder. THis Hobby requires some mechanical experience to deal with how to fix things that go wrong. I Haven't used a stock Ford driveline in 50 years, for just this kind of issue. But I've helped others. You asked what kind of money you'll need to fix this? It's an old car, this won't be the last one. If money is an issue, wrong hobby.

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

I've got a couple old cars and an airplane...now, if I could only find a boat to complete this money-sucking trifecta! :D

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

If you have an airplane, you don't need a boat.

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

Of the banjo ford rears, 42 to 48 are the cheapest and most plentiful of the 32 to 48 rears.

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

Just my 2 cents, but some times its easier to find a complete rearend. And just change it out. I have two of them I picked up a while back. Both from dudes putting late model running gear in theirs. Just a thought.

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

Place an add here for the bells and see if you get some local responses. The V8 club is big in your area. Also place an add at www.earlyfordv8.org and see if any club member in your area has some spare bells or rear ends.

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

Capt, maybe you could fly him the axle housings from Tubman's place?

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

I think we needed to know what your intentions are. Do you want to put the rear end of this car back to stock configuration? If so remove the tacky coil spring set up, install a transverse leaf spring and either change the axle housings or swap the entire rear end out for an unmolested one. Either of these ideas are fairly simple but will require a little sweat equity. I think your cost here to do as I suggested, as the other guys suggested, is fairly minimal in the grand scheme of owning a V8 ford.

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

Would these work?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1946-1948-Fo...xYo467&vxp=mtr

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

I would weld up the hole and re drill the new hole. any type of epoxy fillers will not hold up to the road pounding and you will be out there doing it again.
Vic

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

The one on the left looks like the hole is almost wore clear through the bracket.

Bob

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

I looks like a previous owner had a problem trying to remove the shackle studs. They aren't easy to get out but with the right tools they come out OK. His attempt at drilling them out was a dismal failure.

Buying used bells is like anything else. Ask the questions that count like condition of bearing & bolt bores, condition of wheel bearing surfaces (actual size is good), and any other thing that might be worn out or bent. Photos don't always tell the whole story but lots of them can't hurt.

Besides the questionable shackle stud bore, it looks like one of the wheel bearing journals has already been sleeved. There are likely better parts out there than those.

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

'

It's not that I can't afford to do more. I just would like to drive my car for the rest of the summer. Right now it looks like I'm done. I called up French Lake Auto Parts and they wanted $400 for a replacement rear end. Then I would have to work on getting it over here because I don't have a truck.

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

Keep looking for a rear end. Put a wanted ad on this web site. Also, are you a V8 club member? If so put an add on the EFV8 club web page. If you're not a member you may think about joining. As JM35Sedan says "the $35 cost is worth the bi-monthly magazine alone". I'll tell you from experience the networking from Fordbarn and the EFV8 club is priceless.

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

The left side may be recoverable if the remnants can be removed. As stated above, the hole should be 3/4" diameter. Now, I'm going to stick my neck out re the right hand side. As stated above, if you can get the remnants of the old bushing out, you should have a partial 3/4" hole. A bushing could be fitted and the rest of the hole packed with (again as stated above) Devcon.

In my opinion, this would be a serviceable repair, for one reason and one reason only. The weight of the car would not be on the filled side. The weight of the car would be on the original area of the hanger. I cannot think of any instance where the filled side would be asked to carry any prolonged loading.

Not ideal, but as we used to say, it would get you out of the desert.

Now, don't get me wrong, a replacement rear end would be the best bet, but, in the meantime, until a better rear end assembly turns up, it would allow the car to be used (with appropriate care).

Mart.

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

I have the boat to make your dreams come true!

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

I'm a member of the Early V8 Ford Club. I'll go ahead and place an ad.

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

BOAT=Break out another thousand!

Seriously, I would do as Mart said, make a temp fix to get you through summer, then replace it during winter when you can.
Those new polyurethane bushings are not factory, but they sure are easy to install

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

It's a hotrod plain in simple. This is my plan down the road http://www.hotrodworks.com/product/b...le-conversion/ but I am going set things up so I can drive it easy.

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

The O/P asked for some photos of the bells I have so I sent him some. Some of you guys seem to be pretty good at judging the condition of these from just a few pictures. I'll throw a couple up here and would like your opinions, if any.

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

I've always thought the wheel bearing race was the most obvious and concerning. Are they pitted or excessively worn?

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

Just like EVERYBODY says, I think it is just surface rust and I think it should come off easily. I had a driveshaft that had been sitting for a while that had rust that looked worse than this on the yoke surface. After and overnight soak in "Rust 911" (Evaporust clone) it came out looking like new. I wouldn't want to use any kind of abrasive though. I think I should set up a fixture to soak them and then coat them with grease to prevent the rust from going any further. That will also allow me to do a closer inspection. They do look good to my casual eye now, though.

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

That's a rear axle setup similar to what I use, except I built my own.

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

How did you do that? What's involved?

Re: Rear axle/wishbone destroyed
 

I could be confused as usual, but I BELIEVE those two bells are both for the passenger-side, but what do I know? DD

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/attac...7&d=1500637374