I have found what i believe is a Ford Capri Axle in a breakers. Anyone know anything about them or any reason not to use this for the back end of a book chassis? It will be driven by a mildly breathed on 1600 pinto through a type 9 gearbox.

I have not managed to find much about track or ratio for these or how I would identify exactly what they came from.

TIA Caber

IIRC they are about 4" wider than an escort axle.

No problem, just means you need wider rear wings which all the suppliers do now to accomodate the sierra stuff.

David

Thats what im using

Its is wider, but the escort axle never filled the standard arches anyway.

The axle is stronger aswell and should take what ever you put its way ill be giving it 165 horses to play with

Its been used in many a Race/Rally escort in its time.

May need to make a small adjustment to back of tunnell , its on here some where.

There is a guy on here (down south) who has a mega cheap escort axle already bracketted ,only catch is the brake back plates are missing.

regards warren

Several types of capri axle depending on year, where it was built and the engine capacity --- english or salsbury. Also two different widths 50" or 52" across brake backplate flanges (Escort is 48".

Width and dia of rear drums a clue to engine fitted to donor.
V6 cars had very wide 9" drums, 2 litres had 9 inch drums, 1600 were usually 9" but could be 8", 1300 usually 8" but not unkown to find 9" drums.
Early MK1 Capris had English axles and single piston wheel cylinders.


English axle became rare in later years of production but could still be found on english built cars with 1300 engines.

Axle ratios for any given engine size were much as per Escort, Corsair & Cortina --- 1300 will usually have a 3.89 ratio, 1600 3.77 or less often 3.89, 2 litre 3.55 or 3.77
Anythng "higher" (longer) indicates a V6.


Be aware Ford weren't the only company to use Salsbury pattern axles so check the wheel PCD. All Capris used leaf springs.


[Edited on 8/12/05 by britishtrident]

I used a capri axle

Mark

Thanks That has saved a few future head scratching sessions!

Caber

I fitted one from a "W" reg 2.0 S Capri and according to the tag it was a 3.44:1. You need to kink the tunnel in to the drivers side as the nose is offset but apart from that there's no problem.

my locost has a capri axle, and i wish it didnt. The kink at the back of the transmission tunnel makes it hard to fit a nice seat, though i suspect i can re do the tubes and make it fit.

dont use it..... cause I need a capri axle for my mk3 project... wana sell it dude?

John.. ps .. i have those bolts if u want, but they are either 60 or 70mm and not zink plated.

Cheers

Hornet, I don't know about selling but would do a straight swop for a complete Mk1 or Mk2 escort axle!

caber

quote:

---

Originally posted by big_wasa

There is a guy on here (down south) who has a mega cheap escort axle already bracketted ,only catch is the brake back plates are missing.

---

Most axles need a tunnel kink -- but the intrustion into the cockpit can be reduced by using slightly longer trailing links.

quote:

---

Originally posted by 02GF74

quote:

---

Originally posted by big_wasa

There is a guy on here (down south) who has a mega cheap escort axle already bracketted ,only catch is the brake back plates are missing.

---

ha haha that's not me is it ?

---

Now got my axle home. The handbrake arrangement is incomplete it looks like a rod operated system across the axle though one half is missing. How have other people done this with capri axles?

Caber

Use a late model Morris Ital cable and you do away with the rod it just causes no end of problems.

Put the axle into the frame today. I cleaned it a bit and found a tag that said 3.5 which i assume is the ratio. Both wheel flanges rotate forward when you turn the prop shaft connection, it is a Salsbury pattern and has these casting marks on it, any idea what i am putting in my car?

Caber
Rescued attachment Diffv Marking 2.jpg

OK more grief with this axle! Has anyone got a Haynes for the Capri who could scan the pages relevant to dismantling the half shafts and diff, while I am at it the brakes as well! I am suspicious that all the studs are missing on one side so before I do too much more I want to take it all to bits to make sure it is good.

TIA

Caber

Wheel stud breakage is very common on Fords of this era with metric wheel nuts --- missing studs nothing to worry about usually happens first time the wheels nuts are slackened after the nuts have been done up too tight. If the studs are missing someone has been needing a few spares.

Shaft and bearing held in only by the same four bolts that hold the back plates --- but you will need to bolt an old wheel on then hammer on the tyre working round the tyre while pulling at the shaft and it will just pop out.

quote:

---

Originally posted by britishtrident
Wheel stud breakage is very common on Fords of this era with metric wheel nuts --- missing studs nothing to worry about usually happens first time the wheels nuts are slackened after the nuts have been done up too tight. If the studs are missing someone has been needing a few spares.

Shaft and bearing held in only by the same four bolts that hold the back plates --- but you will need to bolt an old wheel on then hammer on the tyre working round the tyre while pulling at the shaft and it will just pop out.

---

Hi Caber
I think the backplate is attached.
On my escort no way would halfshafts come off. I had to make a huge slide hammer ( more like a battering ram) and it finally came off after nearly giving up. Two guys were holding the axle down on a steel table and I was dragging them and the table down the driveway every whack of my slide hammer. It should have been on video
Alex

To remove Ford halfshafts I knock out one of the studs and use a piece of 12mm threaded bar and a nut to push the bearing out. Put the threaded bar through the stud hole, then place a nut and washer on the threaded bar, hold the shaft in place against the backplate where the flange behind it is thickest with mole grips or water pump pliers, and wind on the nut. Never failed in 20 years and no need to batter the bearings with a slide hammer.

The only way I could get mine out was with a slide hammer.

I had a proper Churchill slide hammer half shaft puller for years and and pulled dozens of Rootes, Ford and BL shafts without it.

Getting halfshafts out really isn't hard no matter how long they have been in, even on an axle that is off car --- it is just technique -- pull at one side while the hitting diagonally opposite side at the same time, repeat working a diagonally pattern 3 o'clock, 9 o'clock, 12 o'clock, 6 o'clock.