Just curious why anyone would have an axle dropped for more money than a new dropped axle? Is there some unmentioned advantages? Just curious...been catalog surfing
i don't see atvantage to using a stock dropped I-beam axle.maybe some guys think it's more tradional and they want to use all old parts,nothing modern. i've had two axles dropped by Mor-drop and both had problems with king-pin inclanation and the king-pin holes were meseed up. i swore off old axles and use nothing but new. i really like the CE forged axle.....although i've used Magnum and have superbells in two of my cars. as for what's tradional....the Rocky 33 PU has a Magnum axle,and you can't get more traditional than that
I think all the new production axles are the same shape.Having an old axle dropped would give you the option of a different shape.
Looks...same reason people pay the extra price for old Buick and Olds motors instead of the cheaper and ever present SBC. That reminds me. My 32 P/U project has a CE axle and SBC.
i do like the looks of an original dropped axle better than a new axle,i'm just not sure if they are worth the h***el of using. as for different looks,the CE forged axle is paterned after the `32 heavy I-beam....the superbell and magnum look more like a dropped model A axle in my opinion
Soem of us have cars (or trucks) that they don't make a ready supply of new dropped axles. I had an old one dropped by the guys at IC because I didn't like the looks of what was available new. An I might add, Worm was the only one I saw that even had something new. r
CE axle nice unit but it looks so thick and heavy in the drop area.IMHO An old Dago dropped axle. All stretched and mutilated....Yeah baby It looks like the old dropped axles really looked.
I'd have an old axle dropped because I think a four inch drop - new or old - is ugly. An original Ford product dropped three inches or even less looks nice. Any more and it looks hammered - not my thing. I really like undropped axles better. If you think about it one of the nicest looking roadsters ever built runs an undropped axle.
I don't know why they are charging more to drop a ford axle then they sell a new one for. A friend of mine started dropping axles a few months ago. They looked great, without any stretching in the section. I think he would get 4" with a model A, prolly more with a '32-'34. I bet he'd charge less then these other guys want, and if I lend him a hand on the technology side, I think we could streamline the process and cut costs even more. Personally, I think the whole idea of the new dropped axle is worthless. You put an I beam on your car to be traditional, but if you put a new axle on, you ruined that look. It's not a dropped axle, its a new axle. Some of the new axles are cast steel. Without getting into the chemical backround, this is a bad idea and those should be avoided. Dave
I have always wondered about the tensile strength of an axle after being dropped. As far as a new axle...it doesn't bother me unless it's a tube axle. I would be putting this one under my 36 pickup so you won't see it anyway. I just thought maybe you could save money on some of the parts by reusing the old axle.
Root, your homework ***ignment for tonight is to RE-read Mike Bishop's section on dropped axles in the front suspension chapter of the "How To Build a Traditional AV8" book. Mike does the best job of explaining why he (and some of us) prefer a dropped original axle rather than a newly manufactured axle. And, he does it without coming off as an elitist and without telling the reader that the new axles are verboten.
Other than "period correctness", I really see no advantage? Am I right? It seems that if you were restoring a car that was a survivor etc. it would almost be a given. I can see going the extra mile to make it right, but on my daily I just don't see it.
I know it's sacrilidge to say in the era of Billetproof Channeljobs and grounds****ing customs with bags, but I really prefer the earlier, higher look. That late forties/early fifties look seems a lot more functional to me. Unless you're road racing the car, why does it need to be so ridiculously low?
[ QUOTE ] A friend of mine started dropping axles a few months ago. They looked great, without any stretching in the section. I think he would get 4" with a model A, prolly more with a '32-'34. I bet he'd charge less then these other guys want, and if I lend him a hand on the technology side, I think we could streamline the process and cut costs even more. Dave [/ QUOTE ] If he's "reshaping" the axle; (dropping without stretching) where does the material come from??
some common reasons are... you have limated options on ammount or style of drop with a new axle. try finding a mild drop new I beam axle. some people prefer the stretched look of the dropped axle. a new axle tends to look too perfect... the old axles have imperfections which add cheracter. add that to AV8's reasons, but number one? TRADITION as for cost, it is a labor intensive process, you have to know exactly what you are doing, and pay close attention to EACH axle. The axles we market are garunteed against defects, and any WILL be corrected. that is one reason some people have been buying fresh dropped vintage axles, over swapmeet items, they know that there is someone who will stand behind the work.
I also wanna make sure that everyone understands that I ain't *****in about em just weighing out my options. I know there is no "right" answer....just a topic starter. Let's say I reuse my old 36 axle and spindles.....what else will I have to do to accept the dropped axle? Dropped steering arms? What can you do with those?
There's no compelling reason to opt for a stretched original Ford axle under a fendered daily driver. A SuperBell or Magnum will do just fine, for less dollars than you'll pay for a really excellent dropped axle from way back in the past -- MorDrop or Stewart -- or a "NewDrop" from the young man in Arizona who is doing some of the finest drops seen anywhere and at any time. BTW to tommy -- That's not a "dago" axle in the sense of being a Stewart axle. That's a 'taffy-pull' axle and nothing to get real excited about.
Mike - I just finished re-reading your book. I seem to recall you mentioning in the axle section that the original Ford axles twisted and were "lively" (or something like that), whereas the new forged axles were too stiff. Your whole point being that old Fords weren't meant to be tied down and rock solid. The body, ch***is and axle all twisted and tying it all down too tight can lead to problems. Even I can see that dropped axle has been done by a one armed blind man. That looks scary!
[ QUOTE ] If he's "reshaping" the axle; (dropping without stretching) where does the material come from?? [/ QUOTE ] The width of the axle is reduced. Everything stays the same length, and the outer section is bent upwards. Dave
Mike I don't think it's special, just old like me. I read someplace that Stewart used a drop hammer to reshape the ends of his axles. Is that correct? It appears that's how this one was reshaped. The metal has been moved around alot. The web is actually thicker now than a stock axle and it's not "filled". I'm guessing that there were lots of so-cal people dropping axles in the early 50's. Just wondering. How do you identify a genuine Stewart "dago" axle?
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