Path: ...!eternal-september.org!feeder3.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: Clare Snyder Newsgroups: rec.crafts.metalworking Subject: Re: Shortening a Ford axle Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2024 23:35:28 -0400 Organization: A noiseless patient Spider Lines: 31 Message-ID: <4ole1jhedjbp5hfbmbd1l72v34ukiogrjt@4ax.com> References: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Injection-Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2024 05:35:34 +0200 (CEST) Injection-Info: dont-email.me; posting-host="d14301ad04556371326fd4fcac0176c3"; logging-data="1561389"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org"; posting-account="U2FsdGVkX1/GAuVZ+aSEkWGy0buHmQ/W" User-Agent: ForteAgent/8.00.32.1272 Cancel-Lock: sha1:yotuRj6MJk/UmY8wc0d70x8LG4Y= Bytes: 2786 On Wed, 10 Apr 2024 18:16:30 -0500, Snag wrote: > I'm shortening an axle to replace a damaged one in a one-off Gold >Wing powered FrankenTrike . The original axle assembly came from IIRC a >Ford Pinto (or Maverick maybe) , modified for the trike . The owner's >son got a little too heavy handed on the throttle and lost control , >ended up in the woods and partially wrapped around a tree . Bent the >axle flange and cracked the weld where they cut a piece out of the axle . > So I've got the replacement cut down and almost ready to weld back >together . I was going to MIG it with ER70S6 , but I'm wondering if I >should TIG it with some ER309 or 308 . It's I think a carbon steel , it >sparks orange with short forks - and it's hard . I started out with >carbide cutters but it was pushing the axle out of alignment instead of >cutting . Since axles apparently aren't exactly straight (!!) I decided >to turn a couple of reference bands so I can check runout and have a >concentric band to mount the steady rest , ended up using my Dremel as a >toolpost grinder using reinforced cutoff discs . That worked out well . >So now I need to decide which process and filler I need to use to glue >this thing back into one piece . 1039 steel of flange mount bearings, 1050 if a c clip axle. 1050 is NOT easy to weld and should be pre and post heat treated. 1039 is a LOT easier. My recommendation is counter bore both ends and insert a "pin" in both ends, chamfer the outer diameters, press the axle back together then weld together with E6013 low hydrogen rod with an arc voltage of about 30 volts - 110 amps for 5/32 rod. 60000 is plenty strong for the "light duty" this axle will be subjected to - particularly with the "splice" close to the middle of the axle. I would do this with my DC "buzz-box"