How do you store / carry an axle?

[rizlam]

Hi there, quick bend of people's ears please

I am in the process of buying, for my TA22 Celica, a Volvo 740 rear axle (and diff and tailshaft) complete with brakes and brake assemblies, which I am collecting from the guy who has yet to remove it from his car.

When removing it, that guy wants to keep it all attached as one unit, but I have two worries here.

1. Would I be able to fit this into the boot of my hatchback? (A modern Golf, seats down)
and
2. Surely it's damaging to have the axle still attached to the brakes when transporting it? I said he should probably remove the brake assemblies but he wants to keep it all together. Whenever I've seen an axle with brakes in a garage it's always been on a stand, never sat on the floor.

Thoughts please....!

[Onne]

it'll weigh a bit...

[richp]

put it on axle stands in the car then wedge them so the cant move or tip over?

[Dez]

its perfectly normal to carry an axle like that. I'm not sure where your worries stem from tbh? worst you can do is bend the brake backplates a bit (i think they're a disc axe arent they?) which if you do you just tweak straight with some pliers.

only thing you really need to watch is you don't get it in upside down, otherwise youll end up with a car that smells of gear oil forevermore......

[rizlam]

What, sat on the brake discs and calipers? It's a 75kg axle, I didn't think the brakes would like that!

Cheers for the tip on not putting in upside down...!

[welshpug]

it'll be fine, just think what happens when you hit the brake pedal!!

probably too big for a golf hatch though, unless I'm overestimating the size of a volvo.

[rizlam]

Yes, but braking force is towards/ away from the diff and is rotational, not suspended at right angles to the splines... surely if brakes could easily take the weight of an axle, then most people wouldn't bother with axle stands?

As for squeezing it into a Golf, it's 1400mm wide hub to hub, and then add on brake assemblies after that. Another reason I was thinking taking the brakes off would help!

[elmotheewokking]

Err, if you've taken the wheels off, chances are you want to get underneath it or attack something in one of the arches... So having it sat on the floor isn't ideal for access...

75Kg isn't that much weight, it's a tiny (ok, a fair bit) less than I weigh and I don't think me standing on a disc or calliper would break it in anyway... Plus there's two of them.

However, I do think you'll struggle to get that in the Golf, even without the brake parts on the end.

[SamR380]

Don't know if it'll fit, but if you've screwed on a couple of nuts to hold the discs on tight I can't see how they could get damaged. They're pretty heavy weight steel so should be ok, then the load is on the bearing in the hub, and that's designed for the job. Should be ok in that respect. Good luck fitting it in though!

[TurboDieselWeasel]

Remove the passenger's seat and put it in the car lengthwise... ;D That's what I do if I have to carry something with the Mini. Wrap it in sheets & buckel it up.

If that stuff would be damaged by just sitting on itself, I'd throw it in the bin with a smile - but never use it on a road....... It's a huge piece of steel and iron - there's nothing that can get damaged just by it's own weight... Different story if you throw it from a balcony in the 5th floor. But I think that's probably not how you intend loading it into the Golf ;D

[bortaf]

Mate your making a mountain out af an ant hill here, the whole car could sit on the discs with out damaging them
i doubt it will fit in a golf sideways but it may go if you slide the passenger seat all the way forward but watch the back of the seat, i'd wrap that end of teh axle in a blanket or as said already put a bucket over it.

[murran]

www.vanrentals.co.uk/

^^^^^^^^^^ :thumbs:

[rizlam]

Hey everyone, thanks for the feedback. Clearly I was worrying about something I shouldn't (squashing the brake discs) and not enough about something I should (not being able to fit the curse word in my car).

Thanks!

[bmw156]

I fitted a manta axle into what ever car i had at the time, and you will have to put it in long ways, and probably move then pass seat forward.

resting it as mentioned is also fine.

p.s yes they are really heavy

[caprijake]

Its not going to damage the discs, chucked an axle for the Capri in back of the Escort no weight problems and no damage to drums, still needed a good whack to get em off when i replaced them so didn't cause any knocks or anything.
Not going to be a problem, just wrap an old blanket round them to put your mind at ease.