Camber adjust axle on car

[Bob Johnson]

Is it possible to adjust the camber with the axle still on the car. If I were to put a heavy I-Beam under the axle. Then put a jack at the wheel end of the axle, a brace at the center of the axle to prevent the center from moving down, and a brace just center of the perch that would prevent the axle form moving upward. Then the jack would bend the axle up to achieve more negative camber> below is a drawing of what I am suggesting. What do you think? good or bad idea. I would like to avoid removing the axle if possible. BTW I have too much positive camber.

Bob

[ursus]

This looks like a good approximation of the axle adjusting process in use by some of the shops that service heavy trucks. I have not seen it done by a hobbyist, but heard a story about some guys that used a section of railroad track for the beam during a time of day when no trains were expected. Of course they were farmers, who always figure out a way to get things done.

[Kurt in NJ]

How many degrees camber and how did you measure it??, it doesn't look like you have it together enough to measure it, when you bend it you will also have to check caster to make sure you didn't induce any twist while bending

[H. L. Chauvin]

Hi Bob,

Sounds so interesting because I'm in the process of trying the same.

A. It would be interesting to find out how many Mode A owners checked their front axle's camber after finding it was not as easy to correct camber as is to check alignment toe-in. My guess is not many.

B. Easy to perform an approximate camber check with a carpenter's level held vertically, after both tires are equally inflated and vehicle is resting on a perfectly level floor. Easy to shim tires upwards with wood if floor is not level. (This same camber check procedure was done often by vintage mechanics according to my 1934 Motor's Manual and what I heard from vintage mechanics.)

C. Then measure both top and bottom horizontal distances from both driver's side and passenger's side from one's outer iron wheel rim diameters to the vertical level to approximate the camber angle in "inches".

D. For example: A 19" Model A iron wheel is about 20-3/16" diameter, which can be used as the hypotenuse of a right (90 degree) triangle; then the Sine of Ford's 2 degree camber angle is 0.0349; and the horizontal distance from the vertical level to the top of the iron wheel should be approximately 11/16" greater at the top than the horizontal distance from the vertical level to the bottom of the iron wheel at the bottom. (This 11/16" dimension varies according to the camber angle).

E. Just checked mine about a month ago ...... passenger side appeared OK at about 2 degrees positive, (top of tire leaning outwards per Ford's specifications) ...... driver's side was bent where the iron wheel is at about 90 degrees with no camber at all.

F. Also, I tried this: If one has a Model A axle that is not installed, as far as measuring Ford's recommended seven (7) degrees for the king pin angles, if one does not have a metal lathe to make the metal rod tools fit, go to Home Depot or Lowes and buy four (4) "straight" wood dowels of two different diameters to loosely fit in the four (4) axle holes.

G. Later wrap dowels with aluminum foil, (count wraps for measuring diameters and insuring better fitting) and insert tight fitting aluminum wrapped wood dowels in holes of axles ... works just great ...... check wrapped diameters with a micrometer if one wants to in order to verify diameters ..... foil is uniform.

H. While at Home Depot or Lowes, first roll wood dowels on their level concrete floor to choose "straight" ones .... salesman will think you are an idiot, but so what ..... don't even try to explain why you are buying "straight" dowels ..... he might call the White Coats from the closest Mental Asylum.

I. Others brave guys like yourself posting such an out-of-the-box idea, open to criticism, may be brave enough to offer other helpful suggestions.

[Bob Johnson]

Kurt,

That is not the car. I used that picture just to illustrate the method I was proposing.

Bob

[H. L. Chauvin]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Hi Bob,

1. Many Model A and Model T axles are bowed in the center, (bent towards the front and in the center), where pulling chains were attached to pull them to a shop or towed home because of mechanical failure; or pulled out from being stuck in the mud.

2. These types of centered, large radius bends are easy to straighten with a 1 ton hydraulic jack by placing the out-side ends of the axle under wood sills on an inside corner of a raised house, and jack upwards while having someone hold the wishbone upwards and in the near vertical position.

3. Short radius axle bends, in the axles up and down direction, like that required for altering camber angles will require a bit more pressure within this short horizontal distance.

[RonC]

Bring it to a truck shop that does alignments.

[RonC]

...

[Kevin in NJ]

I would recommend you think about doing it apart. Doing the work on the car is not necessarly going to fix the real problem.

If your axle has never been checked then I would bet that both ends are also bent rear ward. I found the axles tend to bend at the spring perch hole. The proper fix is likely to straighten the bend at the spring perch in a press. I found this also brings the holes into proper alignment if there is some twist.

Straightening axles

[H. L. Chauvin]

Hi RonC,

Most interesting. Saw photo of a similar tool a few years ago.

Thanks for taking the time to share this information.

I've witnessed that alignment shops even 20 years ago and today have no idea how to answer if one would ask if they can correct camber on a Model A axle.

In following even today's Model A Forum repeated canned answers and repeated myths, I went to 3 to 4 recommended large, so-called truck axle shops 20 years ago with a Model A front axle assembly, to ask if they could check and/or straighten a Model A front axle.

I sincerely think everywhere I went, the truck shop owners were stretching their necks while looking over my shoulder to try to see where I landed my space ship that just arrived at their shops from outer space.

These truck shop guys were about as clueless as today's mechanics would be if one drove up to a 2015 Ford Dealership and asked a young guy for a Model A tune up.

Does this article mention the lifting capacity of the jack?

[Kurt in NJ]

In 1936 Ford got serious about alignments, fancy machine, and tools for bending axles ---the picture of the service bulletin page on camber adjusting may not be as good as a scan but it is good enough to shw where the tool pushes

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

An alignment shop had a concoction of stuff, hooked up on Ted's coupe, I'm NOT sure which way they were trying to bend it. While increasing the pressure, SUDDENLY an odd noise/movement!! Looking down on top of the axle, there was a short "S" bend, in the middle!! Ted replaced the axle.
Bill W.

[H. L. Chauvin]

There is an entire, vast World of difference from person to person in having the talent and keen ability to actually "see" 90 degrees without an instrument; to "see" the center of a circle without an instrument; to "see" straight lines without an instrument; or even to "feel" when a bolt is tight enough; or to estimate the carrying capacity of a beam in simple span vs. continuous span.

When one looks at one's handwritten letter, a very observant person can begin to analyze one's micro hand and eye coordination vs. one's macro hand and eye coordination.

Most times that I received a prescription from a doctor, I scratched his name off of my list for a "future" surgeon.

Many today are still amazed and wonder why knee replacement works 100% of the time with one doctor, every time; and 10% of the time with another all thumbs doctor who is not talented enough to simply straighten a simple Model A front axle.

[Tinbasher]

Hi Bob: The only change to your thought to me would be to use a chain where you want to hold the end down. Less chance of damaging the spring perch. The trick here is to go slow and easy. Put pressure on the jack and walk away for 24 hours. Come back release the pressure, check your camber angle see how much it's moved. Go a little more if you need it. 1 Deg. is roughly 1/16 of an inch. I straightened my axle doing the same thing. No heat just take the time. A spindle gauge is handy. or you can use a bubble level. (Back to to the 1/16" thing)
Hope this helps. John Poole