Atlas axles

The Atlas is still the axle of choice if youre building a rally car or
big-power street weapon. Heres all you need to know about them.
Definitive guide to
he idea of these features is to bust
myths, uncover secrets and, most
importantly, simplify subjects
that might seem confusing. So a prime
candidate for a definitive guide is the
big power classic Ford favourite: the
Atlas axle.
There seems to be so many variations,
types and sizes that many people are left
dazed, confused and blinded by names
and figures. And then theres the
ongoing debate about how much power
they can take, for how long and whether
you need 18-spline this or fully floating
that. So we decided to tackle this one
head on by going to see the most
respected Atlas experts in the country,
Fostek Engineering.
T
Words Simon Holmes Photos Jon Hill
Theyve been building, uprating
and even engineering their own parts for
these axles for the last 13 years, so its fair
to say theyve got the knowledge when
it comes to definitive answers.
Armed with a notepad, a head full of
questions and a camera, we borrowed
them for a day. We interrogated them
and they gave us the facts...
August 2011 87
Contact
Fostek Engineering
01670 734594
www.fostek.co.uk
Info
defnitive guide: Atlas axles
T
THE MOST COMMON TYPE OF
ATLAS WAS STANDARD IN
ALMOST ALL MK2 AND MK3
CAPRIS, WITH A 1600CC OR
2000CC PINTO ENGINE
CFTECH defnitive guide: Atlas axles
he Atlas axle has come as standard
t in a few different models over the
years, which means theres a variation
of suitable sizes and types. But there were also
a few unusual applications which can only be
used for parts, so here they are explained.
These measurements are taken across the
casing from ange to ange.
Full-width Atlas 52 inches
This is the most common type of Atlas as it
was standard tment in almost all Mk2 and
Mk3 Capris tted with either the 1600cc and
2000cc Pinto engine, or any variation of V6.
Narrow Atlas 50 inches
These came only in the Mk1 3-litre Capris,
which makes them a little rarer. They have
a slightly different pigs head (the main body
that houses the diff and CWP), smaller wheel
bearings and slightly thinner shafts. This
doesnt effect their initial strength though
as the end parts are the same size.
Baby Atlas
48.5 inches
Some very rare European Mk1
Escorts came from the factory
with what is known as a baby Atlas,
which measures the same size as
the common English axle and ts
straight under the standard
arches of an Escort. These
are not to be confused with
the Koln/Cologne axles
though, which appeared
in some European cars.
These look very similar
to Atlas axles from the
outside, but have English
axle internals and are useless
in terms of big power. You can tell
one from the back plate which has a
non-symmetrical bolt pattern and straight
side edges.

The Others
The Cortina Mk3/4/5 2000cc, 2300cc and
the estate model came with an Atlas axle. But
due to their more modern, trailing arm rear
suspension set-up, it makes only the middle
pigs head section useable, which is only ideal
if you need to shorten an axle in the rst place.
The pigs head is also slightly
different, having void-bush
lugs cast into the top of them,
to cater for the Cortinas upper swing
arm suspension.
A variation of Atlas came in the Ford
Transit right up until the late 1980s, but it used
a ve-stud bolt pattern, is much wider and has
a different hub arrangement, which again
means only the centre pigs head section is
of use. Be careful though as other Transit axles
look very similar to Atlas axles, but arent.
So you need to have a good idea of what
youre looking at.
On the same note, P100 pick-ups also
came with a similar axle, but only on the later
Sierra-based examples. They have
a different heavy-duty casting,
but again the stud pattern and hub
arrangement means only the centre
sections are useable. They do come
with the desirable 4.6:1 or 5.1:1
ratio CWP (crown wheel and
pinion) though.
What
different
types of Atlas
are there?
August 2011 89
Full-width, narrow or Baby how do you need yours?
What lengths are used for what cars?
Mk1/Mk2 Escort on standard
arches with a 7J wheel?
A Baby Atlas at 48.5 inches is the size of the
standard English Escort axle, but Fostek prefer
to play it safe when using standard arches
and wider wheels and recommend using a
shortened axle to 47.5 inches to ensure room.
This is especially important if youre changing
to a disc brake set-up as this will space out the
wheels by a further 8 mm each side.
Mk1/Mk2 Escort on bubble
arches or Forest arches?
Ideally, use a 50-inch narrow axle from a Mk1
Capri, as they were the original tment to the
arched works rally cars and most historic rally
cars still use them. It allows 9- or even 10-inch
wide wheels with the right offset. A 52 inch can
be used and are a lot easier to get hold of,
though Fostek say it restricts you to an 8J wheel.
Anglia 105E?
An Anglia needs an axle smaller than even
the Baby Atlas, so nothing will t straight in,
meaning you will need to t new shortened
tubes and shafts to match. If you are going to
the hassle of tting a custom width axle then it
makes sense to make it smaller still to give
some space to t wider wheels, so Fostek
supply a 44- or 45-inch axle to cater for this.
Standard shafts can be shortened to suit by
having them cut and friction welded. But theres
not much difference in price to new upgraded
shafts which can take more power.
The axle rst appeared in the 1960s
in Mk1 Transits and Capris, as the
heavy duty alternative to the English
axle needed to cope with high
performance engines or heavy load
lugging. They used bigger internal
components that were ideal to
ensure reliability, which is why they
were used for rally cars too and they
proved to be so strong the rally
teams didnt even carry a spare!
Ford continued to use them in their
commercial range right up until
the early 1990s.
The History
of the Atlas
Hubs
The outer hub arrangement is the
same for most types of Atlas, unless
it is a Group 4 fully oating axle.
88 August 2011
To put it simply, they are
stronger in every way.
They use a bigger CWP,
with bigger teeth on the
gears, which allows for
more contact area the
most important factor and
where English axles are
heavily let down. Atlas
also have stronger diff
housings and stronger
tubes, making them an
all-round heavy duty axle.
Why are they better than an English axle?
Pigs head
This is the name
given to the centre
section of the axle
which houses
the crown wheel,
pinion (CWP) and
differential. There are
variations of this with
slight differences to
the castings, to cater
for other models.
Tubes
These t into the pigs
head and house the
shafts themselves.
Bracing can be used
to increase strength.
T
CFTECH defnitive guide: Atlas axles
August 2011 91
How much power
can axles take?
How to
improve them
Whats the weakest part of the Atlas axle? Why do CWP ratios
matter? Why is grip the most important factor? And,
how to buy an axle secondhand...
Differentials, casings and shafts... what you need to know.
90 August 2011
he most important factor here
is grip, as the more you have,
the more likely you are to break
something. Generally speaking though
if you were to start with a totally
standard Capri axle in good working
order and drive with moderate care,
then they are usually ne until about
the 300 bhp for a fast road car. After
that, it depends largely on how much
you abuse the car and if its being used
for drag racing or rallying if so,
the shafts will start snapping.
However, with the right uprated
components tted theyve been
proved reliable on 500 bhp YB-powered
fast road, track and strip cars. There
are a couple of points worth knowing
about though...
Differential
The rst thing to do, if you
havent already, is t an LSD, as
the standard open diff isnt ideal
for putting down any kind of
decent power. For a road car,
Fostek suggests using a Quaife
ATB as its easy to maintain and
kind to halfshafts. But they do
advise its considered to be
strictly a road-going diff and
not suited to track or for harsh
driving (which includes
burnouts and doughnuts). If
thats more up your street, or the
car will be spending time at the
track or the strip, then a plated
diff is better suited to your
needs. They are motorsport
orientated items and although
they lock both wheels for
traction in a harsher way, they
can be adjusted through ramp
angles and preloads, to suit a
less aggressive road going
application. Fostek prefer to use
the Gripper diffs, which cost
around 900, as ZF items. They
were very popular but are no
longer available new. Be aware
that the P100 came with an open
diff in a heavy duty casing which
looks like an LSD to the
untrained eye, so be careful
when buying secondhand.
Shafts
All standard shafts are one-
piece 16 spline and quite small
in diameter, which makes them
the weakest link, so the rst
thing is to upgrade to larger
two-piece 18 spline shafts. To t
larger shafts the casing doesnt
need to be modied, but the
side gears that connect them to
the diff will need to be changed
or machined to suit. Normally,
an LSD will be tted already at
this stage and the side gears
needed to t 18 spline shafts
cost about 150 for the pair. For
the shafts themselves there are
quite a few different brands
available, but Fostek have had
good results from using two
piece shafts from Phil and
Mick Squires at Rally and
Competition Equipment (01782
523664) which are about 125
each. These are known as Group
1 shafts but are in the fact the
same diameter and spline count
as what would be used for a
Group 4 axle. The matching
outer anges, to make them a
two piece shaft, are 70 each
and the new bearings to go with
them are 40 each. New wheel
studs will also be needed for
around 20 a set. The shafts
come in the most common sizes
to cater for baby, narrow and
full-width axles off the shelf
and for more bespoke or
custom applications such
as the slightly shorter
47.5-inch Fostek prefer to
use in un-arched Escorts
can also be supplied. The
quality is outstanding
and will cope with
most high power
applications. But
Fostek do sell an
even heavier
duty, gun-
drilled, rolled-spline version
that come with an unbreakable
guarantee for 1200 a pair,
and can be done to any
length required.
Casing
For the average fast road car no
more needs to be done, or can
be done, to increase the
strength of the axle internals in
terms of power than a good LSD
and a set of uprated shafts.
However, as soon as you start to
use a car in harsh conditions,
rough terrain on a rally stage or
the extreme cornering forces of
a track, thicker tubes and extra
bracing is needed to stop any
ex or twisting of the tubes out
of the pigs head.
Fostek have just had some
brand new castings done for the
pigs head in high grade, high
strength iron, which are even
better than the original Ford
item. They are the rst company
to successfully do this and will
only be supplying them with
their own axles, so will not be
sold separately. Alloy ones are
in the pipeline too, which offer
a big weight
saving.
What CWP ratios are available?
3.09:1
These are the
highest ratios
available and
came in most
V6- engined
Capris. They are
very common,
but generally
useless, as they
are deemed too
lazy for the road.
3.22:1
This was a ratio
found in some Mk1
3-litre Capris and
is very rare. But
sadly, again, pretty
useless in most
road cars as they
are too high.
3.44:1
Ideal for big power
or big torque
YB-engined cars
that wont nd the
slightly high ratio
a problem.
Originally came
on 2-litre Pinto-
powered Capris.
3.75:1
The most desirable
of all the ratios for
a fast road car, as
it offers the best
compromise and
is ideal for the
average YB-
engined car. These
were tted to the
1600cc Pinto-
powered Capris.
4.1:1
This is a rare Ford
Motorsport item
and wasnt tted
to any road car as
standard. Its ideal
for an NA-powered
car and they have
since been
reproduced as
an aftermarket
item by various
companies.
4.6:1
Common on P100
pick-ups and some
Transits, theres
a steady demand
for these from the
rally boys who
regularly use them,
as they are too low
for the road.
5.1:1
These were the
rare standard-t
Transit items for
special vehicles,
such as
Ambulances or
even ice cream
vans. Theres a
high demand from
the rally boys.
Theyre available
as reproduction
items.
Shafts
These are the weakest points of the
Atlas. If youre using standard shafts,
source some from a low mileage car
ones that have been marked to
indicate what side they come from,
as shafts twist marginally over time
and tend to set into position, like a
corkscrew. They are at their strongest
once set, as they become work
hardened, which means if they ever
swap sides for whatever reason then
theyre more likely to break.
CWP
Out the box these are very strong and
rarely break. However, the lower the
ratio, the weaker the pinions become
as the amount of extra teeth that
physically have to t to decrease the
ratio makes them smaller and therefore
weaker. Its also worth noting that the
original Ford items are stronger than
reproduced items and as a result
command more money.
Advantages
Over something like an English,
they use a bigger CWP, bigger
tubes, bigger bearings, have a
stronger casing, use bigger wheel
bearings and theres lots of potential
to improve them to near
indestructible levels. Also
sometimes an English axle isnt
wide enough to t a wide arch car
and nally, now everything has
been re-produced a brand new
axle can be built up from scratch.
Disadvantages
Weight is the main one and the
signicant one; they weigh a fair
bit more than an English axle.
Theres some work and expense
needed to t one, as theres no
readily available off the shelf item
for most cars as it has to be
modied. Due to their bigger size,
a diff tunnel may be needed if the
car is running extra low. Also, in
comparison to the rear loading
English axle, the front loading Atlas
is harder and more time-consuming
to work on, which comes into effect
if you want to change ratios often.
Once the correctly uprated parts
have been tted to suit the intended
use, they are very strong, reliable
axles. This depends if they have
been built correctly in the rst place,
as its important to check whats
known as the backlash clearance to
ensure its within its tight tolerance.
If it hasnt been done correctly it will
create excess heat, noise and wear.
It needs to be carefully adjusted,
using shims, to make sure theres
good contact between the teeth and
similarly the pinion needs to have a
good mesh with the crown wheel.
This ensures the longevity of the
components and through this kind
of clinical preparation Fostek have
seen axles cope with over 5000
race miles between rebuilds.
Atlas pros
and cons
How reliable
are they?
Ideally get one with as low mileage as possible and in
good working order, although its hard to tell from the
outside, so here are some pointers. If the oil inside the diff
is clean and full to capacity its generally a good sign; the
back plates tend to corrode, leak oil and then they run low
on lubrication, which causes excess wear to the internals.
Its best to spend extra time and money looking for the
right size and ratio for your application, rather than buying
any old axle that comes along and having to spend money
adapting it. Expect to pay around 150 for a 52-inch Atlas
without an LSD and 500-plus for the rare Capri Special
axle which had a plated ZF LSD in it. A narrow 50-inch
Atlas from a Mk1 Capri will normally go for around 300
as its more desirable for the wide arch cars and rally boys.
BUYING
SECONDHAND:
what to look for
CWP
The crown wheel and
pinion ratio can be
changed to give
different acceleration
characteristics.
Plated Diffs
Designed with motorsport in mind,
these are ideal for big power cars.
Open Diffs
Standard in most axles, these
are the rst thing to replace.
1
Atlas axles
wont take
big power? False.
With the right parts
tted they have
been proven on
big power and big
grip cars.
2
Group 4
oating axles
are stronger?
False. The
differences
are only on the
hub arrangement
and not the pigs
head internals.
3
Ford never
made a Baby
Atlas for the Escort?
False. They are
very, very rare,
but they were
tted to some
European cars.
4
An LSD is
stronger than
an open diff? False.
They are as strong
as each other.
5
A standard
axle can cope
with 350 bhp? True.
This has been
known with
gentle road driving
and, importantly,
lower grip levels.
MYTHS
R
un by father and son duo John and Tom
Foster, the company started out around
13 years ago when they were building
themselves a rally car. When it came to the
axle they found no one could supply them
with one. Taking the initiative, they read a few
books and had a go at doing it themselves,
with good results. They were soon doing
another for a friends car and word spread. In
the early days they had to machine and adapt
standard parts, as very little was readily
available. But they now make their own parts,
redesigning items along the way to be both
stronger and lighter. Over time theyve learnt
what works and what doesnt and now turn
out hundreds of axles a year for customers all
over the world for road and competition use.
They quickly established a reputation as being
the leading force and experts in Atlas axles
and their latest development of newly cast
pigs heads means they can now supply
a complete brand new axle from scratch.
So if youve got a big power engine and need
an axle, Fostek are the ones.
ABOUT FOSTEK ENGINEEERING
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CFTECH
92 August 2011
his is something you hear
being banded about a lot
within rally circles and it
relates to the strength of the hub
arrangement, rather than the
power it can cope with. The heavy
duty upgrades to the hubs allow
for sustained shocks and harsh use
over rough ground such as
rallying. The centre pigs head
section, including the CWP, diff and
shafts, is virtually the same as any
other Group 1 or fast road uprated
item, but the tubes are thicker and
heavily braced. They also use a
stub axle arrangement and
bearing carrier, so the hub itself is
designed to spread the load onto
the tubes and axle. On a normal
axle the shafts and bearings have
to transfer the torque of the engine
as well, taking the wheel load, but
this way its role is reduced to just
transmitting power. This is done by
anchoring the hub, using two
tapered roller bearings, which
stops wheel movement no matter
what the wheel encounters. It also
means that even under very hard
cornering the wheels will always
point in the same direction, which
is ideal for track or circuit based
cars too. As its a fair amount of
work to machine the necessary
end parts, and different shafts are
needed, its not something that can
be done as a kit or as an after
thought once the axles been built.
What is a fully floating
Group 4 axle?
Fostek is a family
run business
which caters
for everything
Atlas related.
Only the outer hubs and shafts are different. On the left is a Group 4, next to a normal axle.
Fully
floating
This is something
we hear being used
a lot, but it only
relates to the hub
arrangement, to
give extra strength.