What options do I've left?

[Conrad Rossi]

Hello,

The rear left axle tip where the castle nut bolts on to keep the brake drum in place is bent and stripped. This explains why the seller gave the nut, washer, and cuttle pin in a bag when I bought the car. Lesson learned. I should have tried it to it back then. I didn't think anything of it because he had taken apart the front brakes and they were bagged as well.

As you can imagine it doesn't thread back in. It's bent enough the nut cannot "turn" when it's fastened.

What options do I have? Any tricks? Probably I'm not the first one having this issue.

Thanks.

[ford38v8]

Conrad, you have an unfortunate situation in which you must not drive the car until repaired, else risk an even more expensive repair. The nut must come off, and the axle replaced. Odds are, even now, you will need to sleeve the housing and replace the bearings. As you are apparently new to the Early Ford hobby, I'd advise you to join the Early Ford V8 Club of America, Phoenix Regional Group # 37, network with the members, and seek help there. Get hold of Brian Parks: [email protected] PH: 602-568-5896

[Kube]

Originally Posted by ford38v8

Conrad, you have an unfortunate situation in which you must not drive the car until repaired, else risk an even more expensive repair. The nut must come off, and the axle replaced. Odds are, even now, you will need to sleeve the housing and replace the bearings. As you are apparently new to the Early Ford hobby, I'd advise you to join the Early Ford V8 Club of America, Phoenix Regional Group # 37, network with the members, and seek help there. Get hold of Brian Parks: [email protected] PH: 602-568-5896

This is the best advice. Replace the axle.
You know the old adage of "do it once, do it correctly".

[34fordy]

You don't really have any good "options"! There are thread files available with the correct pitch, however-----
The amount of torque needed to set the hub on your axle requires perfect threads on your axle. As Kube and others said, replace axle--Once and done.

[Conrad Rossi]

Originally Posted by ford38v8

Conrad, you have an unfortunate situation in which you must not drive the car until repaired, else risk an even more expensive repair. The nut must come off, and the axle replaced. Odds are, even now, you will need to sleeve the housing and replace the bearings. As you are apparently new to the Early Ford hobby, I'd advise you to join the Early Ford V8 Club of America, Phoenix Regional Group # 37, network with the members, and seek help there. Get hold of Brian Parks: [email protected] PH: 602-568-5896

Thanks, Ford38v8. Great idea! I join the V8 Club and the local chapter. Looking forward to meeting people locally with the same interest. I checked sometime ago the Barn roster and I didn’t find many members nearby in the Phoenix area.

[34fordy]

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[QUOTE=Conrad Rossi; I checked sometime ago the Barn roster and I didn’t find many members nearby in the Phoenix area.[/QUOTE]

How did you check the Fordbarn roster?

[Conrad Rossi]

Originally Posted by 34fordy

How did you check the Fordbarn roster?

I should have said that I searched in the control panel in The Barn for user profiles with a location being Arizona, Phoenix, or a city nearby. Location is a free-form text so it makes it trickier. What I did check, not very recently, was the Early Ford V8 Club.

[Eagle43]

Originally Posted by Conrad Rossi

Hello,

The rear left axle tip where the castle nut bolts on to keep the brake drum in place is bent and stripped. This explains why the seller gave the nut, washer, and cuttle pin in a bag when I bought the car. Lesson learned. I should have tried it to it back then. I didn't think anything of it because he had taken apart the front brakes and they were bagged as well.

As you can imagine it doesn't thread back in. It's bent enough the nut cannot "turn" when it's fastened.

What options do I have? Any tricks? Probably I'm not the first one having this issue.

Thanks.

If I understand your situation correctly, you just need to straighten out the threads at the end so you can get the nut started. I would try a triangular file.

[Conrad Rossi]

Originally Posted by Eagle43

If I understand your situation correctly, you just need to straighten out the threads at the end so you can get the nut started. I would try a triangular file.

Thanks. I’ll mostly consider this option until I have an opportunity to replace this axle end or just rebuild it.

[itslow]

A photo would really help to illustrate your exact situation and proper course of action.

It sounds to me like you need a replacement axle shaft.

[richard crow]

if its just flared on the end .jack up that side. place a horse under the housing leave the other side on the ground. remove the drum start the car put in speed . now hold a good file agenest the damage & remove it. if the damage is very bad hold a hack saw behind the damage & cut it off then chase the thread with a die if there is enought thread left to hold the nut

[ndnchf]

Your axle may very well need to be replaced. But there is a tool specifically made to straighten out damaged axle threads. These can be found at good vintage swap meets and ebay. The tool has a variety of thread sizes. It clamps over a good part of the threads, then you unscrew it off the axle. These were common tools in old school garages.

[nickthebandit]

This is a very useful tool. I have 2 of them in my tool box, and they have saved quite a bit of damaged threads for me. The tool is well worth the investment. I paid $ $40.00 for my first one, and $ 10.00 for my second one. I am very happy with my purchases.

[flatford8]

If you’re doing the brakes, and have both drums off anyway, don’t forget to lap the tapers on both sides. vanpeltsales.com and thirdgenauto.com are excellent sources for parts…….Mark

[Conrad Rossi]

Originally Posted by nickthebandit

This is a very useful tool. I have 2 of them in my tool box, and they have saved quite a bit of damaged threads for me. The tool is well worth the investment. I paid $ $40.00 for my first one, and $ 10.00 for my second one. I am very happy with my purchases.

Nickthebandit, yeah, they're are great to have. The first one I bought it at the swap meet corral at Goodguys in Scottsdale, AZ and it was a BluePoint NOS. Second one, off eBay slightly used.

Originally Posted by flatford8

If you’re doing the brakes, and have both drums off anyway, don’t forget to lap the tapers on both sides. vanpeltsales.com and thirdgenauto.com are excellent sources for parts…….Mark

Flatford8 - Here's a learning moment for me: I don't know what you meant to "lap the tapers". I'm new to this and I couldn't find any reference to lapping the tapers in the shop manual, or Van Pelt's guide. Does it mean to smooth the surface if it's pitted or install metal shims?

Yes! I do Mike from thirdgenauto.com and Vanpeltsales as steady suppliers.

Thanks.

[ford38v8]

Originally Posted by Conrad Rossi

Nickthebandit, yeah, they're are great to have. The first one I bought it at the swap meet corral at Goodguys in Scottsdale, AZ and it was a BluePoint NOS. Second one, off eBay slightly used.



Flatford8 - Here's a learning moment for me: I don't know what you meant to "lap the tapers". I'm new to this and I couldn't find any reference to lapping the tapers in the shop manual, or Van Pelt's guide. Does it mean to smooth the surface if it's pitted or install metal shims?

Yes! I do Mike from thirdgenauto.com and Vanpeltsales as steady suppliers.

Thanks.

With the drums off, remove the axle key and apply grinding compound to the axle tapers, then reinstall the drums with the axle nut just barely loose so you can spin the drum by hand. This is lapping the tapers. Remove and examine your work, you'll see how much more you'll need to lap. Be sure to clean all the compound off, and install the drum dry, no oil or grease whatsoever, and with a new axle key. This lapping operation is especially important to your job due to the compromised axle nut threads.

[flatford8]

Originally Posted by Conrad Rossi

Nickthebandit, yeah, they're are great to have. The first one I bought it at the swap meet corral at Goodguys in Scottsdale, AZ and it was a BluePoint NOS. Second one, off eBay slightly used.



Flatford8 - Here's a learning moment for me: I don't know what you meant to "lap the tapers". I'm new to this and I couldn't find any reference to lapping the tapers in the shop manual, or Van Pelt's guide. Does it mean to smooth the surface if it's pitted or install metal shims?

Yes! I do Mike from thirdgenauto.com and Vanpeltsales as steady suppliers.

Thanks.

Sorry, stepped away for a bit……yes, what Alan & SoCal said……….Mark

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by nickthebandit

This is a very useful tool. I have 2 of them in my tool box, and they have saved quite a bit of damaged threads for me. The tool is well worth the investment. I paid $ $40.00 for my first one, and $ 10.00 for my second one. I am very happy with my purchases.

What size do you use on the axels we have?

[deuce_roadster]

What Kube said x3.
All the other things mentioned will most likely not allow the proper torque on the nut to prevent the axle from breaking due to the drum working back and forth on the key. The key has NOTHING TO DO with driving hub of the car, it is the taper on the axle against the taper in the drum which requires the torque on the nut to be VERY tight. I am talking over 150 ft/lbs. The best way to achieve this is to tighten the nut up to say 75 lbs with a torque wrench that is good to over 200 lbs, drive around the block, keep tightening it and adding more torque to the point where after you drive around the block, it no longer is loose (you are working the drum onto the taper}. Then and only then take the torque up to around 195 ft lbs. DO NOT try to take the nut up to max torque all at once even on a NOS axle. The tapers on the axle and drum need to be clean and dry.
Improperly torqued axle nuts are the cause of the ends of the axle breaking off and the wheel and drum exiting the vehicle. This is a safety issue you cannot ignore. People new (and not so new) to the Old Ford banjo rear ends may not understand this. I personally have seen 2 cars on different tour lose a rear wheel and tire, damaging the cars and nearly causing an accident with oncoming traffic. Just be smart and safe.
ALL used axles need to be magnafluxed and checked for cracks before use, new ones are getting pretty scarce.

[ford38v8]

Originally Posted by deuce_roadster

What Kube said x3.
… tighten the nut up to say 75 lbs with a torque wrench that is good to over 200 lbs, drive around the block, keep tightening it and adding more torque to the point where after you drive around the block, it no longer is loose (you are working the drum onto the taper}. Then and only then take the torque up to around 195 ft lbs. DO NOT try to take the nut up to max torque all at once even on a NOS axle. The tapers on the axle and drum need to be clean and dry...

I respectfully disagree. Drums should be lapped to the tapers, then thoroughly cleaned, new keys installed and torqued to the full 200ft lbs. NOW is the time to take a short run around the block, to include a left turn and a right turn, and recheck the torque. Any joy ride taken without lapping or before full torque can compromise the integrity of the axle.