Okie Adams axles

[3W Hank]

I’ll just bought my 6’th axle to my 32 5W project.
Its been 34-36 dropoed in US and Sweden and also old dropp/chromed, plus I had 2 of the 32 ( so call heavy ) sometimes I thought the 32 was to thick and 34-36 was to thin and reversed..
Both the 32 was going to be dropped, and I bought them std.
But as I like the car low in front and dont want to use the new 5” and a nice 32 will never be ex 4” dropp.
I then came over the name ’Dago’ and was for a while into those slim ends axles and found one. There are not beutiful but in a old school they can be cool, there are also the ’Moredropp’ but I never really did like them.
After talked to one that had a Dago he said why don’t you bought my ’Okie’ axle instead. It shore was expensive and I got some information and pictures. I never did like the filled ends before but it shore was cool.
Okie Adams was to be told was make them in own name but at the 50’s he started work at Blairs speed shop in Pasdena but there he could not set his signature on them.
I dont know for how long but say to mid 50’s and its told be maybe 100 made toitally and customer gave him his axle so one can se both 34-36 and the thicker beam 32’s.
One can also see the ends S design vary some plus they was kind of ruff.
Its also to be told the S part was not straight look from above ( my is straight thick )
Another idea of it was to get back to the std 32 CC kingpin at 50.5”.
So far I has never been able check the CC on a Okie.
As I read this I did ask owner to check but he said then ; axle is not for sale..
After a while I checked back and said ; I cant sleep if I cant get that axle so I went to LARS and get the axle, so its in trunk on rental car ready go over to Sweden.
I has check drop and its around 4” and the CC but its not 50.5” but it depends on where one measure them.
Say I’m 1” from that.
One here in LA area has 7 of them but I has try contact him but so far nothing back. Last chance is today ( I has texted him several times )
At LARS some saw it but few has ever own one, but it was one on a car ( the ; ’Big Scoot’ ) 32 roadster and chromed and totally beutiful. Way cool !
I saw one other new made on a roadster ( owner said new but could not tell who made them ) He guess in 2000’s.
One that sold my axle aid he newer heard of anyone did copy Okie axles on 60’s or 70’s or 80’s. Now we talk welded solid ends, not welded ends to look solid.
One thought my axle indicate its a copy just for several things ( as I admit )
-I wish I saw thst 50.5” CC but my axle is not that wide.
I dont know how wide a classic dropped heavy is at kingpins.

[19Fordy]

HERE'S a very informative thread on Okie Adams axles:
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...d-axle.968934/

A Google search also yields more info.

[Ol' Ron]

It's hard to believe that Aesthetics' can be so important, and I believe they offer nothing in performance or economy. But everybody has their thing. Makes hot rodding what it and was
Gramps
PS As a young married man with a new baby, I made 62.50$ a week. Fortunately many unmarried guy needed tings don to their cars & engines. Now I just try and helpeople
G

[325w]

Had a 32 axle dropped by Joe. I let it go under a failed project. Have kicked my butt numerous times for doing that. I’d call the job he did flawless on that axle.

[Flathead Fever]

It's hard to think we get so emotional over a front axle, but I do to. I'm building 40s era '32 roadster. I had several axles I had picked up but what I really wanted was authentic Dago axle. Years ago, I had a chance to meet Ed Stewart's son and I asked him; how can I tell if it's original Dago axle. He said, if it looks like it's beat to hell on the ends, then it's a Dago axle. He wasn't kidding, the ends are crudely hammered thin to make them long enough to bend a drop in them, that's the way they were. I had a friend Bernie that had owned a '32 roadster since the 1930s. He raced El mirage in the 1940s and he had bought a Dago axle from the speed shop in '46-'47. When he went to buy it, he said they had a barrel of axles and you just picked one out. They didn't have any thick '32s so he swapped his '32 axle for a dropped '34. As long as it was dropped, and it would work that's what he cared about. Years and years later he wanted a different axle for his '32 roadster and I told him your roadster has 1940s racing history so you should keep it that way. Nope, he wanted a different axle. Well, I though thought if somebody is going to get that Dago axle that streamed across the lakebed it might as well be me. So now it's under my roadster project. It's not a thick '32 axle but what it made it special to me was it had been under Bernie Couch's roadster, my friend that had run at El Mirage in the 1940s.

[v8fordman]

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Hank, before Okie died in a house fire, I traveled to the LARS and had a great visit with him. He was quiet a character and at one time had many welding certifications. Yes, he did work at Blair's Speed Shop and he told me Don Blair would not let him sell his axles at the shop with Okie's name stamped on it. He did sell axles outside of the speed shop which had several different stampings on it. I have seen them with "OKIE", "ADAMS", and "Okie Adams". The Baskerville roadster has one of his axles in it and originally was stamped, but when it got re-chromed, the plater filled or ground his name off of it.
(Or the axle is in reversed and I couldn't see it on the back side) Many times he would also stamp the name of the city where he happened to be residing at the time. Okie's son, who also went by "Okie" confirmed this with me after his dad passed away. As a matter of fact, Okie Jr. told me he was the one who did the actual stamping. What is unique about the stamping is the font. I asked him about that and he actually went to his workshop and showed me what was left of his set. I have never seen another set of stamps (font) like those.
He told me that, not only did he drop early Ford axles, but he dropped Model A's and he even did some old Plymouth's as well. I saw the sawed off end of a Model A at Dick Wade's house one year when I visited him, but I've never seen a complete axle. Dick is/was an Okie expert and researcher.

I wrote an article on him some time back and submitted it to a writer of an unnamed magazine. I have lots of information on him and things that he sent me when I was trying to find out about his axles like you are. I even have a business card of his claiming to be a dowser who could find water and gold. If you do a Goggle search, you will find he was also well known as a banjo maker. He told me famed bluegrass musician Doc Watson had one of his banjos. I saw some of his tone rings in his shop and they were heavy. The article never got printed and I have no idea where that file is. That was several computers ago. Anyway, good luck with your Okie endeavor.

[19Fordy]

Originally Posted by Ol' Ron

It's hard to believe that Aesthetics' can be so important, and I believe they offer nothing in performance or economy. But everybody has their thing. Makes hot rodding what it and was
Gramps
PS As a young married man with a new baby, I made 62.50$ a week. Fortunately many unmarried guy needed tings don to their cars & engines. Now I just try and helpeople
G

Ron, Thanks very much for your willingness to help others.

[Krylon32]

Tried to sell Hank my nearly NOS 3 inch dropped by Anson deuce heavy but shipping and price were deterrents. Hank sat down with me at the LARS for a while, very nice guy and very passionate about his project. Guys that try to rip him off because of his lack of hot rod knowledge and project passion should be ashamed. After meeting Hank I have a new respect for what he is trying to accomplish, especially half way around the world.

[3W Hank]

Yes I was hoping to see Dick Wade and check CC and shape and here his ideas/history.
But it did not went that way.
My axle is not 50.5” but 1/2” shorter at each side dont can change that much of a ’look’ but my feels more beefy.
Se ex a older sell from Ebay.
After see the ’Big Scoot’ frontend I know I’m on the right road now ;- )

LARS was great, so many good people and storys.
I was not planned get much more stuff but found allot.

Note. I’m not focus totally on the Okie deal, I’ll just like my look of the car.
All parts I bought or sold so far, I learned and got back the money.

[3W Hank]

Here is the ’new’ one on another red 32 roadster.
Wonder who made those ?
Owner did not know but said it was newer and no Okie.

[v8fordman]

I’m pretty sure that all of his axles were not the same length and drop. He obviously had to keep the same distance from spring perch bolt to perch bolt but he could control king pin to king pin. Unless they were stamped, it’s very difficult to definitively identify his work. I have a hand drawing (on the back of a Raisin Bran box) from him showing that he made a least two versions of his shape and I have seen both of them. I will say that the axles you have photographed sure look like originals. If they were for sale, I know someone who would love to have one.

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by 3W Hank

Yes I was hoping to see Dick Wade and check CC and shape and here his ideas/history.
But it did not went that way.
My axle is not 50.5” but 1/2” shorter at each side dont can change that much of a ’look’ but my feels more beefy.
Se ex a older sell from Ebay.
After see the ’Big Scoot’ frontend I know I’m on the right road now ;- )

LARS was great, so many good people and storys.
I was not planned get much more stuff but found allot.

Note. I’m not focus totally on the Okie deal, I’ll just like my look of the car.
All parts I bought or sold so far, I learned and got back the money.

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by 3W Hank

Here is the ’new’ one on another red 32 roadster.
Wonder who made those ?
Owner did not know but said it was newer and no Okie.

[3W Hank]

Here is another example on a 3W whats been told be a Okie.
Plus Dicks axle on the 3W coupe from a YT video.
I’m very into see the CC on some axle.

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by 3W Hank

Here is another example on a 3W whats been told be a Okie.
Plus Dicks axle on the 3W coupe from a YT video.
I’m very into see the CC on some axle.

[itslow]

Originally Posted by 3W Hank

Here is the ’new’ one on another red 32 roadster.
Wonder who made those ?
Owner did not know but said it was newer and no Okie.

That looks like it might be a Chassis Engineering that's been filled. I think SoCal may have also offered axles with filled ends at one point, too.

[3W Hank]

Yes one guy in that booth had worked at So-Cal and he said contact me later ( they was about eating ) but I had no time to get back.
Look at Wades axles 3 standing and 1 on floor, the one on floor look like the ones as see ( as I see as a Okie and a heavy )
But standing the one right has onother design and must be 34-36 and the middle look like mine but must be a 34-36, but to left is a heavy but it dont look like mine.
Are they all Okies, my guss - but if so there are several designs !
My is not as nice curved as on the big scoot roadster, my is more ’bulky’ and look on the one standing in mid ( but its not a heavy.

-Hot rodders here in Sweden I talk to hate this axles or say my is odd, and ugly and they never used it even if they got
Well ;- ))
I dont know, I did not either like them before but after see Wades 3W and now the chroned big scoot I’ll know I like go the Okie way.
Best look axle for a 32, maybe not - but I think its cool and the history and so few made.
But confusing on all designs. I would love a Okie owner read this and check upper boss CC !

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by 3W Hank

Yes one guy in that booth had worked at So-Cal and he said contact me later ( they was about eating ) but I had no time to get back.
Look at Wades axles 3 standing and 1 on floor, the one on floor look like the ones as see ( as I see as a Okie and a heavy )
But standing the one right has onother design and must be 34-36 and the middle look like mine but must be a 34-36, but to left is a heavy but it dont look like mine.
Are they all Okies, my guss - but if so there are several designs !
My is not as nice curved as on the big scoot roadster, my is more ’bulky’ and look on the one standing in mid ( but its not a heavy.

-Hot rodders here in Sweden I talk to hate this axles or say my is odd, and ugly and they never used it even if they got
Well ;- ))
I dont know, I did not either like them before but after see Wades 3W and now the chroned big scoot I’ll know I like go the Okie way.
Best look axle for a 32, maybe not - but I think its cool and the history and so few made.
But confusing on all designs. I would love a Okie owner read this and check upper boss CC !

[v8fordman]

Here are a couple of pictures of mine. If you look at the left side, you will see ADAMS and ARLINGTON. I have seen ADAMS and RIVERSIDE CALIFORNIA all spelled out on the same axle. I would have been afraid to stamp all those letters. He did tell me that all the axles he did were NOT ‘32 heavy’s if that is a concern. He told me he did some ‘33-‘36 and ‘37 style. I don’t see how he could have gotten his flame cut sections in that short distance between the spring perch and king pin bolts on the ‘37’s. One thing’s for sure…I can’t argue with him because he’s not here to argue with.

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by v8fordman

Here are a couple of pictures of mine. If you look at the left side, you will see ADAMS and ARLINGTON. I have seen ADAMS and RIVERSIDE CALIFORNIA all spelled out on the same axle. I would have been afraid to stamp all those letters. He did tell me that all the axles he did were NOT ‘32 heavy’s if that is a concern. He told me he did some ‘33-‘36 and ‘37 style. I don’t see how he could have gotten his flame cut sections in that short distance between the spring perch and king pin bolts on the ‘37’s. One thing’s for sure…I can’t argue with him because he’s not here to argue with.