The Ford Barn

John T · 04-24-2012, 08:04 AM

Who can straighten a 40 Ford front axle preferably close to Maryland?

David J · 04-24-2012, 08:38 AM

Talk to a local frame shop . Second choice would be a fabrication shop with a decent sized press . IF you are brave & also depending on the placement & angle of the bend a chain and a serious bottle jack can straighten some pretty amazing things . I am spoiled as we still have the frame rack around & they have no problem straightening things like axles OR one of the racecars after it attempts to get off the track where there isn't an exit . Racecars ALWAYS lose that battle .

deuce_roadster · 04-24-2012, 10:00 AM

I have straightened a few axles in my 25 ton press but it doesn't take that much pressure. They usually start to move around 7 tons, (I have a good gauge on my press). However NEVER heat the axle, bend it cold a little past where you need it to be as it will spring back. If you heat it with a torch it will lose it's springyness and be "soft" and won't rebound. An old timer told me he couldn't fix some axles because they had been what he called "buttered". He described how the metal moved really easy and had no spring and in each case the owner said they had tried to straighten it with themselves with heat.

Dale Fairfax · 04-24-2012, 12:03 PM

Are in or near a big city? If so, try the Yellow Pages and look for a spring & frame shop that deals in heavy trucks. They still have to deal with "primitive" technology-like straightening beam axles.

V12Bill · 04-24-2012, 03:23 PM

X2!

Krylon32 · 04-24-2012, 03:38 PM

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

I've had 296V8 over on HAMB straighten 3 deuce axles and they look like new

rich b · 04-24-2012, 09:06 PM

If you can get access to a press, axles are pretty easy to straighten. If you can't fix it yourself, I would think you could buy a straight '37-'41 axle for less $ than the shop labor cost to straighten your bent axle.

dmaxweb · 01-05-2013, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John T

Who can straighten a 40 Ford front axle preferably close to Maryland?

pm sent

2935ford · 01-05-2013, 09:12 AM

Okie Joe.

296 V8 · 01-05-2013, 09:15 AM

Thanks Gary .... and your latest just got here OK

=====================================

　
　
I straiten axles almost every day
Yes
Just do it cold with a press … I bend them in mine on a big 1 ½ flat plate and small ½ plates to shim where I need.

nospartsman · 01-06-2013, 08:42 PM

Did someone say bent front axle. You wanna see a bent axle, I'll show you a bent axle. You don't have a bent axle, you've got a deflection, THIS is a bent axle. Is this bent enough for you? I took this to several shops and they all threw me out. I guess I'm going to have to scrap it.

2935ford · 01-06-2013, 08:59 PM

Twisted maybe but bent?

296 V8 · 01-07-2013, 09:24 AM

how its done

Marv · 01-07-2013, 12:02 PM

That is one way of shortening a Axle. Marv

1937pickup · 01-07-2013, 04:42 PM

Never seen that before-looks cool.

B-O-B · 01-07-2013, 05:47 PM

Didn't Henry do that to show the quality of his metal?

rotorwrench · 01-07-2013, 06:28 PM

Henry was a big believer in chromium vanadium steel and forging it to shape. Many a dropped axle by More Drop and others have been heated to taffy consistency for the drop then put them right back on the vehicle after completion. Many of these old dropped axles are still in service. Even cold, they bend a lot more than a person would think.

Cast steel or iron is a whole nother story though. I wouldn't mess with heating those and they would likely break during straightening anyway if they were deflected too far.

04-24-2012, 08:04 AM	#1
John T Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Maryland Posts: 95	Bent front axle Who can straighten a 40 Ford front axle preferably close to Maryland?

04-24-2012, 08:38 AM	#2
David J Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: St Croix Falls WI Posts: 2,080	Re: Bent front axle Talk to a local frame shop . Second choice would be a fabrication shop with a decent sized press . IF you are brave & also depending on the placement & angle of the bend a chain and a serious bottle jack can straighten some pretty amazing things . I am spoiled as we still have the frame rack around & they have no problem straightening things like axles OR one of the racecars after it attempts to get off the track where there isn't an exit . Racecars ALWAYS lose that battle .

04-24-2012, 10:00 AM	#3
deuce_roadster Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Shelton, WA Posts: 3,820	Re: Bent front axle I have straightened a few axles in my 25 ton press but it doesn't take that much pressure. They usually start to move around 7 tons, (I have a good gauge on my press). However NEVER heat the axle, bend it cold a little past where you need it to be as it will spring back. If you heat it with a torch it will lose it's springyness and be "soft" and won't rebound. An old timer told me he couldn't fix some axles because they had been what he called "buttered". He described how the metal moved really easy and had no spring and in each case the owner said they had tried to straighten it with themselves with heat.

04-24-2012, 12:03 PM	#4
Dale Fairfax Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 250	Re: Bent front axle Are in or near a big city? If so, try the Yellow Pages and look for a spring & frame shop that deals in heavy trucks. They still have to deal with "primitive" technology-like straightening beam axles.

04-24-2012, 03:23 PM	#5
V12Bill Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mt. Holly,NJ Posts: 1,822	Re: Bent front axle X2!

04-24-2012, 03:38 PM	#6
Krylon32 Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 4,571	Re: Bent front axle Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) I've had 296V8 over on HAMB straighten 3 deuce axles and they look like new Last edited by Krylon32; 04-24-2012 at 03:46 PM.

04-24-2012, 09:06 PM	#7
rich b Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Minnesota Posts: 1,847	Re: Bent front axle If you can get access to a press, axles are pretty easy to straighten. If you can't fix it yourself, I would think you could buy a straight '37-'41 axle for less $ than the shop labor cost to straighten your bent axle.

01-05-2013, 09:12 AM	#9
2935ford Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: New Brunswick, Canada Posts: 1,013	Re: Bent front axle Okie Joe.

01-05-2013, 09:15 AM	#10
296 V8 BANNED Join Date: May 2010 Location: nor~cal Posts: 455	Re: Bent front axle Thanks Gary .... and your latest just got here OK ===================================== 　　 I straiten axles almost every day Yes Just do it cold with a press … I bend them in mine on a big 1 ½ flat plate and small ½ plates to shim where I need.

01-06-2013, 08:59 PM	#12
2935ford Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: New Brunswick, Canada Posts: 1,013	Re: Bent front axle Twisted maybe but bent?

01-07-2013, 12:02 PM	#14
Marv Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 875	Re: Bent front axle That is one way of shortening a Axle. Marv

01-07-2013, 04:42 PM	#15
1937pickup Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 586	Re: Bent front axle Never seen that before-looks cool.

01-07-2013, 05:47 PM	#16
B-O-B Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Ft Mohave,Az Posts: 1,991	Re: Bent front axle Didn't Henry do that to show the quality of his metal?

01-07-2013, 06:28 PM	#17
rotorwrench Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 16,509	Re: Bent front axle Henry was a big believer in chromium vanadium steel and forging it to shape. Many a dropped axle by More Drop and others have been heated to taffy consistency for the drop then put them right back on the vehicle after completion. Many of these old dropped axles are still in service. Even cold, they bend a lot more than a person would think. Cast steel or iron is a whole nother story though. I wouldn't mess with heating those and they would likely break during straightening anyway if they were deflected too far.