Maybe the most stupid question to be asked around here but is there a TRICK to removing the studs from a '48 Ford front axle?? Pulled the drums and normally just a tapping with a hammer will do the trick but no on this one! Are the studs just stuck or is there something about a '48 Ford that I don't know? Thanks for any replies.
They are swaged to the hub. You need to cut the swage before removing the studs. Then there's the problem of reinstalling them and getting them reswaged as there's no swaging tool currently manufactured that will stand up to the 20+ tons of force that's needed as well as no good replacement press-in style stud.
So what is the fix? Cut them off, drive the leftover piece out, and tack weld the new studs in place so they don't turn? Or is there another way? Don
Yep! Tack them from the backside, Once the swage is cut away, you can't reswage it anyway, unless you're installing a whole new drum...
I use a 5/8" hole saw (with the center drill bit removed) in a drill press to cut the swage. The studs will then come out without damaging the holes in the hub.
Whoa! I knew something was different about em! Is there another drum that will fit the spindles on the axle I have which is easier to deal with or would I be better off trying to remove them in the manner described?
I wonder if drilling them out and replacing with a stud with a larger diameter shank would be an option? WTH was Fomoco thinking when they put these things together??
I used modern no swedge type hub bolts. All it took to put them in was a couple minutes in the arbor press. If you don't have a press you could always use a stack of washers and a lug nut to put them in. With these hub bolts you can take the drums off without taking the hubs off. This makes brake jobs a lot easier, especially on the rear. Here is a link to the hub bolts I'm talking about: http://macsautoparts.com/early-v8-f...reads-68-1107-f/camid/F30/cp/JS0R3CHL1105228/ They are a bit pricy. You might check Napa or another parts house to see if they have them cheaper. -Jeff
That used to be the standard on all front drums except Chevrolet. The studs were pressed through the hub/drum ***embly and then a tool that looked like a cone with a hole in the middle was used in a press to crush (swedge) the area of the stud between the threads and the knurled part of the stud. When you did it right you could grab the hub and tap the drum on concrete and it would ring like a bell. If you did it wrong it would "clank". To remove the studs we used a tool that looked like a big spot weld cutter without a center bit. I did hundreds of them back in the day. Check with old time auto machine shops in your area and ask if they still press and swedge drums. Nowadays I've seen people just replace the studs and have the front drum slide on and off, like a chevy, using the lugnuts to secure the ***embly. I don't know if I'm a fan of doing this or not.
Swaging is basically cold forging, other manufacturers besides Ford used it as well. Here's something from Ford Garage that might be helpful. http://www.fordgarage.com/pages/swaging.htm And "swage" is the proper spelling, not swedge. Swedge is how swage is pronounced.
Henry wasn't the only one. A lot of manufacturers did it back in the day. It was cold forging, essentially, so it was in there to stay
What studs are to be used with the 'outer' type hub? If you press the studs into the drum there are reports of cracking also the manufacturer recomends not pressing studs into the drum.
It has been my understanding that Ford did not furnish drums as a replacement part. The hub and drum were sold and serviced as a unit.
I've never seen "swaged" studs used when the hub is on the outside of the drum. Those just press fit. That's the way my old O/T Jeep with Dana 44's is set up.
They do sell press in replacements. I just ground them all off on the drum side. Cut off stud then grind down through the swedge and drive out. Carefull you dont warp the hub.
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