47 ford rear axle

[Old Henry]

Just broke my left rear axle shaft on my 47 sedan. I don't find one for a 47 on line but found this one from a 41 on line. Will it work OK?

[Kube]

I probably have NOS axle shafts or super nice used.
Interested? Or, are you thinking of replacing the entire rear assembly?

[Old Henry]

Or, how about this 42-48 Ford/Mercury axle shaft? Would it work?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/17552368026...xoCGNYQAvD_BwE

[1942deluxe]

From memory the 41 is shorter? Needs to be 42-48 as I recall.

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by 1942deluxe

From memory the 41 is shorter? Needs to be 42-48 as I recall.

That's what the green bible says too. 42-48 the same. Not 41.

[petehoovie]

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Originally Posted by Old Henry

Just broke my left rear axle shaft on my 47 sedan. I don't find one for a 47 on line but found this one from a 41 on line. Will it work OK?

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by Old Henry

Or, how about this 42-48 Ford/Mercury axle shaft? Would it work?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/17552368026...xoCGNYQAvD_BwE

[mercman from oz]

1932-1948 Ford Rear Axle Dimensions

[barnfind08]

I have those nos.

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by barnfind08

I have those nos.

Get a NOS axle from Fred Wilner or Kube and know for sure that you're dealing with the correct part in good condition.

Fred Wilner - (barnfind08")
SOUTHSIDE OBSOLETE
7136 200th St E.
Faribault, MN 55021
(507) 332-6789

Coop

.

[cas3]

Which mountain were you climbing to break an axle ? Gotta be more to the story professor !

[GB SISSON]

Originally Posted by cas3

Which mountain were you climbing to break an axle ? Gotta be more to the story professor !

I'm thinking the road up to the Gold King Mine in Jerome Arizona. ???

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by cas3

Which mountain were you climbing to break an axle ? Gotta be more to the story professor !

Gently, pulling away from a stop sign a mile from home.

[Kube]

Originally Posted by Old Henry

Gently, pulling away from a stop sign a mile from home.

PM sent Craig.

[Seth Swoboda]

Craig,

Take up Kube or Fred's nos axle offer. It's a pretty straigt forward repair. Albiet, laborious.

It might be worth installing a new axle seal while your that far into the job.

[JM 35 Sedan]

Originally Posted by Old Henry

Gently, pulling away from a stop sign a mile from home.

I'm betting the fracture that eventually failed that axle started long before that stop sign a mile from your home.

[51504bat]

Sorry for your troubles but to see you're still out and about in the old girl.

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by JM 35 Sedan

I'm betting the fracture that eventually failed that axle started long before that stop sign a mile from your home.

I’ve been having some pretty bad clutch chatter that may have contributed to it. Wish that was as easy to fix as replacing the broken axle.

[Ford46]

Old Henry, neither is an "easy" fix (depends on your pointof view. I believe you going to have to pull and open the rear end to change the axle. Pull the transmission and get the clutch, flywheel and pressure plate while your in that deep. Just my thoughts. LouB

[mhsprecher]

What LouB says.

Vern Tardel has a booklet on rebuilding the Ford banjo differential. https://www.verntardel.com/store/p30...ook_%2310.html

[51504bat]

Also check your engine and trans mounts.

[ford38v8]

Originally Posted by 51504bat

Also check your engine and trans mounts.

You beat me to it. With the miles on old henry, odds are good that engine and transmission mounts have turned to mush. With this loosy goosy condition, clutch chatter is to be expected. Certainly worth a try if mounts are not good and solid.

[Old Henry]

After all the hard things I've done so far to get this axle out I'm now stumped on what would seem to be a very simple thing - removing the driveshaft coupler pin that secures the coupler to the pinion gear. I've ground down the peened end level with the coupler and banged the heck out of it with a sledge hammer and center punch but it hasn't budged. What else should I try?

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by Old Henry

After all the hard things I've done so far to get this axle out I'm now stumped on what would seem to be a very simple thing - removing the driveshaft coupler pin that secures the coupler to the pinion gear. I've ground down the peened end level with the coupler and banged the heck out of it with a sledge hammer and center punch but it hasn't budged. What else should I try?

Get yourself a cheaper air hammer from Northern Tool like pictured BELOW. Click the link. It'll come with a punch-like tool that will just burp that pin out. You keep beating on that unsupported pinion with a hammer and you'll be replacing bearings, too.

Coop

https://www.northerntool.com/product...jat-900-108141

[Kube]

There is no need to remove the driveshaft in order to replace the axle.

[Old Henry]

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Originally Posted by Kube

There is no need to remove the driveshaft in order to replace the axle.

That is true except the car is parked up next to a wall on the left so I can’t pull the axle out without removing the rear end from the car and I don’t want to disconnect the bell housing for the U joint because that’s so hard to get back together. It looks like it might be easier to figure out a way to swing the back end of the car away from the wall than get the driveshaft coupler pin out and remove the rear end from the car. I’ll probably give that a try before I get the air hammer to pound out the coupler pin

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by Old Henry

That is true except the car is parked up next to a wall on the left so I can’t pull the axle out without removing the rear end from the car and I don’t want to disconnect the bell housing for the U joint because that’s so hard to get back together. It looks like it might be easier to figure out a way to swing the back end of the car away from the wall than get the driveshaft coupler pin out and remove the rear end from the car. I’ll probably give that a try before I get the air hammer to pound out the coupler pin

Mon Dieu! If you have a floor jack with four round wheels on it, it ain't much of a chore to move the rear of the car sideways and away from the wall.

Coop

.

[Seth Swoboda]

The drive shaft coupler is contersunk slightly where the pin goes through. Although you have ground the head of the pin flush with the coupler, there is still some material remaining in the countersunk area. You might need to use a drill bit to remove the head of the pin further.

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by Kube

There is no need to remove the driveshaft in order to replace the axle.

I think I figured it out. I don’t have to slide anything very far toward the wall to replace the axle. I just disconnect that left side axle housing from the differential, slide it away from the differential enough for it to drop down with the axle, slide the broken axle out, slide the bearings off of it, slide the bearings onto the new axle, slide the axle into the housing, lift up the housing and bolt it onto the differential (with new gaskets of varying thickness to load the bearing properly.) Is that the physics of the thing? Is that how it can work without all the extra effort I’m going into to remove the entire rear end from the car?

[ford38v8]

You’ve got the idea, but for one detail you won’t be happy with. You have fought with the coupling pin without success, but sure as night follows day, that pin will self destruct if not replaced before reassembly.

[Mart]

Old Henry.

Remove left shackle and shock link.

Remove Both hubs. Remove left brake assembly but leave brake lines attached. Remove left axle housing.

Withdraw axle and diff assembly from the left.

Dismantle diff and fit new axle.

Replace axle assembly in right housing.

Replace left housing*

Replace left brake assembly

Replace left shackle and shock link.

*If gaskets come off cleanly without breaking and you are a chancer like me just reassemble with a smidge of sealer.
If the gasket breaks or you are not a chancer measure the thickness of the gasket and replace with a new gasket of the same thickness or a little thinner.

I did the job on my 41 pickup and showed it in a video. It might help illustrate how it is not too difficult to do.

This is part 1: https://youtu.be/t0AfzS5OLYE
Part 2: https://youtu.be/i26ZSqwFIF0
Part 3: https://youtu.be/8ToEl7O01P0
Part 4: https://youtu.be/MOVxQP0aZhg

Mart.

[drolston]

I broke the left axle on my '41 two years ago; just nudged the gas on a level street. Replacing a busted axle took me an afternoon 60 years ago; this time it took a week.

Regardless of which axle is broken, the left axle housing has to come off because the ring gear is on the left side of the differential carrier. The rear end does not have to come out of the car. Get the car up with both wheels off the ground and set both sides of the frame on reliable jack stands. You will need a wheel puller for both sides; the cheap one in my pictures works fine. Then you have to disconnect the left side spring shackles (no spring spreader needed; see photo), shock and radius rod. The backing plate then comes off; the e-brake cable can stay connected but it is best to disconnect the brake line. You will need a floor jack or bottle jack under the banjo to adjust the height as needed to get the axle housing to clear the other stuff. The axle housing is probably stuck to the banjo by gaskets. A couple of good whacks will knock it loose. The gasket is multiple layers and may tear, but if you keep all the pieces you can stick them back in place with grease upon reassembly. It is important to preserve those several layers of gaskets as those layers were used to set the spacing between the ring gear and pinion, and that is a tricky business.

The axles and carrier will slide out the left side if you were smart enough to have left about six feet. The carrier comes apart, the replacement axle goes in. A big vice on the good axle to hold the assembly vertical will make that part easier.
It all goes back in reverse order, easier than I thought. Take the opportunity to inspect the drums and wheel bearings. You may need to replace the grease seals, but do not replace the bearings unless they are clearly bad, because modern replacements are a gamble. Put at least 225 ft-lb on those axle nuts, and then do it again after running around the block a few times.

Good luck!