Straightening an I-beam front axle

[motorpsykler]

Has anybody ever done this? I have a '50 F1 PU. The front axle is bent in the center. It's good vertically, but the left side is bent back, as if the truck hit a stump on the left side. I'm not having alot of luck finding a cheap replacement, my budget is almost non-existent. I have access to a press, bottle jacks, oxy/acet torch etc., but I can't quite figure out how to do it. I could probably mount it in a vice, heat the bend red and beat it back, but is there a more controlled way? I'm afraid I would end up with a compound bend. Maybe I'm overthinking it, maybe it's impossible. What do you guys think?

 

[Bonehead]

It probably can be done, but a press would be really helpful. More controlled anyway.

 

[maddog]

I think if you did a search, you would find some tech articles that will explain the process. I have seen some stuff about it and it goes into how hot, how to bend etc. Maybe I saw it on the HAMB

 

[donsrods]

Sure, I think if a person took their time and thought it out while doing it, you could do it pretty well. What I would do is lay it out on the floor and make a good tracing of it's outline so that you can compare the shape when you are done to see if you changed the camber or side to side measurements.

Heat the areas where you think it is bent and do it in small increments on your press. It is like doing body work after a wreck, you have to think how the damage occurred and what needs to be done to reverse it. Same here, just look at the axle and see how one side differs from the other and what is causing that difference. Then you can start to undo the bend.

When you are done, lay it flat on the floor again and see if it lays totally flat, it should. Make sure your kingpins are in the same plane, and that caster is identical side to side. BTW, don't rush things, and let the hot axle cool naturally........no air or water cooling. Also, when done, lay it upside down on the kingpin bosses and take careful measurements at the spring perch holes to make sure one side is not higher than the other. The damage could have also bent the axle up as well as back.

All you are doing is what Blacksmiths did for years, so it will just take some care on your part to get it right.

Don

 

[RuffTin]

I had a bent axle from a 48 pass. car a few years ago. I took it to a welding shop that works on heavy farm equipment. they pressed it straight cold in less than a hour. Back then was about $50.00 well spent.

 

[donsrods]

That's a very good suggestion. Also a truck axle place that does axles and springs would also be able to do it.

Don

 

[motorpsykler]

Thanks for all the help (and hope) guys.

 

[Ratcrazy]

ok, I am in the same situation with a bent axle also. I was also wondering what and how to straighten this problem. You guys rock.

Don thanks for the tips on what to look for before and after.

RuffTin- thanks also, A farm equipment shop, would never of thought of that.

Again, thanks to you both.

 

[roddguy1]

Dons suggestions for this are great. I have another suggestion as I have some experience it doing exactly this type of job. Years ago, when I was a mechanics apprentic it was my job to do the front end alignments on medium and large trucks with straight axels. We would occationally get in an old straight axel car to. The technoligy is the same. If your axel is still mounted in the vehicle you can do this as well.

The vehicle would be driven onto the alignment rack, where the cameras would be mounted to the wheels. The angles would be measured for a base line that then the fun began. There is a cradle that is hung from the axel which uses various hooks and bars and a bottle jack to bend the axel back into shape. All bending was done cold and don't worry, you can bend a loooooooooonnnngggg way before they break. On the larger trucks I've had as much as 10 tons pressure on them, and I never broke one. I used to do some of those Ford split I beam axels too. You could never get the camber to stay on them.

So all you need to do is find a truck shop that has the front end alignment equipment. They will be able to do it no problem.