|
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
10-13-2022, 01:15 PM | #1 |
Member
Join Date: Jan 2022
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 40
|
Axle holes for front spring perch slightly worn
I'm in the process of rebuilding everything in the front suspension, steering, and front brakes and have come across something I'm not sure about. While test fitting my new parts and checking for wear on the old ones, I noticed that the spring perches have a slight wiggle to them when inserted in the axle holes (nothing is bolted together, but I did put the radius rod ends in place over the axle and inserted the perches through just like the final assembly will be). There is approximately 1/32" (if I had to put a number on it) of side-to-side wiggle that each seated, untightened spring perch has in the axle holes. It isn't a huge amount of slop, but it is noticeable.
Is this any cause for concern? Or will it be a non-issue once everything is tightened and torqued down? If it IS cause for concern, what can be done to fix it? |
10-13-2022, 04:27 PM | #2 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Illinois
Posts: 2,192
|
Re: Axle holes for front spring perch slightly worn
It is cause for concern. You can tighten it but the axle will fret between the wishbone and wear it. To fix it you could machine it for bushings or get a good axle. Once they are worn,they deteriorate fast.
John
__________________
Welcome each day |
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) |
|
10-13-2022, 04:49 PM | #3 |
Member
Join Date: Jan 2022
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 40
|
Re: Axle holes for front spring perch slightly worn
Is a bushing made for this?
|
10-13-2022, 06:36 PM | #4 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Illinois
Posts: 2,192
|
Re: Axle holes for front spring perch slightly worn
The axle has to be bored by a machine shop and a bushing made to fit. The hole is egg shape and has to be round.
John
__________________
Welcome each day |
10-13-2022, 06:50 PM | #5 |
Member
Join Date: Jan 2022
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 40
|
Re: Axle holes for front spring perch slightly worn
|
10-14-2022, 07:39 AM | #6 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Baxter, MN.
Posts: 121
|
Re: Axle holes for front spring perch slightly worn
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Do the new shackle bushings wiggle in the perch or are you saying the new shackles wiggle in the perch with the old bushings still remaining? If you haven't replaced the bushings you will need to do so. |
10-14-2022, 08:08 AM | #7 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 1,847
|
Re: Axle holes for front spring perch slightly worn
Quote:
I would suspect your perch bolt is also worn and in need of replacement. Not uncommon for the axle to be worn on the top and bottom also and may need to built up with weld and ground down. Should be about 2-1/4" thick. Wishbones are also subject to be worn; but you can usually get by if not too bad as they will squeeze down when tightened; could be shimmed too. There is obviously some weakening of the axle; does it matter now-a-days, probably not. Unless you or your buddy has a mill and lathe; a good used axle is probably cheaper than the charges from a regular machine shop (if you can find one interested). The axles I had done were old dropped axles where the effort to save them was warranted. |
|
10-14-2022, 08:30 AM | #8 |
Member
Join Date: Jan 2022
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 40
|
Re: Axle holes for front spring perch slightly worn
I'm not saying any of that. This is referring to the spring perch bolt that goes down through the wishbone and axle that attaches the perches to the axle. There's no bushing in the axle for this originally.
|
10-14-2022, 08:34 AM | #9 |
Member
Join Date: Jan 2022
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 40
|
Re: Axle holes for front spring perch slightly worn
These are new bolts that I'm working with. Just for giggles, I put the old ones in, and they gave the same small amount of wiggle as the new ones. Makes sense now why I was able to easily pull both perches out by hand after removing the nut. I was expecting those to be rusted and frozen in place.
|
10-15-2022, 04:41 PM | #10 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Illinois
Posts: 2,192
|
Re: Axle holes for front spring perch slightly worn
Your simplest fix is probably a good used axle. Check with a local model A club or Berts Model A.
John
__________________
Welcome each day |
10-15-2022, 05:33 PM | #11 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Western North Carolina
Posts: 4,052
|
Re: Axle holes for front spring perch slightly worn
Loctite makes compound 660 for setting loose bushings or bearings. You can make dimples in the perches using a center punch and hammer to make it a tight fit in the axle and then use the 660 which will fill up to 0.020 inch gap. Depending on how you intend to drive the car this may be good enough.
__________________
A is for apple, green as the sky. Step on the gas, for tomorrow I die. Forget the brakes, they really don't work. The clutch always sticks, and starts with a jerk. My car grows red hair, and flies through the air. Driving's a blast, a blast from the past. |
10-16-2022, 12:02 PM | #12 |
Member
Join Date: Jan 2022
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 40
|
Re: Axle holes for front spring perch slightly worn
I managed to luck out and find a used axle for sale just a few miles from me. I picked it up yesterday. I brought my new spring perch to test the holes for wear, and this second axle had very tight perch holes like it should. There are no clubs around me and not many Model As or parts pop up for sale, so I was very fortunate to find this. It does have a couple issues that I will start a new post about in order to not have a few different topics going on in this post. Thanks for everyone's input on what I had going on!
|
10-16-2022, 04:14 PM | #13 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Illinois
Posts: 2,192
|
Re: Axle holes for front spring perch slightly worn
Glad you found one.
John
__________________
Welcome each day |
|
|
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) |
|