This Axle Shaft is a Metaphor for the Ranchero Build

Timothy Odell

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Things were going so well this weekend. I borrowed a tow rig, brought the car home from being caged and we got the engine in relatively quickly. Given that gas tank crude is the #1 hobbler of old LeMons cars, we pulled the gas tank. Thankfully, it doesn’t look too bad in there, just minor particulate and old gas residue. Thus concludes the good parts of the weekend.
The new rear axle was to follow suit, but upon installing the drivers side axle shaft (in the correct order), we noticed this. Before you start your “tsk tsk”-ing, this is not the shaft I wailed on, attempting to remove it. This was the good side. I’m getting a kick out of Google/YouTube’s attempt to stabilize the wobble out of this video.
In addition to this little snafu, we have rear leaf spring plates and bushings that both literally crumbled upon removal. Oh, and a strap broke while we were lifting the engine, but that’s a video of that for another post.
Thus, the shopping list at Tony the Parts Guy’s place now looks like this:

  • Return:
    • Toploader, header, various driveshafts.
  • Pick up:
    • Longer driveshaft, non-bent 8″ short-side shaft, cheap exhaust components.

More to come later in the week.

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Timothy Odell

Timothy Odell

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10 responses to “This Axle Shaft is a Metaphor for the Ranchero Build”

  1. Batshitbox Avatar
    Batshitbox

    That’s a variable camber axle. From what I can tell from the video it also has the rare variable toe-in option. All the rage with the cartooners.

    Reply
    1. Vairship Avatar
      Vairship

      …and there’s your theme for LeMons!

      Reply
  2. mdharrell Avatar
    mdharrell

    This could solve two problems at once if you also have a bent wheel.

    Reply
  3. mad_science Avatar
    mad_science

    The weird thing is it kinda looks like someone tried to straighten or otherwise machine it. There are machined grooves that aren’t circumferentially symmetric.
    The tragic part is that I picked up these two shafts from a pile that contained many. Like, had I reached 2″ to the right, I wouldn’t have this problem.

    Reply
    1. dukeisduke Avatar
      dukeisduke

      Wow, not good. How can you check one before you install it, anyway? Put it in a lathe?
      Edit: Just watched the video. Holy crap that’s bent.

      Reply
      1. jeepjeff Avatar
        jeepjeff

        When I showed up at Tim’s place this weekend, he had the shaft and the bearing in his bench vice. A quick spin made it extremely easy to spot. So, yeah, lathe would work. You just need to be able to spin it.

        Reply
  4. dukeisduke Avatar
    dukeisduke

    “Oh, and a strap broke while we were lifting the engine, but that’s a video of that for another post.” I stick with chain, myself.

    Reply
    1. jeepjeff Avatar
      jeepjeff

      Just wait for the video. There will be plenty of opportunities for smart… Oh hell, just make ’em on both posts.

      Reply
  5. salguod Avatar
    salguod

    I like how the Google stabilization algorithm makes it look like the brake shoes are flexing.

    Reply
  6. fede Avatar
    fede

    quite trippy video…
    it really sucks when you’ve many apparently equal items to pick from, and you manage to pick the bad ones.

    Reply