The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

If any member is contemplating changing the seals on later models fitted with locknuts, you idealy require one of the following in order to remove the nuts.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... K:MEWAX:IT

A lot of money but still a good price for this flogging spanner!

Gerald

Fortunately, I don't have that task on the agenda, but I have to ask, could you use a 2 1/4' socket? I've got a 3/4 drive set that goes up to 2 1/2".

Over here they are called hammer wrenches rather than flogging spanners. I wouldn't want to flog or hammer on my breaker bar, but a 10' cheater pipe is not out of the question.

As the nut is fitted at the outboard end of the halfshaft you are unable to use a socket on it. Therefore an open ended spanner or a ring spanner is required, as these nuts are torqued up to 230 to 250 ftlbs. ideally a ring spanner should be used.

It is important when renewing the half shaft seals that the nuts are tightened up correctly, particularly the left hand shaft nut as it could unscrew and allow the axle to part company with the tractor.

Gerald

I've got the rear axle seal job coming up soon. My father has donated me his collection of large imperial spanners to the project, one of which is a ring spanner almost 2 foot long. No markings but measuring across the flats its 2" an extra quarter of an inch would make all the difference.........

How do you (or hoe did Fordson) measure the torque using a flogging spanner?
Regarding the availablity of such a size why not try next years Tractor/Steam shows or autojumbles and take a small ruler and rummage through piles of big old spanners. Some of these will only go for a few quid.
I always take a list of things required plus a little brass vernier caliper - always useful.
Jerry

Ford used a spanner extension with a standard torque wrench to tighten the nuts.

If using a flogging spanner with a 7lb hammer then you have to rely on your experience to tell you when it is tight enough.

I will probably modify the spanner which I have, either by forming a 3/4" square on the end or by welding an old 3/4" square drive socket on the end so that I can torque the nuts up using my 3/4" square drive torque wrench.

Gerald

...and to set it strait, my Rear Super Dexta Axle Nut measures 2 3/4" or ....70mm for those on the other side of the pond.

Tubal Cain wrote:I will probably modify the spanner which I have, either by forming a 3/4" square on the end or by welding an old 3/4" square drive socket on the end so that I can torque the nuts up using my 3/4" square drive torque wrench.

Crafty idea!
Yes one can do this, but one needs to accound for the lengths of the ring spanner and the torque spanner.

There is a fomula, I found it on the internet, to calculate the revised torque figure when using a torque wrench with a flogging spanner.

However all the best laid plans go out of the window when you discover that the new locking nuts supplied by a well known supplier are not 2.3/4" AF but, are some what larger. Fortunately I have a milling machine and can machine the nuts to suit a 2.3/4" spanner.

This is just another example of the poor quality control exercised by the parts suppliers. I spend so much time fettling and altering components so that they will fit that I wonder how those who make a living from restoring tractors survive.

Gerald