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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / Axle Shaft Key

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Posted By Discussion Topic: Axle Shaft Key -- page: 1 2     supereal 04-11-2011 @ 12:45 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 Yes. The ones with the red sealer are good. The plain ones came from another well known vendor- supplier. We ran out, and I bought them locally because we needed them ASAP. We usually get them from C&G. Axle keys should fit as closely as possible. If the car was ever run with loose hubs, the keyway may be enlarged. Put the hubs on clean and dry, and retighten them after a hundred or so miles. In over 60 years, I have never twisted off the end of an axle unless it was damaged before. A big "breaker bar" with a pipe extension on the handle is our favorite tool for the job. We mark the position of the cotter key hole with a file on the end of the axle, but a permanent marker is OK, too. Doing so makes lining up the nut with the hole considerably easier. thirtysixford 04-11-2011 @ 11:32 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 211 Joined: Oct 2009 Sorry folks Super The seals you are talking about are they also from C&G? The ones they me sent do have red on the outer edge. Are these the ones that will work? thirtysixford 04-11-2011 @ 11:06 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 211 Joined: Oct 2009 Thanks Super I sure don't want to do this twice! Did you see my post on how the keys I took out are 3" not 2.859 and have no bevel on them? I'm thinking this may have been the problem. On the other hand, I have driven this car maybe 10,000 miles since I bought it in 1990. I only noticed the axles were damaged when I removed the drums. No drive problems. Who knows supereal 04-11-2011 @ 10:34 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 The outer axle seals are usually gray or blue, and should fit the recess in the end of the hub. Be careful about the grease seals being sold today, particularly by one vendor. They are not red coated, and tend to collapse while being driven into place. I've been doing this for a very long time, but it took five of those to get a two down far enough to clear the snap ring groove. thirtysixford 04-10-2011 @ 9:51 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 211 Joined: Oct 2009 O'Boy I ordered new axle shaft seals from C&G. B-1183 Are these the "Blue seals" you speak of? thirtysixford 04-10-2011 @ 8:10 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 211 Joined: Oct 2009 Alan Thank you.. you have given me great advice in the past and I always know I'm getting the real deal when you or another of the "regular forum members" reply. You guys know who I mean. Mike ford38v8 04-10-2011 @ 7:23 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 2769 Joined: Oct 2009 Mike, I think I started out here giving you and others the wrong idea about the keys. Your new keys may very well be serviceable, it's just that they appear crudely made. The key (pun intended) here is that they be snug. A sloppy key will cause a hammering back and forth that is death to the axle. The most important issue is that the drum must be tight on the shaft, and a sloppy key will enable the drum to loosen in use. This requires that there be no burrs, no surface rust, and no lubricant of any kind on the hub and shaft. You asked if the key could be tapped in after the hub is installed: Short answer is no. Line up the key and tap it in, noting that if it is too far inboard, it will not seat all the way down due to the keyway tapering up at the inboard end. The hub is then slid onto the axle, a new grease seal washer installed (these days usually a bright blue), the washer, and then the castle nut. A useful tip here... Use a felt pen on the axle end to indicate the position of the cotter pin hole. Now the nut is tightened. Forget about torque, use a cheater bar on the wrench and git it tight. Stand on it if you like, you won't hurt it. Line up the castling with the hole and install the cotter key. Some will advise that to remove the hub in the future, you don't need a hub puller, just loosen the nut and drive around the block. This may work, but possibly at the cost of damage done to the axle. Do it right, get a KRW hub puller. Alan thirtysixford 04-10-2011 @ 6:04 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 211 Joined: Oct 2009 I would have never guessed an axle key would be this complicated. Thanks to all for the info, but.... I'm now more confused than ever. If the keys are not hardened (which I thought they were) why would it make any difference if the C&G keys are not perfectly straight? If they are mild steel, would they not straighten out when I tap them into the key ways? If I buy square stock from a hardware store and mount it in a vise to cut it and then grind the bevel I doubt if it will end up as straight as what C&G sent me. I did look at the "Green Book" part B-4243 and it lists it as rear axle shaft key 2-55/64" overall length. I believe that is 2.859 the C&G's are 2.772 BUT the ones I took out are 3.0". Also they do not have the bevel cut into them. Maybe this is the source of my original axle problem. One last question should the key be in the axle and then the drum installed or can you put the drum on the axle, line it up and then tap in the key? Ok one more, what should I torque the axle nut to? Super.... C&G .247" Original .248" depending where you measure, they are pretty beat up. FYI, key stock comes in std., +.003 and -.003 from McMaster Carr. Mike supereal 04-10-2011 @ 10:50 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 When buying stock for axle keys, or any other critical part, take along a dial caliper to compare with the original. Good dial calipers have become rather inexpensive, and should be a part of the tool collection of anyone doing their own work. 37RAGTOPMAN 04-10-2011 @ 6:25 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1965 Joined: Oct 2009 hi you should be able to buy 1/4 inch stock from any good hardware store.you will have to cut to length and file down the taper, duplicate like the one you took out, also should not be really hard tempered,like machine tool stock...!! you want them to go before the axle does, acts like a shear pin, my 3 cents worth, 37 RAGTOPMAN I never broke one, but have seen some with issues,

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