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Ford Broken Axle - Banjo Lessons

Keepin' Early Ford Rearends From Hitting a Sour Note
By Ron Ceridono
Ford Broken Axle
Ken and Nick Smith of Hot... 
   
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Ford Broken Axle
Ken and Nick Smith of Hot Rod Works specialize in the rebuilding and updating of early Ford rearends. They can supply axle and brake conversions as well as quick-change center sections.
Ford Broken Axle
We stopped by Hot Rod Works... 
   
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Ford Broken Axle
We stopped by Hot Rod Works and found an axle swap in progress. The brakes are '40 Lincoln reproductions in this case.
Ford Broken Axle
Differences in the outer ends... 
   
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Ford Broken Axle
Differences in the outer ends of the axles are obvious; the early Ford is tapered and has a keyway, and a nut on the threaded end of the shaft retains the hub that mounts the wheel. On the later axle, the wheel flange is integral.
Ford Broken Axle
While keyways break and axles... 
   
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Ford Broken Axle
While keyways break and axles snap, the twisted key in this early Ford axle is something we've never seen before.
Ford Broken Axle
Here's what this swap is all... 
   
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Ford Broken Axle
Here's what this swap is all about-getting rid of the fragile early Ford axle (bottom) and replacing it with a much stronger slip-in style.
Ford Broken Axle
The axle gears are at the... 
   
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Ford Broken Axle
The axle gears are at the heart of this conversion. They're integral on the early Ford shaft (top) while the later design is internally splined to accept a slide-in axle.
Ford Broken Axle
Some machine work is necessary... 
   
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Ford Broken Axle
Some machine work is necessary to install the Hot Rod Works axle gears in the differential case. A modified case is on the left, a stock on the right.
Ford Broken Axle
Shown here is one of a pair... 
   
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Ford Broken Axle
Shown here is one of a pair of Hot Rod Works splined replacement side gears. They are also held in place when the differential case is assembled, but the axles are retained at the outer ends of housing.
Ford Broken Axle
With the case halves bolted... 
   
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Ford Broken Axle
With the case halves bolted together, the modifications to the differential are complete.
Ford Broken Axle
Here's a look at the half... 
   
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Ford Broken Axle
Here's a look at the half of the differential case that mounts the ring gear. The pointer shows the area that has been modified to accept the new axle gear.
Ford Broken Axle
The first step in assembling... 
   
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Ford Broken Axle
The first step in assembling the modified case is dropping the new axle gear in place (note the splines).
Ford Broken Axle
Modifications to the axlehousings... 
   
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Ford Broken Axle
Modifications to the axlehousings are also required in order to accept the late axles. The wheel bearing journals are removed for early brakes, but the mounting flanges for the stock backing plates are retained.
Ford Broken Axle
This is a stock Ford axle... 
   
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Ford Broken Axle
This is a stock Ford axle meshed with the four spider gears in half the differential case. The axle is held in place when the entire case is assembled.
Ford Broken Axle
Next, the spider gears are... 
   
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Ford Broken Axle
Next, the spider gears are put in place along with the second axle gear.
Ford Broken Axle
The housings are machined... 
   
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Ford Broken Axle
The housings are machined to accept grease seals to prevent leaks when late axles/early brakes are used.
Ford Broken Axle
Although stock Ford brakes... 
   
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Ford Broken Axle
Although stock Ford brakes can be used, Hot Rod Works also offers reproductions of the highly sought-after self-energizing Lincoln design. Direct replacements for the Ford units, they provide vastly improved stopping power.
Ford Broken Axle
This adapter is put in place... 
   
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Ford Broken Axle
This adapter is put in place after the backing plate is positioned. It accepts the late-style wheel bearing and the axle retainer bolts to it.
Ford Broken Axle
Here's the finished product... 
   
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Ford Broken Axle
Here's the finished product sans brake drum-an early Ford rearend with late-style axles; now that's nostalgia done right.
Hot Rod Works
(208) 463-1068

www.hotrodworks.com

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