How do you fix a bent axle?

I picked up a front suspention out of someones streetrod last week. I baught it for the 40 brakes,spindles and the wishbones. The dropped axle is bent a little. Is it worth fixing and how would I go about doing it?
Clark

 

If it's an "I" beam; most alignment shops should be able to help.

If it's a "tube" axle; you might need to find another.

 

Clark, any shop that works on big trucks can jig it and bend it back into shape. For example, there is a spring shop here in Philly that makes leaf springs, coil springs, and works on big trucks. I'm sure there are similar places closer to you.

 

It is an I beam. I know the big truck shops can do it on the vehicle. I didn't know they could do it off the vehicle.
Clark

 

how badly is it bent and where?

Most bends can be taken out using a simple hydraulic press and some forthought as to how the bend got there.

 

I think ElPolacko at Industrial Chassis can straighten as
well as drop.
Might be worth a call.
TZ

 

Clark, I have a old dropped axel I got off of a 34 sedan that was built in the 50's. It was bent pretty bad in the middle. looked like they might have tried to pull the car out of a ditch by the axel.

I put it in my press and bent it cold gradually over bending slightly, they are kinda springy. It came out just fine.

I had another one that was bent at the drop and it put the camber out at the top alot. That one we put on the anignment rack put the gauges on it and heated the bend until the caster came in. It was wild because just the weight of the car brought it into spec. The trick on that one was knowing when to remove the heat as it started to move.

But the bottem line is, I beams are relivivly easy to straighten.

 

This is pretty common. Not a big deal. Put it in a press and have at it. You can use some heat as necessary, just take your time so you get the bend out without adding kinks where you block it at. Remember, when More drop was the only game in town they used a forge to get them red hot and streched the crap out of them. None of those broke. They also threw them in a water barrel to quench them after the streching process.
The Wizzard

 

[ QUOTE ]

I had another one that was bent at the drop and it put the camber out at the top alot. That one we put on the anignment rack put the gauges on it and heated the bend until the caster came in. It was wild because just the weight of the car brought it into spec. The trick on that one was knowing when to remove the heat as it started to move.

But the bottem line is, I beams are relivivly easy to straighten.



[/ QUOTE ]


.
That's exactly how I fixed this axle

 

Guess I made out better than I thaught. Paid $150 for everything. The guy hit a curb with the car and pushed one side of the axle up a little.
Thanks for the info!
Clark

 

Dont believe all those guys. It is junk and you should give it to me. j/k it will bend back. The truck shop did mine cold. He didnt want to put heat on it. I figured he knows more than me. The truck shop here doesnt want to fool with an axle off the car. I will assemble the next one even tho the axle camber is VERY bad.

 

[ QUOTE ]
Guess I made out better than I thaught. Paid $150 for everything. The guy hit a curb with the car and pushed one side of the axle up a little.
Thanks for the info!
Clark

[/ QUOTE ]
So the bend wasn't deliberate?Seems to me they used to bend beam axles to align them once upon a time.

 

Here's a pic of the axle. The guy I bought my 32 from thinks it's an original 32 axle that has been dropped.
Clark

 

It's bent both ways but not too bad.

 

The bend you show in the second pic shouldn't hurt anything, other than looks. That is if you can even tell once it is in the car. We just but a 32 heavy in my dad's Model A rpu that had a very slight bow between the perch holes. You can't even tell once it was assembled.

Your axle looks a little worse than his was, but it should be an easy fix in a press...or a chain and a hydraulic jack.

Neal

 

Clark, Jones & Sipes in York could do it. Its where I got the air bags.

 

I have this 36 axle that is tweaked good. I'd like if it weren't. My 39 axle has a tweak like that 32 axle and I was just going to ignore it as you can't tell when it's together... What Neal said...