SPF Axles??

[JBCOBRA]

Hi Fellas,
Help please.
I want to replace my rear axles and wheel bearings.
My car is 2218 with Dana rear and the axles only bolt to the diff and wheel bearings.
What is the deal for bolt in replacements axles? And what are the wheel bearings?
Thank you

[tortuga]

Superformance.org

Driveshaft shop.

I did all of it, but think there has been changes since my car...1764.

The bearings are standard ford (I used timkin) and the halfshaft rods themselves are custom to spf, but the DSS can and does supply them...

Steve H
1764

[JBCOBRA]

Thank you so much Steve��
Are the bearings Ford Windstar? I heard that ages ago....
Would that work even though my car has the Dana diff?

[Mark IV]

The rear wheel bearings are Thunderbird as in the 89 and up Super Coupe

[JBCOBRA]

Cool.
Thank you Rick�� ��

[JBCOBRA]

The saga continues.
Friday I ordered drive shafts from Superformance. They said it would take a month.
Today they call me back and said they don't know what to send me and to call The Driveshaft Shop! WTF!?!
Prior to ordering from SPF I had called The Driveshaft Shop 4-5 times in the past 10 days. Never got a return phone call from them......
Any ideas Fellas???

[Chilibit]

I needed new rear bearings and my first step was to call Dennis Olthof. In 13 years I have never had to take a second step. Salisbury and Mt Ulla are neighbors.

[JBCOBRA]

I called Dennis. He was happy to try and help.
Here is my delema. He needs we send my old axles back.
I don't have a lift to take them out. Doing axles on the floor of my garage is just too much.
My old axles have been tortured for 15 years and almost killed me once ��
At this point I would like to try brand spanking new ones.
I was hoping to do it that way so I could just swap them out,
My buddy with the lift would kill me my junk was on this lift for a week, let alone a month��

[LMH]

So fill me in as I don’t know the details of a SPF differential. So this is not a Ford 8.8 unit?
No CV joints on the axles?
Larry

[tortuga]

You really need to join SCOF...the parts cross over list alone is worth the cost.

Steve H
1764

[saki302]

I did my CV boots on the garage floor on Jack stands.

Mine has the Ford 8.8 rear, but I don't imagine the Dana would be much more difficult.

Get taller jack stands and put them higher in the back to give yourself room to work. I pulled my axles (attached to the hubs) lying on my back on my creeper.

-Dave

[JBCOBRA]

Originally Posted by LMH

So fill me in as I don’t know the details of a SPF differential. So this is not a Ford 8.8 unit?
No CV joints on the axles?
Larry

Hi Larry,
Thank you for your help.
My car is 2218 has the Dana rear. There are 6 allen bolts on each side of the diff for each axel. The end of the axle that goes through the suspension upright has no bolts on it except the one big bolt on the axle stub on the outside of the upright.
Hope this makes sense?
lmk
Thank you Larry

[JBCOBRA]

Originally Posted by saki302

I did my CV boots on the garage floor on Jack stands.

Mine has the Ford 8.8 rear, but I don't imagine the Dana would be much more difficult.

Get taller jack stands and put them higher in the back to give yourself room to work. I pulled my axles (attached to the hubs) lying on my back on my creeper.

-Dave

Hi Dave,
I hear you. I had to do this on my car on the garage floor of a B&B in Watkins Glen NY. when the guy who replaced my axle boots forgot to tighen the bolts going into the diff and the drivers side rear axle fell out of the car at 100+
Talk about a Big S...stain in my drawers

[LMH]

Originally Posted by JBCOBRA

Hi Larry,
Thank you for your help.
My car is 2218 has the Dana rear. There are 6 allen bolts on each side of the diff for each axel. The end of the axle that goes through the suspension upright has no bolts on it except the one big bolt on the axle stub on the outside of the upright.
Hope this makes sense?
lmk
Thank you Larry

I’m not familiar with that differential. Does it use universal joints instead of CV joints?
Definitely DSS is the place to send your stuff. I had them build the axles on my Hurricane years ago using 300m alloy for the center shaft. Tuff stuff! Maybe the thing to do is hold an axle party for local owners and they can help get the axles out. You supply the pizza and beer!
Larry

[saki302]

🤣 if you didn't crash, it's all good 😁

I used to to motorcycle track days. If a guy crashes, gets up, and kicks the bike or throws his helmet. He's fine 🤣

I'll never forget the YouTube video of the cobra at a drag strip snapping an axle. It did a 90 degree turn into the wall 😱

Originally Posted by JBCOBRA

Hi Dave,
I hear you. I had to do this on my car on the garage floor of a B&B in Watkins Glen NY. when the guy who replaced my axle boots forgot to tighen the bolts going into the diff and the drivers side rear axle fell out of the car at 100+
Talk about a Big S...stain in my drawers

[saki302]

I'm assuming the Dana axle removal would go something like this:

Have someone hold down the brake pedal while you loosen the big nut at the end where the hub is.

Pull the suspension bolts at the outside of the upper control arms.
Undo the bolts holding the base of the CV unit to the diff.

Pivot the hub out of the way and slide the axles out of both sides.

I haven't messed with the Dana, but it shouldn't be too different. I'd prefer undoing bolts at the diff side vs prying the axles til they pop out..

You'll be removing and hanging the brake calipers and rotors/drive nuts too.

[eschaider]

JB, your car and my car are from roughly the same time period. I am 2291 you are 2218. Both of our cars use a rear axle that was sourced from Dana Australia. The Australian Dana is not the same as a Dana 44. It uses different everything including gears and probably half shafts although I don't know about the half shafts for certain.

If you send your half shafts to the Driveshaft Shop they might be able to duplicate them. I don't know if US axle splines and Australian splines are the same. If they are not different you could likely get lucky and have a pair of their half shafts fit nicely.

BTW Australian Dana parts come at a premium. I was looking to change my final drive ration and the price was $600 for a ring & pinion and the icing on the cake is the ratio choices were very limited (three at the time if I remember correctly) and none were close to where I wanted. Extra added attraction is the $600 price does not include shipping or import fees both of which give the number a nice boost upwards.

I am in the process of converting over to a Ford 8.8" aluminum IRS center like Ford has used on so many of their daily drivers. The strongest of these centers is the one they used in the 2007 to about 2010 Explorers. Here is a link to a post that I talked about the rear ends in and posted some pics also, click here =>Ford 8.8

The pic below illustrates the Explorer center on the left and a 03/04 Cobra unit on the right.



The Explorer IRS center section is the strongest aluminum version of the 8.8 that Ford has offered. The Cobra version is the same as all the production passenger car versions. You should be able to find an IRS center section in the salvage yards fairly cheap. If Ford is still selling them the price should come in around $300 to $400 (sorry I forgot what I paid) for a brand new unit.

You would be wise to put as much distance as you can between yourself and that Australian Dana. The center is not bad, it is just difficult and expensive to maintain, parts are generally not available — and it's probably not as strong as the Explorer alternative.


Ed


p.s. you'll need a chassis shop to do some fabrication to install it for your generation of SPF.

[JBCOBRA]

Thank you E
You are right. It would be so easy if our cars came with the Ford Diff.
<<action thinking>> Are you changing axles too?

[LMH]

Ok, now I understand more! I do disagree on one point eschaider is making and that’s the Mustang Cobra differential. 2003 and 2004 Cobra IRS differential is aluminum, super strong and not the same as other production IRS units. It’s what I had on my Hurricane. 31 spline CV joints while 28 is standard. Very stout if you abandon the stock rear cover for an aftermarket one. Otherwise, switching it is an excellent idea!
Larry

[eschaider]

Originally Posted by JBCOBRA

Thank you E
You are right. It would be so easy if our cars came with the Ford Diff.
<<action thinking>> Are you changing axles too?

Yes, I am. I am using the G-Force alternative but with both axles the same diameter. G-Force has a option to get one axle in a smaller diameter that is supposed to stop wheel hop.

The technique was sourced from a Cadillac patent that goes into considerable detail about how to design the axles for the damping effect. Turns out it is very vehicle specific meaning a one size fits all solution, doesn't. So I asked for both to be big.

The item that moved me to the G-Force alternative was the stub shafts. G-Force builds new ultra strong stubshafts. It is not that hard to twist off a 31 spline stubshaft unless it is made from a tough high nickel content steel and then heat treated. That is basically the G-Force story.

Both firms use the large Porche CV joints G-Force builds a custom large axle diameter inner hub for the CV joint instead of using the smaller diameter Porsche spline count that comes standard.

Here is a link to their website => G-Force Axles

The IRS approach means the only variable is the length of the splined half shaft and G-Force will make them to whatever you ask them to.


Ed