1942 Ford project
- This topic has 144 replies, 19 voices, and was last updated 5 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
Well, that’s a bummer! But glad you found one. It could most likely be straightened, but another STRAIGHT axle should do the job easier.
<p style=”text-align: right;”>Well, that’s a bummer! But glad you found one. It could most likely be straightened, but another STRAIGT axle should do the job easier.</p>
Hey Mitch, yes i think too it could be straightened but i have no tools for doing this, and also i would need some kind of fixture to keep the holes in their place. So the other STRAIGHT straight axle (like you aptly said!) is the best solution for me.
Those axles are forged (with good steel) so it can be heated and straighten , question is if it can be made in place or have to come apart , I would put a lever between the axel and crossmember and pry during heating it up just to clear the hitting (if it can be secured that something else doesnt catch on fire) , to get back to straight I think it needs to come out . the next obvious question is if this is a sign you need to look into a dropped one but that might be a more long term plan !
Wolf
Thanks Wolf, that sounds like a plan too! But i do not have a torch, so i think i have to see how straight the Mercury axle is when i have it next month and will use that one if it is ok. Otherwise i have to find someone who has a torch and can help me bending the axle while it‘s still under the car like you said. A dropped axle would be good to have too, but my wallet says no and it would make some other bending necessary. But maybe i need a torch anyway, for disassembling the axle, i haven‘t done this before.
Michu,
I don’t think you will be able to heat the whole axle enough with a torch. I could be wrong.
Old world truck shops, if they still exist anywhere, had clamp on fixtures to bend straight axles back into shape.
Someone set up to drop Ford axles could most likely straighten it.
You shouldn’t need a torch to remove it from the car either. About the only thing I use a torch for these days is dropping spindle arms.
As you said, the axle you found will probably be the best solution.
Mitch
Maybe bending the axle under the car would work for rough clearance to the crossmember, like Wolf said. Yes, and for really straightening it, it needs to come out and put into a fixture.
But maybe i need a torch for heating the king pins to get them out when i have the axle assembly out for changing the axles?
I think you should be able to disassemble without a torch. Pull the pins that hold the kingpin in place and drive the king pins out with a drift punch and hammer. Unless someone has really messed up things there, they should come out with a little effort.
MM
<p style=”text-align: left;”>I redecided on nearly every part on the car over the time, now it was time to re-re-redecide on the grill, haha. My first idea was to install a 46 Buick grill, but then i found out that on the front end is nothing fitting like it should, it seems the Ford had an accident at some time that was not fixed very well. Then i thought the best/easiest idea is to find a 46/48 grill and more or less just bolt it in with some minor work on the upper part to fit the 42 hood wich is more pointy than 46/48 hoods. Some time later i‘ve found a 47 grill here in germany but i worked on other things on the car and the grill was waiting in the corner. Three weeks ago i started installing it. And about at that time i flipped again through my copy of „Custom Cars“ from 1951 (about for the thousandth time) and i looked at the Hank Griffith 42 Ford and thought a 49 Cadillac grill would be cool. And then i looked again at the article about the car here on the CCC and the Ayala 42 and of course the Jack Stewart Ford, but at the same time i thought, no, too much money, shipping from the US, the not well fitting front of the car and so on. But for fun i just searched for a Cadillac grill here in germany in some classifieds to see if any Cadillac grill is available. There where just some 70s and 80s grills. Just a moment before i stopped scrolling i couldn‘t believe my eyes! There was a 49 Cadillac grill, and on top for small money! But i noticed the ad was nearly a year old and i thought my chances are near zero, nevertheless i wrote a message. I didn‘t expect an answer. But in the next morning i had an answer, the grill is still there! Of course i immidiately made the deal, and then it turned out the grill sat in an garage for over 20 years just 200 meter far from where i lived for about 20 years! Couldn‘t believe it. Now i have the grill, a friend of mine from my old hometown managed the transport, some years ago i moved and live now 600 km from my hometown. Today i started installing the grill, the headlights will be frenched too now, the grill is very close to the headlights, just like on the Hank Griffith Ford. I cut off the ends of the grill and will make some similar ones like on the Griffith Ford. And of course i will make all other parts fit as good as possible. So that is the story about my grill re-re-redecision…</p>
Wow! I can’t believe your luck! Great find and it’s going to look just right.
Years ago I had several ’48,’49 Cadillacs go through my hands. And of course parts. I had a nice ’49 grille I gave to a good friend, he gave it to another good friend and it ended up in his ’48 Chevy Convertible custom.
I have been looking for another grille now and can’t find one!
Thanks Mitch and Rik! I have noticed i meant Larry Robbins 48 Mercury wich has a 49 Cadillac grill too, and of course not Gil Ayalas 42. Also it seems when the pictures are compared, that the Mercury front end is not just longer as the Ford front end but just a bit wider as well. It looks like there is a bit more space to the headlights on the Mercury than on the Ford.
Hank Griffith Ford:
Larry Robbins Mercury:
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.