Why a V60 Tube?

[PeterC]

Curious why Henry put a special tube axle on V60's? Was it to save weight? Are they weaker then standard cast I Beam axles? Different torsional specs?

[37 Coupe]

I can't answer your question to why the tubular axle was put in place in production whether it was expiermental,cost savings to replace the forged I beam or mayby someone at Detroit or Dearborn Tubing talked Ford into it. What I can say is when I bought my 37 coupe with a "Thrifty Sicky" I was surprised to see a normal I beam axle,I always assumed the 60 h.p cars were equipped with the tubular as part of weight savings or economy as the lighter wheels. According to the information in the 1937 Ford restoration book (V8 Club),the tubular front axle was called out as 78-3010-EXP MFG later renumbered to 78-3010-B it was used in very limited production,100 cars a day ,Dearborn only, on 85 hp cars only. The 39 restoration book also covers this axle and no where do I see it was intended for a 60 hp car. I think Ford was using customers as guinea pigs on an expiermental,cheaper to make part. The 60 hp only tubular axle must be a myth or the resto books are wrong.

[Walt Dupont--Me.]

Pete, I don't know why Henry put them in the 60"s but I do know they were weak in the king pin area. The king pin would get sloppy in the axel bore. A friend had a 37 coupe with a 60 and tube axel. We put an Olds engine in it and headed of Sanford Me. drag strip in the late 50's. It didn't pass inspection at the drags for loose king pins. The axel was open on the out side end. We went in town and found a garage with a welder, we welded the pin to the axel. Went back to the drag strip and run it. I had alot of energy back then. Walt

[CWPASADENA]

Henry made theTube Axle so later on the Hot Rodders would have a Bitchin Looking Axle for their cars.

Chris

[Bruce Lancaster]

The little actual information that has been published is as above...low production on 85's, about '38-9, and leftovers used up on the very few 1940 60's.
Note the 78 part number prefix in the 1937 info...that is an 85 number, and would have been 74 had this been an exclusive 60 part.
I speculate that it was simply durability testing for a possible new way to make axles.
They have always been extremely rare, and I suspect that the few around were mostly snapped up by sprint car builders the second they were scrapped.
The '39 book mentions a European version for the Foird 62, as well!
There is a published picture out there (Rouge factory book? 1939 book?) of one coming down the line on a '39 or so 85 car.
I have a rusty one, but it is completely without provenance...no idea what it was in new.
The part of the end forging supporting the kingpin bore is extremely thin.

[rotorwrench]

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FoMoCo experimented with some weird stuff on occasion like the soybean plastic car. The production run may have been more excessive than they anticipated and the engineering department may have felt it prudent to put them on the lighter engined cars as much as possible to be on the safe side.

Kerby

[Chris Marshall]

Backing up Bruce's info above, a couple years ago I picked up a super clean 1940 V8-60 rolling chassis that originally had a coupe body. It still had all the factory 60 parts: tube axle, 60 engine mounts riveted to the front crossmember, 16X3.5" front wheels, and the 4.44 rear end.

[Bruce Lancaster]

The production letters cited in the resto books above give that 1940 oddball as the only 60 HP application, all other info showing 85 applications.
!950's magazines, though, do keep mentioning the '37 60 application, and I once heard from someone that found a '37 60 with a tube!
Possibly the info cited in those books is complete...but I think if they did go onto '37 60 vehicles, it had to be very partial only as with 85's. The '37 60 actually sold fairly well, and there would have to be more cars and axles around if they got tubes in any great numbers. The '37 was quite popular, then as the lack of power became apparent 60 sales dropped dead, with the few 1940's being assembled from remainders to some extent.
WWII rationing briefly made then desirable, but way too late to help Ford sell them new!

[296 V8]

Iv done camber changes on all early ford axles…..the 60 is much easier to bend (near the ends)
32 about………….... 25 tons
33 to 36 about…… 23
V8 60 about ……….13

Your presser gauge my vary

[Kahuna]

My very stock 39 V8 60 car has one. Seems fine to me

[johnmeis]

I parted out a 37 2 door sedan years ago that had the 85 hp with tube axle. It appeared that nothing had ever been changed on it.