Re: Shortening a Ford axle

On 4/10/2024 10:35 PM, Clare Snyder wrote:

On Wed, 10 Apr 2024 18:16:30 -0500, Snag <Snag_one@msn.com> 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,

   I machined a .3125d x .250"  stub into the splined end , and a matching recess in the flange end .
  chamfer the outer diameters,
  both outer diameters are ground at a 30° for a 60° included angle from ~ 1/2" diameter .
  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.

  I don't think 6013 is considered a low hydrogen rod ... 7018 is and I have an unopened package . However , ER70S6 MIG wire is definitely low hydrogen , and since I use CO2 as a shield gas , might actually match the base metal composition better . But then TIG with 309L is considered pretty much universal so ...

  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"
 

   The splice is about an inch from the center . My TIG welder can also do arc DC , but I've never tried it . If a project needed  arc welding I've always used my Lincoln tombstone AC welder .
--
Snag
  "They may take our lives but
they'll never take our freedom."
  William Wallace