Old School Drop Axles - Hot Rodding 101 

Just a quick note from an "ole timer" at one point we had one ona '37 dirt stock car with the drop on the drivers side only for cornering. Had it made by a local machine shop. Right side stock but bent for extra camber, left side for drop. Sw a few of these "back in the day'. Your breakdown was excellent as usual.

Dago axles were made in San Diego. Moredrop axles were made in Oakland. There was a guy in Arizona doing them a few years ago. There was a guy that had a blacksmith shop in Santa Rosa that dropped axles as well but they went out of business in the 70s. Don't forget to have your steering arms dropped as well.

Love the hot rodding 101 series, woul dlove to hear about hairpin steering, steering boxes etc

I have a 41 Ford 3" dropped axle in my roadster. My daughter has one in her 1918 T track roadster. I got mine for free at Verns because it was bent when they hit a tree. We just straightened it in a press. I actually have a spare somewhere that I got for a dollar at a swap meet.

Wow that black T bucket looks great.

My '29 Ford 5 window rumble seat coupe (built in the mid 70s) had a dropped axle made from a 60s era Dodge van. I sectioned several inches out of the middle and very carefully welded it back together. Drove it everywhere, even to an 80s era Street Rod Nationals in Ohio and never had a problem with that axle. The tires wore correctly and I was always happy with the ride as well. Straight axles and related geometry are much easier to grasp than IFS.

Thank you for my education at Iron Trap Community College

Thanks Professor! I appreciate the lesson on. Drop-axles.

I really enjoy these show and tell type vids. Makes me feel as if I,m still capable of learning. Thanks Matt

Wow, this is some history lesson on “drop axels.” Will there be a test later, I took notes, if so.

Back in the late 70’s I picked up an old MorDrop 2-1/2” dropped axle at a local swap meet for $75.00. I eventually installed it into my ‘40 Ford Coupe project. Once I had the axle and wishbone assembled, my hot rod mentor cousin (WWII veteran, dry lakebed racer) had me drag that assembly over to his shop, where he heated up the steering arms and bent them to clear the axle ends and wishbone. Unfortunately, when it came time to have the front end aligned, we discovered that the kingpin bosses were worn oblong, allowing the kingpins to move a bit (most likely caused decades ago by driving around with the kingpin clamp bolts loose.). Thankfully MorDrop was still in business, in 1988, so I just blew my frontend apart, gave them my axle and $95.00 for one they had sitting on the shelf. So, if you’re shopping for old axles at a swap meet, you might want to carry around a kingpin, just to check the fit of any axles kingpin bosses.

I love the old photos from back in the day, periods in time very few reminisce over these days as the world has become in such a big rush no time to take a moment and appreciate those that paved the way for us

Being a career aerospace engineer I was a bit of a pest when ordering an F1 4" dropped axle from a shop (I think in Arizona). He assured me it would be ok and indeed it was including moving my spring perches. Wheel geometry remained correct and no fear with the heavier engine. We don't need enough ground clearance for dead horses anymore and dropped sure looks and handles better.

You really cleared up the Mysterion on these Daddy-O ! Epic Giant enamel Early FORD sign !

The 1948 is the only Ford axle having shock mounting holes on each end. Thinking I was clever I ordered one from Mor-Drop for my '30 coupe. Disappointed on it arrival in Pennsylvania finding the lower half of the hole was a long teardrop! Should have selected a '47 for dropping and drilled the holes after receiving it.

I really enjoyed the information you provided, I don’t build cars. But I enjoy watching your videos, thanks for sharing this 101 video, have a great day and weekend coming up. Brian.

We actually had a dropped axle in my 59 F100 for awhile. Moredrop actually had some for Studebaker pickups in stock when I was there last.

Moredrop used a fixture on a bench. The axle was put in a fixture and heated then stretched with a hydraulic ram. Some were filled in with weld in the drop area when heated and stretched.

Nostalgia Sid's in Oklahoma still does an amazing job on these. He did a real 32 heavy axle for me and he did a great job and was very reasonable.

Matt, I have a street rod in the works right now that has a 36-37 Plymouth-Dodge round tube axel with an extra swoop in the center. I believe mine had been made into a trailer at some point and I saved it from being scraped. The real crazy thing about this axel is that I was able to find a disc brake bolt on conversion for it. I have attached a flaming river rack to the back of it for a no bump steer set up. Love everything your doing!!! Keep it up.

Really nice meeting you and Mike today at the grand national roadster show! Keep up the good work!

Great video. After today, my favorite dropped axle is the tube axle. Chromed of course. Thank you.

Thanks for the info Matt, enjoyed the video on all the different styles of axles!

Saw Matt in Building #5 at GNRS today (actually, I heard him before I saw him). Looked like he was deep in a conversation, so I didn't interrupt, but wanted you all to know that all of the IronTrap videos are my coffee-in-the-morning watch fodder.

Very informative & well done. Thank You

Thank you Matt for the lesson on drop axles !

"Dago" stood for San Diego, Cali, not an individual, but rather a local build style. Down in the front, and up in the rear. But we all know this bit of trivia...

There all very cool and special. I like the way you incorporate all the variety.Thanks again Matt.

Yes, Thanks for a good video again. However, livin in Finland it would have been nice to talk a bit about aftermarket axles as well because that’s what we need to use here. But again, they are pretty much all the same more or less and you already covered perch height, axle width and drop height. So it’s OK.

Another good one 👍👍

Great video, these 101 series vids are always educational.

I think nomenclature is super important. I have seen dropped axles listed as 3" dropped axle that is including the stock distance in with the drop in stead of just drop distance. I would look for terminology like '3 inches over stock", if you want 3" or whatever distance you decide on.

Matt, all of these axles are at best suspect. Metalurgy when heated stretched/ hammered let alone welded will be compromised. I have seen them break,, or simply sag. Both on street rods as well as speedway applications. As for chrome,,, there is thing called hydrogen embrittlement. I have a speedway straight axle made from steam pipe. 2" 1/4 wall. Original to the car in 1968 and has been bent more than a few times. These days it takes its own set. l/f sags and gives about 3 deg of camber. And this is purely from bumps, not crashing. In reality these rods driving around nose down are dumb, they will never handle. Straight axle and bum down will handle better and will 'hook up' better as well. Look at a Midget or Sprintcar. So many also are so bound up and at slow speeds simply lift the inside wheel. And push straight ahead on grass. The original Ford wishbones are less bound up than cars with split radius rods which also throw a LOT of load into the chassis. This also goes for the rear as well

G-day Matt thanks for the video Mate very interesting how they did the forging I surprised they didn't crack or brake them on the neck. ✌👍

Dude!!! Great video!!! Thanks for your acknowledge!!!✌️

Yuppers, great stuff and thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge! The dropped axel thing is definitely nerd territory when you really get into it. Love it and how personal it can be. Used not to like the tube axel thing, but now I love it and appreciate its unique look and style. Love the Hot Rodding 101 series. Side bar...Thank you for the cast off nerf bar from the Sweet Heart Roadster! Fits perfectly as a push bar on my '46! Go Iron Trap, keep moving forward and look forward to where you and the crew are going next!

Good video next time please go into the difference n with how wide from kingpin to kingpin n also perch hole center to perch hole centers what is the best or shortest axle for a 40 ford narrowest u can get n use thanks

Jordan Bennet built a machine to drop axles that does a very nice job. He is in australia.

Very interesting.

my friend up here in MN does them- used 2 of them

Hi Matt. Thanks for another info filled video. I wonder could you give us the source for your graphics on the different styles by year and the one with the dimentions of the different axels. Thanks Again.

Dropping axles while hot & dirty is pretty interesting to do. Never kept track; but it would cool to know how many we have dropped over the past 18 years.

More drop was the name of the company that made them. They were in Oakland Calif. Miredrop was a more finished axle than Dago.

V8 60 is what i been hunting chrome isnt important and wont stop my build its not a deal breaker but if i come across one i will try to own it

From what I understand a ford forged steel axle is always preferred over the newish ones that are 65-45-45 Ductile Iron. I acquired a Superbell 1932 Heavy and its ductile iron. It had the King pin to king pin and perch dimensions I needed for my Posie Super slider spring. Read horror stories how they are prone to crack and don’t flex etc. Thoughts?

Looks like you got a couple

Are the kingpins all the same sizes throughout the Ford axle range? The same for camber angles?

Tube axels do not work well with split bones as they don't flex like the beam axel does

The most important thing is safety not nostalgia 🤔 alignment is also key

When are you going to finish the Arden head engine????

Do you notice any problem with an original drop axel that is wider than the rear.

Hi, I'm thinking the old way of hammering the drop seems to substantially weaken it and soften the forging, pretty but dangerous.

A tube axle requires a 4 bar a regular forged axle doesn't. Thats because an I beam type axle will twist when raised on just one side(in a driveway). They can use a simple radius arm. A tube axle doesn't twist so it needs the flexibility of 4 bars. (Two radius arms per side.)

What is a “heavy axel” ?

What axle would you recommend if I want to drop my Model A in the front but still use the mechanical brake and wishbone?

Nice. Thanks. #STAYSAFE #PHILLYPHILLY 🇺🇸

LA roadster show starts today

Rather just remove a couple of springs

Thank you, very fun video. Rod & Custom magazine did an article on dropped axles back in the late ‘60s I believe. The shop they went to had been doing axles for 20-30 years and one thing I can remember was they wouldn’t drop an early Ford axle more than 4” because it weakened the axle so much they often broke.