MTFCA Forum

I recently discovered that I have a slightly bent axle on the drivers side of my ruxtell. I had the rear jacked up to more easily crank start and I noticed a little wobble. It isn't horrible but it is noticeable. It may have been like that for ages and I can't think of anything that could have caused it. Am I an idiot if I put off fixing it for a while? Since the hurricane Helene flood all of my money and time has been devoted to the rebuilding the house and I really can't get into fixing the axle until everything else is finished. It wouldn't matter to let the car just sit until then but we only have one other vehicle at the moment (since the other cars wet swimming) so if my wife has it I am driving the T. Just thought that I would ask your advice. Thanks and God Bless.

Take the left rear wheel off. Remove the grease cover so you can see the Hyatt bearing. Watch the axle’s position as you slowly crank the engine. Has it changed ? Is there a groove in the bearing sleeve ? If not, only your wheel might’ve caused the wobbling.

Just because you see a little wobble, does NOT mean it IS the axle. Wood spoke wheels are well known to wobble as well. Wire spoke wheels are more reliable but not immune to wobble either. It would appear, more investigation is needed to make a good diagnosis.

Jack the car securely and start it up. If the axle is bent, you will see the centre drilling in the end doing a dance. No dance, the wobble is in the wheel or perhaps within the way the rim is mounted on the wheel for demountables. Much of this wobble can be eliminated by juggling the fit of the rim. Place a block on the ground as a reference and rotate the wheel with the rim loose on the felloe. Then selectively tighten the nuts to draw the rim up evenly, turning the wheel as you go,keeping it as close to the block as possible as you do so.

This may help.
Allan from down under.