Early Ford spindle I.D.

EARLY FORD SPINDLE IDENTIFICATION.


Well, if your like me and prefer to scrounge the swaps  or your favorite web based seller for original stuff to use on your ride, then this might be of help to you. If on the other hand you prefer to by new, that’s cool. But this wont be much use to you.

This is a combination of info I have found out over the last few years from various sources I don’t lay claim to this being my information, its common knowledge to a lot, but seemed every time I asked I got some murky answers.

Ok. First things first. I will be talking about mostly the 28-48 spindles here, or ‘early ford’ as they are refered as.

From my research it seems that the early ford spindles break down into 3 groups.

1928-1936
1937-1941
1942-1948

Again, the Model A spindles will essentially be left out as most people don’t use them, but I will add what I have read/found on them where appropriate.

You can break the above 3 main groups into more the year related groups.

1928-1931 A model of course, car and pickup
1932-1934 Car and pickup and I guess Ute too.
1935-1936 Car / Pickup / Ute
1937-1941 Car / Pickup / Ute
1942- 1948 Car / Pickup / Ute

Now all kingpins are the same diameter, however they do not all interchange for use, they can be used for set up, but the machined groove that allows the locking stud to hold them in place varies depending on which spindle your using. I know this after buying a pair only to find they didn’t work and having to get the groove machined into them. The reason for this is that the early spindle 28-36 have the bearing on top of the spindle. The later spindles the bearing sits on top of the axle inbetween the spindle boss’s. So consequently the length varys slightly too. I will take photos of my roadsters to show what I mean.



Note bearing location.





Note bearing location and bolt on steering arm.

This is an after market copy of the 37-41 spindle commonly used on new hot rods.



So back to the 3 groups.


1928-1936 sqaure backed flange, the stub axle is longer than latter spindles and the mounting surface for the brake backing plate is smaller. Spindle slides over axle boss as bearing sits on top of spindle boss




1937-1941 round flange shorter stub axle also round mounting surface for brake backing plate is the same diameter as latter 42-48 spindles. Axle boss is 2.375” king pin diameter is .813” and 5.5” in length


1942-1948 square flange again shorter stub axle and round mounting surface for brake backing plate is same as 37-41 spindles. Axle boss is 2.375” king pin diameter is .813” and 6” in length



WHAT DO ORIGINAL SPINDLES LOOK LIKE IN THE WILD???


28-32 spindles: also note the location of the spindle boss, see that it is below the mounting surface for the backing plate, by about a half an inch.


37-41 spindles.






42-48 spindles. note spindle boss's and bearing location.





EARLY FORD BRAKES.

Now the real reason you want to know all this info is really to do with brakes.

The 1928-1936 spindles as refered to earlier have a smaller diameter mounting area than the later spindles. So this causes a problem the first time you go to bolt your 40-48 brakes on, your backing plates fit, but are loose and the bolt holes done even look like lining up. I found this out as a 15 year old kid. After talking to some old timers it was reveiled that Model A piston rings are just the right diameter and size , apparently you could use them?

I didn’t end up doing that, I had a old machinist make me a spacer ring and then spot welded it in, and welded up the original backing plate holes and redrilled them. Now this is not the only issue, remember I mentioned that the stub axles are longer. Again a problem. This requires a spacer be machined to fit the stub axle to place the bearing ( inner closest to the kingpin) at the right location. Again this was done. There is no different bearings required to do this. Just a friendly machinist.

If you have the 39 on hydraulic brakes, they will fit on all the 37-48 spindles without a problem the ‘wide 5’ drums will also fit without an issue if you want that different look.





This list may be handy to some, a guy I deal with sat down and sorted it out, its yanky stuff, but surely can be converted to parts that are local.


EARLY FORD BRAKE PART NUMBERS.
1939-1948 Left rear wheel cylinder CarQuest/EIS # EW156002
1939-1948 Right rear wheel cylinder CarQuest/EIS # EW156003
1942-1948 Left front wheel cylinder CarQuest/EIS # EW156000
1942-1948 Right front wheel cylinder CarQuest/EIS # EW156001
1939-1941 Front wheel cylinder repair kit CarQuest/EIS # C552
1942-1948 Front wheel cylinder repair kit CarQuest/EIS # C568
1939-1948 Rear wheel cylinder repair kit CarQuest/EIS # C554
1939-1948 Front brake hose CarQuest/EIS # SP296
1939-1948 New brake master cylinder CarQuest/EIS # E1050
1939-1948 Brake master cylinder repair kit CarQuest/EIS # M16
1939-1942 Front and rear brake shoes Raybestos # 38PG(premium quality) or 38RP(Standardquality)
1946-1948 Front and rear brake shoes Raybestos # 37PG(premium quality) or 37RP(standard quality)


EARLY FORD BEARINGS.

1928-1948 Front outer bearing BCA/Bower #09074
1928-1948 Front outer race BCA/Bower #09196
1928-1948 Front inner bearing BCA/Bower #15118
1928-1948 Front inner race BCA/Bower #15250X
1935-1948 Front wheel seal National Seal #5796
1934-1950 Rear wheel outer bearing BCA/Bower #462
1928-1937 Rear wheel seal National Seal #450096
1938-1948 Rear wheel seal National Seal #5877


Please note that the early Ford rear hub seals are different for Australia to the US.