Rear axle torque

[Guest delson]

What is the torque on the nut when replacing the rear axle hub? <P>Don

[Guest]

i have a service hand book for 32-1941 ford,mercs and Z's. if you a talking about the hub nut holding in the wheel bearings ity say "the bearing nut should be run up just barely snug with the wrench porvided, and tyhen backed off one-eight to one-sixth turnto provide clearance" i think i remember my Dad telling me that. hope this helps. i am starting on a 38 coupe. have the engine out. and front end off and in peices. do you know is the front end same on fords of those years. Vern Smith

[Guest delson]

Vern: Your solution is for the front wheels. A friend who works on early V-8s, said the torque on the rear axle should be 100 lbs. I can't answer your question about the front axles.<P>Don

[Guest]

In the days of yore, all pre-'49 Ford products had the same rear axle bolt tightening routine, "as tight as it was possible to get them", striving to make the drum axle and keyway as much in to a single unit as possible. Any "slop" or play in the system would result in broken keys, distorted keyways, and ultimately broken axles. We always used the larger 1 1/8 axle nuts, and axle shims when assembling these units, and even then rough use could cause problems, so forget the torque wrench, and just cinch down on them with a big breakover--

[Guest]

Hey Vern, yes the design of your '38 Zephyr is very much like that of the similar year Ford, but the components of the LZ are beefier and not interchangeable with the Ford, the only thing you can adjust on these front-ends is the toe-in, caster and camber have to be "bent" into the axles and wishbone by a front end shop with the correct equipment, usually those that specialise in large trucks, hope that is what you were asking about-