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Technical BENT AXLE OR SOMETHING ELSE?

Discussion in 'Traditional Hot Rods' started by BucketListRoadster, Jul 24, 2015.

  1. BucketListRoadster
    Joined: Apr 14, 2014
    Posts: 18

    BucketListRoadster
    Member

    My 30 roadster hops some when driving so I set the back on stands and let it run. The rear right backing plate stays just as it should but the drum and wheel wobble. My guess is I have a bent axle but before I take it apart to figure out, can anyone think of anything less demanding to repair that might cause the wobble? I have never disassembled the rear end so I have no idea what I am in for! Bucket List Roadster.jpg
     
    captain scarlet likes this.
  2. aaggie
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Posts: 2,530

    aaggie
    Member

    Sounds bent but remove the drum and see if the key is broken or sheared off. If you do have to take it apart it's not that bad.
     
  3. We haven't either. Need to tell us what kind it is so we can look it up in the manual. I'd pull the wheel and make sure it's the axle flange wobbling. Could be a bent wheel. Are a loose wheel.
     
  4. Did it just start doing this?
     
  5. Check drum/hub fit and all above.Watch axel shaft with wheel and drum off.Nice hiboy.
     
    BucketListRoadster likes this.
  6. woodz
    Joined: Feb 23, 2010
    Posts: 568

    woodz
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    First off, thats a wicked roadster!
    I am guessing by the pic of your car that you have a Banjo rear end in there. You may have a sheared or twisted key way or a problem with how the drum is mated to the axle. If its a newer read end under there it may have a bent flange. First thing you need to do is remove the wheel and drum. You may see a problem right away. If its a Banjo, the drum should be hard to remove with out a puller, if it just pops off then you may have found your problem. The banjo has a tapered axle shaft with a keyway to hold the drum in place. Using a dial indicator, place it on the axle shaft (if its a banjo) or axle flange (if its newer) and rotate it by hand and measure the run out. If its realy bad you may not even need the dial indicator to see the issue. If you have a banjo, the entire diff needs disassembled to replace an axel, anything else is very easy. The only issue will be getting the right one with out knowing exactly what its out of.
    Axels dont just bend with out hitting something, did it just start doing this?
     
  7. BucketListRoadster
    Joined: Apr 14, 2014
    Posts: 18

    BucketListRoadster
    Member

    I guess a little more detail would be good. I bought the car as a rolling wreck two years ago. I went through everything on it and just got it on the road. I thought before that the rough ride was tires and wheels so to date all tires and wheels are replaced, all new brakes, backing plates, rear hubs, drums, etc. I never did open up the banjo rear beyond the hubs but the shims, key, etc are all new and in good shape. So it sounds like there is nothing left but a bent axle.
     
  8. BucketListRoadster
    Joined: Apr 14, 2014
    Posts: 18

    BucketListRoadster
    Member

    You can see what I wrote below but it has been doing it before I did a frame off on the car. I always thought it was wheels or tires and I replaced them, along with all brakes and the rear hubs, so I think the axle was bent when I picked up the wreck I started with. Thanks for the input. I guess I will be pulling it apart after Hot August Nights!
     
  9. That's pretty much all that's left to check. I'd do it some afternoon just to get it over with.
     
  10. woodz
    Joined: Feb 23, 2010
    Posts: 568

    woodz
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    If you replaced the drums, did you check how they seated on the taper before installing them? Sometimes you have to lap them in like valves before installing them. Did you torque the rear axle nut to spec? If not, its possible that it was not seated properly and has loosened off some. With the wheel off the ground, grab the top and bottom of the tire and see if there is any movement in it. Shouldnt be any. That will help give you a bit of direction. It would suck if you have to replace an axle, but, it might be a good excuse for a quick change if you dont already have one and wanted one :)
     
  11. It could be as simple as a bent rim, take it and have it speed balanced. HRP
     
  12. Budget36
    Joined: Nov 29, 2014
    Posts: 14,551

    Budget36
    Member

    But drum wobbles...
     
  13. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 34,932

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Woodz pretty well gave about as good a batch of suggestions that anyone could come up with.
    I'd pull that wheel with it up on the stands and run it just as you did before and see if you can see the end of the axle wobble or just the hub/drum. I'd lean towards the axle being bent though.
     
  14. big duece
    Joined: Jul 28, 2008
    Posts: 6,898

    big duece
    Member
    from kansas

    Mount another wheel and see if it wobbles. Might have to rule out the out of roundness of bias tires? Cool car!
     
    verde742 likes this.
  15. verde742
    Joined: Aug 11, 2010
    Posts: 6,457

    verde742
    Member

    MO. Do not drive it till you sort it out, If you have a bent axle, ( which I doubt) the drum, would not be correct on the backing plate, Jack it up, take off wheel, block other wheels , put in gear, watch drum, How the heck could you have a bent axle without distorting the backing plate and flange of axle housing? Be aware when jacking up, wheel might FALL Off, you may have a broken axle. Does the wheel and brake drum wobble on the same plane? I am assuming, (a word I hate) you have a early Ford rear end.. I subscribe, want to be here for report....

    Bob
     
    Last edited: Jul 25, 2015
  16. BucketListRoadster
    Joined: Apr 14, 2014
    Posts: 18

    BucketListRoadster
    Member

    I will perform the check you mentioned. I have another rusty Model A rear end sitting outside my garage so I may have good parts there for the repair. It would be great to not have to change out the axle though as it sounds like a lot of work. The backing plates do appear flat seated. I had to do a lot of modification to the front hubs to get those seated but the back plates bolted right up to the after market hubs designed to space them out.
     
  17. verde742
    Joined: Aug 11, 2010
    Posts: 6,457

    verde742
    Member

    does it have a model a rear end in it ? :( let's not talk about the front,
    let's fix the back first..:p
     
  18. thirtytwo
    Joined: Dec 19, 2003
    Posts: 2,637

    thirtytwo
    Member

    The axle is basically a floater on a banjo as the bearing is on the hub ...I would think if you are seeing movement between drum and backing plate , the drum or hub flange is bent...
     
  19. Kiwi 4d
    Joined: Sep 16, 2006
    Posts: 3,687

    Kiwi 4d
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Swap wheels side to side? Worth a try.
     
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  20. BucketListRoadster
    Joined: Apr 14, 2014
    Posts: 18

    BucketListRoadster
    Member

    The backing plate and housing stay perfectly still and the wheel and drum wobble. I suspect it is the axle but have no experience with this problem.
     
  21. metlmunchr
    Joined: Jan 16, 2010
    Posts: 870

    metlmunchr
    Member

    If the axle is bent there will be radial runout at the end of the axle. With the axle off the ground, just rig up a simple fixed pointer (framing nail thru a piece of 2x4, or something similar) set up so its pointed at the center of the axle end. Then, when the axle turns, it'll be real obvious whether or not the axle is bent.

    If you want to know how much its bent, just replace the nut temporarily with a nut whose OD has been turned round. Then you can use a dial indicator against the OD of the round nut to measure the total indicated runout. The actual amount of the bend at that measuring point would be half of the total indicated runout.
     
  22. BucketListRoadster
    Joined: Apr 14, 2014
    Posts: 18

    BucketListRoadster
    Member

    I posted video to show what is happening. Strange for sure but again, all wheels, tires, the hubs, brakes, backing plates have all been replaced. It did ride bumpy before I did all of this and I always assumed I had a bent wheel. So it seems all that is left is the axle.
     
  23. metlmunchr
    Joined: Jan 16, 2010
    Posts: 870

    metlmunchr
    Member

    The drum is running out in sync with the wheel and tire, so either the axle is bent or the drum/hub isn't seated properly on the axle taper. Since you've checked the fit on the axle and found its good, that leaves nothing but a bent axle as your problem.

    If you check the end of the axle like I outlined above, you'll know for sure that its bent and that its not some wierd thing where the tapered bore is machined crooked relative to the hub centerline.
     
  24. doyoulikesleds
    Joined: Jul 12, 2014
    Posts: 306

    doyoulikesleds

    only thing i have to say is I would not drive that car untill that is fixed that could cause you or the guy behind you a very bad day
     
    verde742 likes this.
  25. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 34,932

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    OK, we see the drum moving, how about a similar video with the wheel and tire off and something close to the tip of the axle for reference?
     
    verde742 likes this.

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