[Fot] Live axle tr4's, what to do for axles now ?

[Scott Janzen]

so, here's a copy of a thread from a while back, written by John Styduher and Tony Drews.  You can buy the parts Southwick used, cut the axle housing, and have someone weld on the bearing retainers, and for a lot less money and shipping costs.  

> My "copycat" Southwick conversion on a TR3 rear axle uses the 9" small Ford
> housing ends (the housing ID for the sealed bearing is 2.835").  The last
> step on the housing end is removed and then fit perfectly over the axle
> tube (2.25"OD) for welding.  The Ford axle housing fits right up against
> the small locating tab which located the outer leaf spring u-bolt, so
> orientation for track width is easy.  Moser engineering sells the 24-spline
> axles for $370.00, bearings and wedding band retainers installed for
> $75.00, and they can drill the stud holes on a 4x4.5 pattern for whatever
> wheel stud knurl diameter you are using.  Make sure to have them drill an
> access hole in the flange to make it easy to install and remove the axle
> without taking the brakes apart.  Same setup for TR4 but longer axles as
> you TR4 guys and gals already know.  Like Tony mentioned, the brake backing
> plates will need to be modified for the 4-bolt bearing retainer (backing
> plate ID needs to be enlarged slightly to slip over the bearing and the 4
> mounting holes for the C-shaped retainer need to be drilled).  As another
> patron mentioned, you can mock everything up and do your welding in situ.
> While your welding, go ahead and weld the axle tubes to the pumpkin for
> stiffening.
> 
> 
> On Sun, Jan 19, 2014 at 8:54 PM, Tony Drews <tony at tonydrews.com> wrote:
> 
>> The stock design solid axle will flex in the tapered portion where the hub
>> is pressed on.  The car I rolled had stock design axles but made out of
>> very good steel and stock design hubs also made out of very good steel.
>> They were manufactured so that the "stress risers" were removed, but under
>> load the axle, about 1/3 of the way inboard of the outer nut, starts to
>> flex.  You can see the fretting inside the hub where that happens.  It
>> bends over and over until it breaks.
>> 
>> The "Southwick Rear Axle Conversion" uses Ford 8" axles that are cut down
>> in length and re-splined for the TR-differential.  The outer end of the
>> axle tube is cut off and the outboard end of a Ford 8" axle tube is welded
>> on.  It is possible that someone sells just that outer end of the axle
>> tube.  The backing plates are machined in the center to have a larger
>> diameter hole and holes are drilled for the 4 bolts which hold the axle
>> bearing into the housing.
>> 
>> These axles are a one piece design - the hub / flange is part of the axle
>> shaft.  The outer bearing is pressed on and an inner retainer is pressed on
>> to hold the bearing in place.  It is a sealed bearing, so acts as the
>> bearing AND the outer seal.  There is an o-ring which goes around the
>> outside of the bearing to seal that area too.
> 

On Jul 10, 2014, at 5:46 PM, toodamnfunky at comcast.net wrote:

FoT, 
I know someone preparing a live axle TR4 to go racing next year and since Southwick closed he doesn't know what to do for axles. Are Ford axles the answer ? I read somewhere the TR4A live axle is stronger, true ? 
Jim g 
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