Axle question

[garyv]

Just finishing up painting my 66 Fairlane underneath and doing  some other upgrades.
Down to installing Wilwood rear disc brakes when I noticed on Moser axles there is no hole drilled in them to access the bearing retainer
nuts.  This is ok with rear drums as you can dismantle them to get to the nuts but with the Wilwood disc with a parking brake there is no
way to get a wrench in there. If I take the Wilwood parking brake set up apart to get to the nuts there is not enough room behind the axle flange to put them back together.  anyone else run into this issue?
What I'm thinking of doing is have my machinist drill me a hole between the studs large enough to insert a 9/16 socket.  Anyone see a problem
with doing this.  Seems like an easy cure.
Appreciate any input
garyv

[machoneman]

Sounds like a plan. Funny, I do remember now that all the Strange Engineering axles I used to run (9", Dana 60) were also missing the OEM access hole as well, not that it made a difference with the disc or drums used then.  I'd recommend though that you do 2 holes, each 180 deg.apart, to prevent even the slightest imbalance. JMO.

[jayb]

None of the aftermarket axles I've used have had that access hole.  I've never run the Wilwood parking brake so I don't know how that setup works, but I've been able to get a universal socket on those nuts to get them loose on a standard Wilwood rear disc setup.  Kind of a large angle to get by the axle flange, but it does work.  If its easier to drill the hole, I don't see a problem with doing that either.

[garyv]

I did mock this thing up and there is not even room to get your fingers in there to put
the nuts on the axle retainer studs.  I would have thought there would have been enough clearance.
A universal socket won't fit either.
I'm just going to have the flange drilled and forget it.
Appreciate the input
garyv

[manofmerc]

I have moser axles in my 66 and 67 comet also .I assume moser didnt drill a hole for a socket wrench either because of expence or maybe it makes the axle flange weak .Probably a cost issue I havent ever heard of an axle flange breaking or cracking .I just use a box end wrench on mine .Never really thought of drilling the flange but not a bad idea .Doug

[afret]

The access hole in the flange is an extra cost option for Strange axles.  When I had Moser axles, they came with the holes but maybe they changed policy so they could charge extra for drilling the holes.   I would just get them drilled to make it easier.

When I ordered axles for my brother's Fairlane,  they were supposed to have the holes but they forgot.  We still got Wilwood rear discs on there no problem.