Rear Axle Housing Question
 

As I prepare to remove the rear axle assembly from the car tomorrow, I noticed that the driver side axle housing has a seam facing the rear of the car, while the passenger side housing has a seam facing downward. Is it common for the two housings to have seams oriented differently ??

Also, I notice that the driver side banjo bolts have lock washers under them, and that there is no safety wire in the torque tube bolt heads. It would appear that this axle has been disassembled in the past.

Jim

Re: Rear Axle Housing Question
 

I imagine so about the seams, that means they're identical parts. I think that's the way mine is. Someone has definitely been in there, lock washer on the banjo bolts are a no-no.

Re: Rear Axle Housing Question
 

Sometime in the past someone replaced the housings on your car. The housing with the seam on the side is from a 1928 car. Both seams on a 1928 were on the side and are a mirror image. They both should face forward. If you swap them they will work, but the seams will be facing aft. The housing with the seam facing down is from a 1929 car. During 1929 Ford apparently had a supplier making housings with the seams on the bottom. Not all 29 housings had seams on the bottom, some were on the top. In later production the seams were all on the top. All are interchangeable. The orientation of the seams is a judging issue.

Tom Endy

Re: Rear Axle Housing Question
 

Tom, Ryan - thanks for y our comments - very helpful. I wonder what I’ll find when I get the rear axle apart....

The keyway on one axle has a large chip broken off of it. Can this be successfully repaired by welding ? I’m looking for a good original, but not confident I’ll find one.

Thanks - Jim

Re: Rear Axle Housing Question
 

If the rest of the keyway is good I wouldn't worry about it.

Re: Rear Axle Housing Question
 

Removed the rear axle today in 4 hours, start to finish. we found significant bearing wear on the axle hubs as well as the inner hubs on the rear drums - lots of wear and pitting. No damage to axle keyway - when I mentioned this earlier, I was thinking of another MOdel A I had owned.....sorry.

Carrier bearing races are also worn and pitted, so the plan at present is to have new sleeves pressed onto the axle hubs and in the rear wheel hubs, along with new rear wheel bearings which I understand are slightly later V8 bearings. I also plan to replace the carrier bearings and races. The pinion gear and drive shaft appear to work smoothly....not quite sure what I’ll do with these at this point.

All 20 bolts on the banjo had lock washers, and I’mnot sure if they are original or not - they do not appear to have a shoulder above the threads.

I plan to check the rear spring as well. I’ll inspect pinion and ring gear tomrrow.

Last time I removed this axle from the car was 50 years ago, and I didn’t know what I do today. Obvious the rear axle was replaced before I bought the car.

More as we progress.

Thanks for reading - Jim

Re: Rear Axle Housing Question
 

The attached article may be of some help to you with your overhaul project.

Tom Endy

http://www.santaanitaas.org/wp-conte...vised-2014.pdf

Re: Rear Axle Housing Question
 

Tom - thanks - I’ve studied this article pretty thoroughly. Do you know if there is a source for original style banjo housing bolts ?

Jim

Re: Rear Axle Housing Question
 

Hi Jim,
You may want to check out Restoration Stuff in Escondido, CA
https://restorationstuff.com/
Cheers,
Alden

Re: Rear Axle Housing Question
 

Bratton's lists a set of 20 bolts, P/N 5860