Hi Guys,
Picked up a live axe today.
Think it is a 'scort and it has 1.3 painted on the back in that yellow scrappers paint pen stuff.
How do I work out the ratio and is there anything else I need to know about these axles?
What's the possibilty of fitting discs or does it just not happen?
Anyone any instructions for stripping and cleaning it?
Cheers,
Pat...

[Edited on 5/12/04 by Avoneer]
Rescued attachment 1.jpg

If it's from a 1300 then it'll most likely be a 3.89.

I think there should be a metal tag somewhere that gives the ratio.

Alternatively, the rear wheels should turn 1 revolution for 3.89 (or whatever the ratio is) of the prop flange.

Rear Discs? Not worth it on a locost BEC - the rear will most likely become overbraked.

Not from an Escort --- handbrake linkage seems wrong type. Post a picture of back of axle to be sure but I think it is a Capri 1300 or 1600 English axle or just perhaps MK1/2 Cortina or very early 60s Classic Capri.

Capri axle is good news as it is 2" wider than Escort measure width across the inside of brake backplates where the bolt on to axle tube on the this measures Escort 48"
Also check size of rear brakes -- 8 inch dia only fitted to 1300 Capri and a few base 1600 models all the rest used 9" drums of various widths.

Disks can be fitted by making simple DIY caliper brackets.

[Edited on 5/12/04 by britishtrident]

[Edited on 5/12/04 by britishtrident]

Cheers.
It is 48" between the back plates and I think the drums are 9" or just under.
The handbrake works on a pulley type thing with one cable connecting both back plates together and the arm just pulls this cable up.
Does that narrow it down?
Cheers,
Pat...

Forgot to attach pic of the back:
Rescued attachment 2.jpg

The Escort used a rod handbrake linkage with a rubber flap hinge on one side, the rod then joined to a cable which went to the other wheel and foward to the lever.
Width points to a Cortina Mk1 or 2 -- but a MK1 Capri is also possible. Trouble is not sure about axle width used on Mk1 Capri.

Other ID points
If the wheel cylinders are made of cast aluminium alloy and a single piston and the whole cylinder slides in the back plate retained by double U clips it is pre 1971.
Cortina used 8 and 9 inch brakes depending on model and engine size --- 1600 cars and other disc brake models usually had 9 inch with screw jack style self adusters mounted in the end of the wheel cylinder piston. Other pre 1971 models used a manual adjuster diagonally opposite the wheel cylinder.

One other identifying feature is some Fords had welded brackets for uper radius rams --- mainly Capris but also the Cortina Lotus and 1600e and RS Escorts.

[Edited on 5/12/04 by britishtrident]

Pat,

If its any use for ellimination purposes, this is a 3.75:1 Capri Mk3 Salisbury Atlas. I have antirollbar mounts, and yours does not seem to have any, the handbrake is the rod and cable type
Rescued attachment Capri3 axle.jpg

Cheers guys.
Maybe these next 4 pics will help.
I have measured the drums and they are only 8" internal diameter.
Cheers,
Pat...
Rescued attachment 1.jpg

Here we go again...
Rescued attachment 2.jpg

Isn't locostbuilders great???
Rescued attachment 3.jpg

Can you tell what it is yet?
Rescued attachment 4.jpg

???? I can tell you what its not!!!

Britishtrident - is this the sliding cylinder you were talking about?
Cheers,
Pat...
Rescued attachment 1.jpg

It doesn't look like a Ford axle. It might be a Lada.

The last time I saw a handbrake arangement like that was on a V4 Corsair

Definately a Ford - has it on the diff casing and definately looks like an English.
Also has Ford stud pattern and the drum fits perfectly on my XR4x4 hub.
Pat...

Best guess is a Mk1 Capri 1.3 or Mk2 Cortina 1.6 --- really dosen't make much odds same spec as Escort apart from minor differences in the brake back plates, diff is likely to be a 3.89 or 3.77.
On a Ford of this era the wheel studs will be a very fine thread -- 7/16" unf but these car be swapped for Ford metric studs which are available in various lengths.

Brakes are standard Girling 9" sliding wheel cylinder with self adjuster which were fitted to a lot of cars including the marina 1.8 & Ital so parts are can still be found . But you could easily upgrade to wider 9" drums or discs.

[Edited on 6/12/04 by britishtrident]

[Edited on 6/12/04 by britishtrident]

the more i look at the more I think Mk2 Cortina

[Edited on 6/12/04 by britishtrident]

[Edited on 6/12/04 by britishtrident]

Cheers.
So I take it that it is of the English variant and any of the English diffs that pop up on ebay now and again will just "bolt on"?
Cheers,
Pat...

Yes you can even get light alloy diff carriers for it -- at a price.

Beware when welding brackets on these axles have very thin tubes

Hi BT - thanks for all your help so far!
Would something like this be more suitable as I am going BEC and worried about the diff ratio on the one I have:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4509830973&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT
My other option is to go GTS de-dion as I have a full 4X4 rear end with 3.62 LSD.
Decisions, decisions, decisions...
Pat...

Depends on what you want it for and which engine gearbox and tyres you use -- the aerodynamic drag on a Seven really flattens the performance over 110mph so I geared for 100mph in 4th with anything over that taken care of by 5th.

I used a 3.89 ratio for my 1600 with a type 9. With the Sierra box and my tyre choice it would just reach 100 mph in 4th at 5,500 rpm with an unknown extra few mph in 5th. This gearing gives 2nd, 3rd and 4th pretty useful ratios in the speed range I am most likely to drive in. 1st gear on the siera box is of course far to low to be useful but short of fitting a set of straight cut ratios or a Cossie or 4 speed 2000e box not a lot can be done with that.

[Edited on 6/12/04 by britishtrident]

Forgot to add the axle in the picture is unlikely to be a 3.45 ---- 3.55 perhaps or 3.77 but as far as I know 3.45 wasn't a standard English axle ratio.

quote:

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Originally posted by Avoneer
snip
My other option is to go GTS de-dion as I have a full 4X4 rear end with 3.62 LSD.
Decisions, decisions, decisions...
Pat...

---

Cheers.
That settles it - live axle going on ebay!
Pat...