Press capacity to straighten a front axle Q.

I picked up a 36 front axle with intact wishbone and already adapted 42-48 Ford brakes.

The axle has a tweak in it that one guy thought may have been for a caster alignment on one side, but I don't think so.
Looks like it may have struck something and the axle came back a bit as well as twisted slightly.
The twist, not noticeable at first glance, but it's there.

I don't have my 20 ton press anymore, but a friend has a 12 tonner and if that's not enough, the rod shop guy where he lives has 20 tonner.
Think that's enough to press out the bend?

Not sure what the heck we can do about the twist.
Heat - maybe, big truck outfit, probably, but if we can do it I'd rather do that.

 

Used a 20 ton on the ax on my modifyed, no problem. Don't know what to tell ya on the twist

 

it depends on how it is bent. i've staightened them cold in my 30 ton press , but that was bending them horizontally relitive to the posistion they are in the car.

as you know,old ford axles will twist rather easiley., but will require tremedous force to bend vertiaclly .. if you try bending it that way cold,it will just probabilly spring back,unless you go way over to compensate


i thibk you will need HEAT and all the pressure of a 20-30 to press to fix the bend you described

 

I don't think you'll need a super duty press. We used a fixture that hung on the axle with a bottle jack (I don't remember the capacity) to change the camber on the older cast steel dual I beam Ford trucks. They are beefier than the early Ford axles.

Getting any twist out at home could be a challenge. A rose bud, a 3 foot pipe wrench and some dowels in the king pin bores to sight down might do it.
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I used a big pipe wrench and heat to change the camber on an old axle but I used the weight of the engine and leverage to "walk" the axle into spec. very slowly.

 

If the twist is inside the spring perch, it's pretty easy to correct it under the vehicle, like we do big trucks. You would have to make/weld up two fixtures that look like a long (2 ft) pipe wrench. Hook one over the axle before the twist and hook the other one facing the opposite way outside or over the spring perch. Put a deadman block under the "handle" end of the inner one and push up with a big bottle jack on the end of the other. Over push to compenasate for the spring back. Check side to side with an angle finder.
We can twist a 12K lb truck axle with a 50T jack in this fashion. 12-20T should be plenty for you with the arm's leverage.
Between the perch and the kingpin will probably have to be heated and twisted.

 

I straightened a bend in a stock 40 ford axle in a 12 ton shop press without any problem. The bend was near the middle of the axle like maybe it was pulled out of a ditch with a wrecker. We just layed the axle across the press and put pressure on the high spot of the bend. It took a couple of times and we had to overbend it a little but we didnt have to use any heat. goodluck, Dale

 

Fwiw - the axle is out of the car, spring, wishbone, spindles, brakes and wheels mounted.

Looking it over a little closer and laying a straight edge over it, it doesn't seem to be twisted.
It is bent though.
Very subtly. When viewed directly from above it has a light bow to it with the end near kingpins about 1/4 - 3/8" back from the center.
Sorta like what A-Bomb said with a wrecker dragging the car by the axle.

I think if we set the axle up lying on its side, support the outer edges a ways in from the perch bolt hole and press in the center that may do it.

Seems like a piece of aluminum (1/8" or so) between support blocks and axle would help protect the axle flange from denting etc. as it's being pressed.

Shooting the area between perch bolts and kingpins with a straight edge shows that area on both sides to be straight.

Looking from here and considering the experience of those who've weighed on here with good advice, it looks like we can do it with no probs.

Many thanks.