Rear Axle (Lark)

Consider flanged axle conversion kit.

Arkieiowa wrote:

Kyle.... Here is one opinion....(I agree with Transtar) Put in a pair of Fairborn's flanged axle setups and NEVER worry about ever breaking an axle again. Then get a Turner Brake dual master cylinder conversion kit and never worry about a total brake failure due to a single part breaking again. The money you WILL spend to do a complete swap over will be the same as the conversion parts. BTDT.... Jeff (Oh, and swap in an O/D 3 speed and you will get great mileage) Rice

"Arkieiowa" wrote...

Any chance the geometry was askew and the Crager wheel caused some torsional stress crack ???

Ain't no way in blue blazes that the Cragar wheel caused the axle to break. It was pure unadulterated metal fatigue, plain and simple. I have been running Cragar SS mags on my 59 Silver Hawk for the last 7 years without an axle breaking. Anyone running the 44 axles should really consider going to the flanged axle conversion. Fairborn Studebaker has them and they are cheap insurance!!!!!

Depending on where you are located, I have a model 44 3:51 from a '55 Prez with about 70K on it. I wouldn't worry about those axles.

Good deal at $50 if you are near or in Texas...

JT

Arkieiowa wrote:

I have to agree with JT. A flanged axle is not necessarily a cure all for axle breakage. If the flanged axle is fatigued it too will break. If memory serves me correctly the Dana 44 and Dana 27 used the same axle. Check with some of the parts vendors and SASCO. Someone may have a new set of axles for your application. The dual master cylinder is definitely a good way to go.

Paul V

Even when running stock wheels, you can still break an axle. But deviating from the stock offset can increase the chances for premature king pin bushing & wheel bearing failure at the front, and axle fatigue failure on the rear. It has to do with leverage. Copy and paste this into Google, for various replies:

change in wheel offset leads to axle failure

If the inner oil seal on the rear axle has cut a groove into the rear axle shaft, this causes a stress-raiser at that point. By studying the beach-marks of a failed axle, you will typically see an initiation crack which went perhaps 10% across the surface, of which the remaining 90% is classed as a sudden fracture.

A stress raiser can also be initiated from a rust pit (or nick), as typically seen upon close inspection of a failed coil spring.

KK

If what you say was the rule rather than the exception, there would a hell of a lot of rich lawyers who amased their $$$ by litigating lawsuits against all of the custom wheel manufactures these past 50 some odd years. I have spent more money on custom wheels over the past 47 years than I really want to recall and I have never broken an axle even at the drag strip nor have I ever had any front suspension damage as you mentioned. I'm sure I'm not alone in this experience. Ron

Yeah... But look at the price!

JT

Transtar60 wrote:

what if, what if, what if a frog had a glass ass....it would only jump once. you guys are amazing bitchin' about 50 year old parts breaking and prices to repair/upgrade. good thing y'all love studes because anything else would cost at least twice the price. and on top of it all you expect someone to buy your already broken axle that you deemed financially unreasonable to repair. I am confused. Are you capable of the fabrication to install other than the OEM part or gonna seek out lowest bidder?

ROFLMAO

Ah, Calvin - I'm glad you're gonna be around for a long long time.

oldcarfart wrote:

I was wondering about that comment too - about buying the broken axle - makes a good property corner marker for the new magnetic devices that pickup property markers.

It just seems to me when I want to buy something it might as well be made of gold, but if I want to sell something it is as if my stuff is schitt.

Sounds familiar.