Quote:
Originally Posted by hueyhoolihan
thanks.
my understanding is that ford widened the axle in 1941 and it's a '41 only part. so finding a replacement could be difficult...
i've also been informed that axle tapers can be shimmed with thin metal to keep the hub from rubbing on the backing plate, which is probably the source of the squealing i hear from time to time back there and is the motivating force behind this thread. 
is that a legitimate method of addressing a galled axle spindle problem? the truth is that the left rear axle spindle on my car HAD been shimmed but it was pretty much destroyed when it was removed when i put in a used backing plate the other day. it was not replaced as i thought it could have possibly been unnecessary.
...not unreasonable, despite what one might think of someone with my admittedly limited experience with Fords, in that the previous person working on the brakes forced the left-side e-brake levers into the right-side brake drum area and visa-versa, and consequently my opinion of their expertise was not high.
any opinions on shimming? |
Shimming is a backyard fix. Ya wanna do this properly? Then find another axle.
Galling weakens the axle. Covering it up with a shim doesn't strengthen it. It only covers it up.
I would, to reiterate, not buy an axle until I knew for certain what I had that needed to be replaced.