Who can help me identify the Ford axle on my car? I have done a search and not come across answers.

It is stamped with Ford. The axle is not an English type, looks like a Salisbury type??? It has a ratio of 3.75:1, has 9" drums, and no LSD.

Is there any way of identifying the axle? Any no.s I should look for? I have seen mention of different axles for Cortinas and Capris. Is it likely to be one of these, and if so any ideas which one?
What sort of torque could the axle withstand? Are there any suitable LSDs for this axle? Any recommendations for fitting disc brakes, and is there any way of lightening the axle, or should I look for a different axle such as an English axle or one from a Toyota Corolla AE86?

Thanks for your help and have a good day.

Mark

on the rear diff cover there should be a little metal tag that has all the codes on it.

If thats not there then........its guesswork.

But the Atlas axle is different to the english and I'm not aware of other types of axle (doesn't mean there aren't any tho).

The Axle you've got sounds like the one i've got. 3.75 is the ratio fitted to the 1.6 and 2.0 capri (and prob a few more). It will easily handle a crossflow engine so i'd guess it would be ok up to 150 horses maybe a lot more - but this is pure speculation but i'm sure its what they fit to transits etc.

You can defiunately get a plate LSD and you might be able to get the Quaife ATB (check with quaife).

Disk brakes - no idea, but i'd guess its similar to converting the escort axle as the drums appear to be the same (but i've never actually checked)

Can you lighten it ? dunno, would love to hear the answer is its the only problem i have with mine.

That is the axle I used on my first rebuild.

Most likely to have come out of a 4sp 1.6l capri or a 2l 5sp Capri.

They are basically "safe" upto around 225BHP without LSD, the Capri V6 LSD fits in that case and with that it will take Cossie levels of torque.

I ran around 145BHP through mine without problems and a friend of mine has one behind a Rover 3.9l V8 and that seems happy enough.

Use it, best sensibly priced axle .... I seem to remember that there are kits available to fit it with floating bearings and thus turn it into nearly full Grp4 spec.

It is a little wider than an Escort axle though.

Ive got 2 ..Sounds like from capri...They are 52" so thats 4" wider than the escort...They are also known as the atlas axle...
They are about the best locost option left I paid £50 for 2 .Ive seen the escort axles fetch £100 and more on ebay and free adds.. You wont lighten it but if you find the answer to the disc breakes I would like to Know..???????????????

The other option is its a cortina axle ?? They did 2 sorts with 1 being Known as the light weight..These have mounting points on the diff casting which will make it easy to tell the difference????

Thanks for the replies guys. Sounds like it may be a good axle, and should be abe to withstand the power of my Jag V6 engine.

My diff does not have any no.s on the rear of the diff. What are the differences between the Cortina and Capri axles? What is the lightweight axle? Is there any way I can find out or do I just need to make some measurements?

I'll search out LSDs as I will probably need one try to find out .

I'd still love to find out about lightening it as I hate heavy unsprung mass.

Have fun,

Mark

The capri axles are not actually as heavy as you might think and seem to take a bundle more power than the mk2 escort without mods, i.e. brace webs and baffles. 52" wide and 3.75 sounds like a mk 2 1600.

does anyone know the difference in weight between the escort and capri axle?

(apart from heavy and bloody heavy)

No Idea unfortunately Mike!

To answer the brakes questions, have a look at Rally Design's website or just speak to any rally prep outfit in the country! It is the most commonly disc braked axle in existence!!

Most of the rally boys use escort mk 3/4 solid or vented discs, with front calipers from the same car, on brackets which you can get from rally design. Unfortunately you then have no mechanical handbrake, so then you have the option of sierra rear calipers and escort solid discs again with brackets from the same source.

I havent got a clue about the escort, but my 3.75 salisbury from a 1.6 laser capri weights 48Kg
Rescued attachment CapriAxle4.jpg

Capri come in 2 widths 2 inches wider than the Escort and 4 inches wider than the Escort.

Measure accross the inside of the brake back plates whee they bolt on to the axle tube flanges should be either 50" or 52"

The 52" was also used on the Mk3 on Cortina but the Cortina had radius arm bush tubes cast into the top corners of the diff carrier casting and a different handbrake arangement in which the outer hanbrake cables fitted directly into the brake back plates. The Capri cable was much simpler with a single cable with no outer running wheel to wheel.

The 3.77 ratio was used in almost all 1600cc Fords and some 2litre models. Your axle as it has 9 inch drums I would expect it is the heavier duty type with the thicker halfshafts. (1300 and some 1600 had a light duty version of this axle --- with different shafts and wheel bearings).

When i compared weights on the same set of scales a mk2 axle with large drums weighed around 45kg, the capri axle from a 1600 weighted around 49kg, this had similar sized brakes. The capri axle was around 4 inches wider, both were 4 linked but otherwise standard.

Top replies guys.

Seems like my axle is from a Capri and is 52" wide.

Stressy, I am amazed at how little difference in weight you measured between the axles. The english axle looks so much lighter. It just goes to show that looks can be deceiving. It seems horribly heavy to me as I hate the idea of having all that weight bouncing around under me.

I'll be on the look out for an LSD now. Are there any you can recommend?

Just weighed a Cortina axle complete and that came out at 57.3kg at least with the pinto in the front ive now got two anchors in my car

The cortina weight sounds reassuring as it has the heavier main case casting, is phsically larger and as heavier shafts.

The axles are heavy however the total istallation weight is generally lighter than irs or a dedion. Its just the unsprung thats the problem, hence good soft sidewall tyres and light wheels!!

I got a y reg cortina 1600 today and the axle looks a fair bit hefter than the capri 1600 axle ive already got although ive not got the two of them side by side yet.