Ok thanks guys for the help thus far. Here's the deal, I've got what appears to be mix-matched axleshafts in the Heinz-57 rear axle in my '56 F100. Here's what I do know- the housing is a 67-72 housing and the backing plates/brake assemblies/drums appear to be '56 units, probably from the Dana axle. I was told that it is common to swap these onto the 9" for housing.
Here's the issue. The axle shafts appear to be different. One axle is causing the brake drum to not contact the innermost 1/4 of the brake shoe. Before installing the axles I measured their overall length and they are exactly the same length. Then I measured from the tip of the axle shaft to the inside of the wheel bearing on both shafts. I found them to be approx 1/4" difference. In other words, the wheel bearing is approx 1/4" closer to the wheel mounting face of one axle over the other. this is why one side fits fine and had full contact with the drum and the other sticks out 1/4" and is not fully contacting the drum.
My question is what do I have here? I need to find another match to the one proper axle but i have no idea where these came from. They appear to be 'early' style truck 9" stuff as they look different from my '68 and '69 F100s 9" rear axles/brakes. One thing I did notice is the very center of the axle (where the drum slips over in the middle), the face of one axle has a circile and thena smaller circle machined into it (just lines) and the other one has nothing at all, just flat (no machine marks). Can anybody help me out here? I reall need to find out what I've got here so I can find a correck replacement axle shaft!

Thanks in advance- Dan

 

I can't answer the 'what is it' question, but as the bearings are pressed on on the 9in axle, you could have it moved back that 1/4in.

Sam

 

From a feeble and unreliable mind.

I think (?) truck diff had the equal length axles and car 9 inch have the unequal. I feel that spacers etc is a “kootie bob” fix (search required for meaning) and that if it is truck housing / axles, could you not find newer backing pates / drums that are the correct ones for that housing, not sure about the rim bolt pattern as I use car stuff.

Have you read this?

Kevinstang's Ford Nine Inch Differential Page +

 

the truck diff is far enough away from the chassis that the exhaust is not problem.. on the car it is much closer.. so they offset the diff to allow the exhaust to tuck up on the other side.

he said it was a truck axle he was installing..
" the housing is a 67-72 housing".. so the axles should be equal length (which he confirmed thru physical measurement) just the bearing is in the wrong place.

sam

 

Maybe ?

 

X whatever on the bearing location....

Paul

 

Sorry, what doess that mean?

Sam

 

Sam;

X times one, he agrees with you,
X rated, opposite of above,
X something should be canceled, (like me)
X a curse and a hex on something

Hee-hee (The buzzard would know, where is he?)

 

should be "+1"

 

That, i understand!

Sam

 

Yes both axles, when measured from tip of splines to face (where wheel mounts) are of exact length. However, you can press the bearing on only so far before it hits the end of the machined surface. This is the problem I have ran into. On one axle, the machined area is 1/4" closer to the hub than the other. On the axle that is 'not' machined as close, with bearing installed as far as it goes causes the brake drum to not contact approx 1/4" of the brake shoe. On the other axle where the bearing is allowed to be installed that 1/4" further, the drums fit and function on the shoes just as they should.

I cannot figure out for the life of me how or why this is like that. Both axles appear to be almost exactly the same. On the face of the hubs, one is blank and the other axle has 2 different sized circles (just lines) machined into their face. These are factory axles. Man... pictures are worth a thousand words. Let me see if I can figure out a way to post up some pics for you.

 

I have a 9" from a '70 F-150 apart, so I checked mine. Both axles are the same length, and from the spline end to the near end of the sleeve as shown is 27-7/8" on both. So I suspect someone swapped an axle from a different 9" into your rear end.

 

Oh definately so. I'd need the overall length to compare, as my bearings look a bit different. I have a '68 and '69 F100s and neither one of these axles i have look like the ones in the '56. Even the bearing retaining plates look totally different than what I've ever seen before. But- the bearings fit the housing and I'm getting exellent spline engagement (28 spline) and the bearing plates work and secure it all like a glove. Its just the drum hangs out on one side.
Still workin on pics...

If I had to take a stab at it, my guess would be in the range of '57-'66 9" truck axles. Somewhere in there. I just need to know 'which' one so I can get another!


BTW- Those axles you posted pics of look like 31 spline units. I have the exact same bearings/retainers/plates on my '78 Supercab. I didn't think the 31 spline was available until '74 in trucks? All the '68-'72 stuff I've ever seen was 28 spline and used a sealed flat roller bearing. Weird...

 

Oh hell, you're right! I have two 9", and the one that's apart is a ~80's big Bronco 31-spline nodular iron unit. Sorry! The '70 axle is still all together.

 

Ok here's a few pics of whats going on. Had to take them with my cell phone, send them to my e-mail, down load them, then host them on photobucket.... technology bites..


Here's where I noticed the problem- part of the shoe wasn't being worn. I initially thought it was like this because the bearing was bad (which it was) and the fact that everything on the rear end was loose and just hanging there, backing plates included. (The truck was bought as a project non-runner) After further inspection I'm guessing 'Goon the Hack' must have been driving it this way.



Here's where I find my problem. The axle on the right is what I need. And yes, the problem axle is the one with the brand new $40 bearing... See the difference? That's roughly about 1/4" which is about was is messed up on that brake shoe. I installed the bearing and it is seated down as far as it will go.



Here's the brake assembly. I've been told that this may be the '56s Dana brake assemblies. I can't say for sure 100%, but it sure looks like it to me.



Here's a shot with the axle installed. You can get a good look at the face of this here, and to me it looks like early stuff. It's hard to make out, but there are numbers cast or stamped into the centerpart of the hub. Some goon beat the snot out of the center of the hub, so the numbers aren't able to be read.



A shot of the retaining plate, installed, and a profile of the axle face.



Now a shot with the drum installed (on the correct fitting side). Drums look early too, not sure what the drums are from either, but suspect that they are '56 units.



See what you think. I'd sure like to know what all i have here so that I can locate a replacement axle. I do know 100% for sure that the housing is from a 67-72 F100. It matches either my '68 or '69 F100s perfectly.