The Melodic Whine: Dropping the English Axle

While out driving the car recently, I became aware of an almost melodic, relatively high-pitched noise emanating from the rear end. After a bit of online research, it became clear that this is a classic sound a Ford Escort Mk2 English axle makes when the bearings are on their way out and starting to wear heavily.

Not wanting to risk a larger failure, I decided to get the car back into the garage and completely drop the rear axle. I disassembled the rear brakes and carefully pulled out the differential. Upon inspecting the old components, I noticed the bearings were stamped with the name Timken. Since they were the original equipment supplier for Ford, there is a very high probability that these are the original 1970s bearings that have been living in this axle for decades!

To get everything running smoothly and quietly again, I have ordered a brand new bearing rebuild kit featuring high-quality NSK bearings.

As for the axle casing itself, my initial plan was to tackle the restoration manually. I figured I would strip it down, attack it with a wire brush, degrease it, and re-paint, just as I have done with the other suspension parts. However, after taking a closer look at the sheer amount of baked-on grime and surface rust, I realised it would be a massive amount of labour to clean it up to an acceptable standard.

Instead, I have decided to save myself the headache and send it down to the local shot blasters. Having it professionally blasted will strip it right back to perfect bare metal. Once it comes back, I can get it painted up properly before starting the satisfying job of reassembling all the fresh internals.

Following the same process I used for the rest of the suspension components, I treated the bare axle casing and the brake backplates to a thick coat of Armaguard rust prevention primer. Once that had cured, I finished it all off with U-Pol Raptor topcoat to protect it from the elements.

With the casing looking brand new again, it was time to focus on the internals. I fitted a brand new full bearing kit to the differential. This is a critical job that requires a fair bit of patience and precision, as you can't just bolt it all back together and hope for the best. I used a dial gauge to meticulously measure and correctly set both the preload and the backlash on the gears. Getting this right is absolutely essential to ensure the axle runs smoothly and quietly.

Since everything was already stripped down on the bench, it made perfect sense to treat the half shafts to new bearings as well while they were out of the casing. With the fresh bearings pressed on, the rebuilt differential installed, and the newly painted backplates bolted up, the entire assembly went back underneath the Stylus.

I also decided to fit a new set of GAZ coilover dampers paired with fresh 180lb springs. The old units had certainly seen better days. In fact, they were rusted so badly that the damping adjustment dials were completely jammed solid!

Having fresh, fully adjustable suspension bolted to the newly rebuilt axle has completely transformed how the car handles.

It all looks much better bolted back up to the chassis, and more importantly, that melodic whine should be gone for good!