I have a question that I know someone here can answer. How were the axles assembled in the old open tube quick change rear axles? In particular, are the tapered ends pressed intto the axle tube, and then welded and machined back smooth? Here's the relevant axle. I'm thinking that I can change the width if that is how they were made. A little lathe work, some welding, and Bob's yer uncle! So if anyone has pictures of the construction and can tell me what might be the pitfalls I'd appreciate it.
The axle is a single piece with a flange in the middle for the ring gear. At least that's how the Halibrand champ open tube axle is made. The hubs are on the tapered end of the axle and keyed like an old Ford. Some times they are a bear to remove (like an old Ford).
So then I assume that means the ends of a section of tubing had the ends swedged or forged from the open end of a tube down to the rough shape of the tapered end before machining. When I'm feeling better I'll get a picture of the ends of the axle. I was fortunate in that the hubs had been off before I got the axle, so I didn't have to figure out how to make a puller to get them off. I didn't take pictures of the axle without the hubs/bearing carriers.
The big thing is it’s not a differential. It’s a live axle made with the least amount of parts to use in racing.
Most open axle rear ends are offset. The early ones had taper ends. The modern ones are splined. Modern ones also have a spline where the brake disc is mounted. Early ones used various methods to attach the brake disc. It is just simple machine work to modify one to have the same tread on each side or widen or narrow it. On my roadster, I wrapped black tape in a spread spiral around each side. I had many comments from drivers of following cars that it looked like my axles were trying to screw themselves out of the center section...lol
The first champ car axle I had appeared to be a solid piece, not a tube. I bent it one time due to a collision with the edge of a metal pit gate. A guy in town had a jig setup to straighten 2" axles and got it straight as a arrow. I don't think you could do that with a tube. Later I went from a 2" axle to a 3" axle and it was a tube with splined ends rather than the taper.
I've just been going thru Marty Strode's recreation of the Spalding roadster as I remembered that he had to make a rear axle for that project. I haven't gotten to the part where he actually assembled the axle, but earlier mention of the axle shows that that one was a 2 inch tube 5/16 wall with the ring gear carrier sweated on andplug welded. It appears that the ends were solid, pressed in and welded then finish machined. The one I have is definitely a tube, but I'm not sure what it is material and thickness wise.
With regards to the use, it's not going in a road vehicle. My experience with quick change rear axles is with Frankland and Winter's rears with spools and either the old truck style flanged axles and 3/4 ton style wide 5 hubs or speedway style hubs again full floating with double splined slide in axles. If you check out the whatever project, I've used a Winter's hd qc with the gn hubs and a Detroit Locker. Mignt change it to something less severe but we'll see...
Dave, got your message, thought I might as well answer your questions here. We used 2" chromoly tube with a 5/16 wall. My friend machined a new spool, since we were starting from scratch. The axles I have seen were tube, with the ends swaged. In our case, my pal roughed in the ends, had me weld them, and then he machined the tapers, key slots, and threaded the ends. Quite a masterful job on his part.
Thanks Marty. I may have a really tough project on my hands. Fortunately I can get to a lathe and have the existing axle to work from. I also have diagrams from the way ARC made axles without tapered ends. I may have to adapt that design to the midget axle.
Not knowing anything about what you are building, what holds the wheels in place? Lathe work and machining is something I really enjoy watching and learning about, you guys make it look easy.
Marty makes it look easy. Me, I'm just a retired old guy who likes to tinker... I usually take the long way around the barn, as it were! So here's the plan as it currently exists in the back corner of my feeble mind. I have these really neat, SMALL, alloy wheels, 1 set 10x6, 1 set 10x4.5. The narrow set look surprisingly similar to Halibrand slotted wheels, just small. The bolt circle is 4 bolts on 4 inch diameter, and they use shouldered straight shank lug nuts. In case you are wondering what they fit, any Austin or Morris Mini ever made. Starting in 1958 or 1959, don't remember the exact year they came out, but the 1st model year was 1959. They fit over these tiny little disc or drum brakes. Cooper S disc brakes were 7.5 inch diameter and used a rigid mounted caliper by AP. All of these parts are still available new, and not too expensive. I have a complete set, so good there. I also have a slight lead to a midget tail. And with some of the other oddball stuff collecting dust around here, I'm envisioning a small roadster ish thing, using ??? for an engine. A sort of single seat 60-inch wheelbase give or take thing. Useful? No! That's not the point. It's just kind of like something that Sidney Allard designed back in the 50s for flat track racing in England. And yes it isn't practical. But who cares?
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