i was thinking of running an f-100 axle in my underslung '27 buick chassis and i was wondering if i could cut a few inches from the middle of the axle to narrow it so it would fit the stock springs. i would have it welded back together by a profesional and have it gusseted on both sides of the axle where it was cut. this way i could also use an f-100 steering box and column and would have minimal fabrication needed for everything to work together. could this work???? thanks ncg
If you chamfer it REAL good and weld it back together it should be good, I would not do it ,BUT Why not, use a a new axle and just use a steering hoop to connect to the pitman arm??
i know of guys that do this and like he said chamfer it and gusset it. especially if a pro does it,and does it right its not gonna go anywhere.
Consider increasing the strength of the joint by angle cutting the axle. Truck frames are shortened using this same method. It provides a longer surface and a place for the ends to "rest" on each other, rather than a vertical joint. this: / / rather than this: l l
i know this might be a dumb question, but what does "chamfer" mean? i would definently do an angle cut like teamkfr, said. i dont want to use a new axle (if i can help it), cause i might have access to some of these for alot less than a new axle. plus these would come with hubs and spindles and everything else needed. thanks ncg
Got a friend with a narrowed 50's chevy truck axle under his Willys. Had a pro welder do it and it's probably a LOT stronger than the stock axle. If done right , no problem.
Chamfering is grinding the square edges of the cut back to form a deep "V" where the weld bead will go. This helps the weld penetrate much deeper into the metal. Do it on any heavy welding you do.
Team Kfr~ thanks for the definition of chamfering. makes scence and sounds like a good idea. G V Gordon~ thanks for the testimonial on your buddies willys. it made scence in my head, just wanted to see what y'all thought. i think that i might end up going this direction. heck of a lot cheaper than buying a new axle and trying to round up spindles and perches and hubs and...........everything else. thanks ncg
If the F100 axle is forged there is no problem welding it as long as the weld area is "v" grooved properly, the heat is controlled during the process, stress relieved interpass & following welding and then crack checked (magnaflux). Find a welder with truck frame experience. Beware that there are cast axles out there as both aftermarket and replacement parts. DO NOT WELD A CAST AXLE! It can be done, but the risk of cracking is too great. Cast axles have graphite (carbon) pockets as part of thier crystaline structure and and this structure is prone to cracking as the metal heats and cools due to heat transfer boundry layers. For what it will cost you to get this done (unless you have some great friends) you can get a custom width tube axle made. There are a few widths available stock that should be close to your needs. Most are all steel and some have cast ends welded to the tube. My $.02. www.roadsters.com/axles has great info
Back in the dark ages, I helped a friend build a rod out of a '31 Pontiac 2 door sedan, and we shortened a '57 Chevy truck axle for it. It was arc welded together, with additional plating front and rear, and never bothered.
thanks for some more insight into this lil project rev383. if i end up doing this, which i think i will try and it doesnt seem safe i will go another route. but by the testimonials of people who did this, it sounds like it could probably work out very nicely. i hope so anyways. thanks everyone ncg
I've got 4 running street rods with axles that I've narrowed. Two are Chevy Van axles, one an Econoline and one an F100. I'm currently doing an F1 axle for another project. I cut them straight up and down, champher (or v) them deeply and made my first passes with a stick welder to assure penetration. I fill the back side of the I-beam web with a 3/8" thick, 6" long piece of bar stock, welding all around.The main concern is to get the king pin inclination correct on both ends. I do this with an angle finder, checking before cutting the axle and duplicating the angle when welding back together. If you get it wrong the camber will be off and the top of the wheels will tilt too far in or out. Don't be too concerned if the ends you're going to weld together don't match perfectly. The manufacturers of axle forgings don't control this area very well. They want the spring perches and the kingpin bosses to be correct. If the I-beam between the spring perches wanders a bit, they didn't seem to care. The Chevy axles are far worse than the Ford axles. I've driven the cars a fair amount on Minnesota's "perfectly maintained" roads for up to 7 years now without any problems. Cut with confidence!
After reading everyone's posts, I retract what I said before, I would narrow it!! Sounds like everyone has had good luck doing it.
U r welcome! Good luck with the project! I know it can be done safely and there are a lot of folks on the board who have. Have fun and post some pics of your project. I really dig the looks of the underslug cars...rev
BobW~ thanks for the step-by-step process of doing this. i cant wait to get the axle cut down now. i am wanting to get the chassis rolling within the next month. and then the body all welded shut and start smoothing it off. are you willing to do the work for me? i dont have a welder, and i would prefer to pay someone that has done this before. whats your price. (PM me) rev383~ i dont have any pics that show anything done on the chassis. just a few of a quick "mock-up" of the body after i shortend it a couple feet. i do have a few "sketches" of possible outcomes of the project. maybe i should post them and have a Poll contest and see what the majority thinks of what i want to do? what do you all think? do you want to see those pics? thanks ncg
Bob W's 3/8" reinforcement more then double the strength of the original forging. And of course he is right... you have to make sure all your angles and dangles are right. As far as I'm concerned anything you post will be welcome. Can't have too much info or too many perspectives.
cool, i'll see tonight how everything works out and might try loading (if my computer dont crap out on me) of a few peices of eye-candy (pics) for y'all to google over, of a couple ideas i had. thanks ncg
The Jalopy Journal
