easy axle question

I know you guys are looking at this forum as a contest to see who can identify parts... I need the help actually. I am new to this old stuff and need to know.

So here goes. Two old axles.

What year are they?

What modern brake options can be installed with a minimum of machine work?

Can I do a suicide spring behind axle set up with them?

I would like to use these as a suicide front axle on my 1949 Ford truck, or at least one of them.

The pic with the whole car in it looks like a 42-48 Ford sedan. [S If I'm right, Speedway sells kits to adapt GM disc brakes. No machining required.

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Brake-Kit-1978-88-GM-Caliper-to-Early-Ford-Spindle-Ford-B-P,7613.html

I think you might be right. The owner thinks they are 47 - 48 Fords.

Thanks for the input.

Anyone else have an opinion?

gold03

I sure hope you are right Crank, that is a sweet kit. Nice and simple.

Thanks for the help. I think I will chase the axles down and start looking for a rear with matching bolt pattern.

gold03

Howdy

If you dont have a Speedway parts book . They will send you one I just got my new one couple weeks ago NICE [cl

They are both '42-'47 Ford passenger car axles. '47 at the newest because those are both lever action hydraulic shocks. Ford went to a tube-syle shock in '48, and there is an extra hole between the spring perch and kingpin bosses for the mount. You can do a spring-behind setup with them, but you will need a new spring, which is advisable anyways. They are a little wide for hot rod use, but would probably work for your truck. The Speedway kit is the cheapest and easiest way to go for a brake upgrade.

I would be interested in the old brake stuff if you are getting rid of it.

You can convert almost any spindles using junkyard parts and a little ingenuity. A friend of mine did a 37 axle using S-10 rotors. He had to machine a spacer for each side and do a little homework to come up with the correct bearings. Sppedway sells caliper brackets for cheap that can be modified to fit. He got the S-10 parts free so all it cost was the $10 speedway brackets (bought from a local dirt track supply) and the cost of bearings. I did pretty much the same thing on my econoline axle but used the original hubs and Aerostar rotors. I also opted for new calipers.

Thanks for the help guys. I can pick up the complete front axle with suspension and wish bones for 100$. Seems reasonable to me. By time I do brakes, shocks, split and modify wishbones, and a spring, I'm in under 1000$. That isn't to bad for oil town Edmonton Alberta.

I just need to figure out how wide the axle will be and match up a differential. I run a 2003 Jeep Rubicon with a Dana 44. I wonder if one of those will be about the same.

I will be spending the hunting for parts and doing the build in my head, then come spring the old truck will go under the knife.

gold03

im runnin a 40 ford front axel & dana 44 that came out of a IH scout. little bit wider in back.

Haha, under Gold's name is "member". Does that make him, Goldmember?

Beercan

dana 44 is somewhere between the 8.5 inch gm 10 bolt and the gm 12 bolt in strength. 8.8 ford is comperable to 12 bolt gm. 12 bolt gm car has same diameter pinion shaft as 8.5 10 bolt but slightly larger ring gear. 12 bolt truck has a pinion shaft smaller than 8.5 10 bolt.
lot of dana 44 went into checkers. guy north of desmoines on cl maybe minn? selling out hundreds of misc. axles cheap.