Ready for the front axle but have problems.

I started a thread earlier about (Got the front end cut off) and believe me got alot of help. Even talked me into doing it right with an axle from Speedway. BUT,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,the axle speedway wants me to use #91339009 and the kingpin set #92032123 won't quite work the way they should for me. My old setup was an early 50's Chevy 3/4 ton truck axle and 30's wire wheels. The whole axle was rebuilt before installation and actually is in great condition but I'm not using it. I want to use my spindles, brakes and wheels. With Speedways setup I'll be just under a degree on the camber, which probably won't work. I believe I have 2 options. One is to have the axle machined to get the degrees right or 2 install the axle, hope it's right and if not have it bent,,,,,I don't think i like that. Any other ideas?

Bending an axle to correct the camber is no big deal, still being done on big trucks with straight axles... Just takes a camber gauge, a good tie down in the floor, and a chain. Lot of the alignment shops now probably wouldn't even now what you were talking about, have to find some place with a crusty old fart (like me) working there that would still know how to do it!!!! Not hard to do yourself though... If you don't have a camber gauge, most strong running circle burner dudes should have one he could loan you....

keep looking for an axle with degrees you want----

Have you talked to the tech guys at Speedway to see what they say? If they can't point you to a different axle I'd probably mount it and look for a shop that does truck alignments. They'll be well versed in tweaking an I-beam to fix the camber, and a couple of degrees is really a very small tweak. Like Dave says the circle track guys do it all the time, and lots more than a couple of degrees.

I think in this case it isn't an adjustment for alignment purposes but an issue of mismatched components where the angles of the spindles and the angle of the axle aren't compatible----I don't recall the numbers but remember that the various companies used some vastly different mounting angles and the circle trackers did run into those issues often.

I went over to Speedways sight and looked @ that axle. I don't see any where that it tells you what your camber will be ? Sure your not looking @ axis inclination? Thats totally different from camber.

Just to understand, if you have an axle that has (for talking purposes) 1degree inclination and the "normal" spindles for that axle have (for talking purposes) 2degrees of inclination built in you'll then have 3degrees of positive camber (top spread wider than the bottom), right? Now if you "mismatch" the axle & spindles, using spindles that have no inclination (built for an axle with 3degrees of inclination) you're going to have only 1degree of camber. So is it wrong in this case to bend the axle, using a camber gauge, to achieve the desired 2.5 to 3degrees? In my mind it would seem to be OK, but I've been wrong before.

First off this axle is a tube axle rated at 2,500 lbs. and he said it would be a little under a degree. I did talk to the techs and they were the ones that said the axle and kingpins will work with some machining as in honing the bushings. Then about 10 minutes they called me back and said about the only problem I'm gonna have is the under 1 degree and I can either have the kingpin bosses machined to get the correct degree or have the axle bent. Why did this problem come about? Because I want to use my mid 30's wire wheels on the front. I'm stuck on using em. Now if one of their spindles had the same depth and diameter and would work on this axle,,,,ok. I wonder if I sent them my spindle........just thinking outloud. And I wanted to order what I need before their shipping went up cause now it's only like 7 bucks. HELLLPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP.............

many axles are cast iron, and will break--the forged steel axles can be bent---however--they need to be bent on the outside of the spring mounts if a parallel spring set up--if a cross spring one bend in the middle can be used to change both sides angle---most of beam axles have positive camber built in so the contact pivot point is at the center of the tire ground contact patch--mosy of these older vehicles had tall narrow wheels/tires so didn't take as much as shorter/wide tires--also brake systems were narrower and the wheel sat closer to king pin--now with wider tire/wheels, wider brake drums the wheel assy gets pushed out further--this will cause errattic, darting front suspension on uneven road surfaces.

Bear---they do have a deal for machining spindles , but I don't know what all services they offer---

Tube axles are the easiest of all to fix, no serious worries like on the cast or forged I-beam axles. Once everything is all setup on the car a quick check with a caster/camber gauge will let you know what, if anything, needs to be done to the camber...

It is a TUBE AXLE and not an I-Beam, correct???

Yes it is a tube axle. I posted Speedways number in case someone wanted to view it. Jerry you talkin about Speedway doin machine work?

The number 92032123 doesnt come up on a Speedway search ???
The axle number you have given is for a 4" drop tube axle for 49-54 Chevy spindles.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bearcamp

I started a thread earlier about (Got the front end cut off) and believe me got alot of help. Even talked me into doing it right with an axle from Speedway. BUT,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,the axle speedway wants me to use #91339009 and the kingpin set #92032123 won't quite work the way they should for me. My old setup was an early 50's Chevy 3/4 ton truck axle and 30's wire wheels. The whole axle was rebuilt before installation and actually is in great condition but I'm not using it. I want to use my spindles, brakes and wheels. With Speedways setup I'll be just under a degree on the camber, which probably won't work. I believe I have 2 options. One is to have the axle machined to get the degrees right or 2 install the axle, hope it's right and if not have it bent,,,,,I don't think i like that. Any other ideas?

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Yep thats the one.

yep--speedway does machine work on spindles

Of course since the tube axle is fabricated, why not order one with the specs you want/need????

Just talked to Speedway and they do not do work on spindles at all. It looks like I'm gonna have to use that axle, spindles and brakes. I won't be able to use my brakes and wheels. Damn. But I guess the spindles for a car and truck are different and it my brakes and wheels would work with car spindles I'd go that way.

they show a part number/description of labor to modify spindles-----

Ask them how long to make you an axle with the correct spindle angles-----they are fabricated axles and all they got to do is change the angles at the end

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rspears

Just to understand, if you have an axle that has (for talking purposes) 1degree inclination and the "normal" spindles for that axle have (for talking purposes) 2degrees of inclination built in you'll then have 3degrees of positive camber (top spread wider than the bottom), right? Now if you "mismatch" the axle & spindles, using spindles that have no inclination (built for an axle with 3degrees of inclination) you're going to have only 1degree of camber. So is it wrong in this case to bend the axle, using a camber gauge, to achieve the desired 2.5 to 3degrees? In my mind it would seem to be OK, but I've been wrong before.

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I'll pose my question again, "Is it wrong in this case (above) to bend the axle..."

why would you get an fabricated axle that is the wrong angles and then have it bent??? It is a fabricated axle--have them build you one with the correct angles!!!most of the truck alignment shops won't know anything about the spring back of the tubing used and will have to just wing it and you probably will have some scrap tubing--they are used to 20,000 lb axles not 2500 lb ---

I doubt Speedway would change their jig and fixturing for one axle....

Bear---If you are interested in getting on with this project and go beyond the internet dribble---contact SuperBell Axles --they make the axles that Speedway sells--they are located in Missouri out by Kansas City I think--Another source of info is the guy at Roadsters.com/axles--located in Pheonix
have a happy new year

Also it seems that you are only about 70 miles from Posies springs in Hummelstown, Pa---

Bear,
Pete & Jake's has the SuperBell name now, and like Jerry says they are in a little suburb of KC, Peculiar, MO. Here's their link Pete and Jake's Hot Rod Parts, and if you call them you might ask for Jason. He's taken over the day to day operations from his dad (Jerry Slover), and is a great guy.