Sunday, March 27, 2011

AXLE SHORTNING. THE RIGHT WAY.






AS CHRIS'S CHOPPER BUILD CAME TO A CLOSE. WE FOUND THE AXLE TO BE TOO LONG. AS USUAL NO ONE CAN EXPLAIN WHY THE AXLE IS TOO LONG SO WE HAD TO IMPROVISE. WE FIGURED OUT THE LENGTH AND CHUCKED IT IN THE LATHE USING A 3 JAW AND A STEADY REST. I TURNED THE DIAMETER TO .620(THE FINISHED THREAD IS 5/8-18) I THEN MACHINED THE THREAD BY A PROCESS CALLED SINGLE POINT THREAD MACHINING. USING A SET OF CHANGE GEARS IN MY LATHE GEAR BOX AND A SINGLE POINT THREADING TOOL MADE RIGHT IN THE SHOP I TURNED THE THREAD FORM ONTO THE .620 DIAMETER. ONCE TO THE PROPER DEPTH THE NUT WILL SPIN RIGHT ON. THE OLD THREADED PORTION WAS THEN CUT OFF AND THE END FACED. WE WHERN'T DONE YET. ALSO NEEDED TO COUNTER BORE THE WASHER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AXLE. SO A BORING BAR WAS SET UP AND BORED UNTIL THE OUTER DIAMETER OF THE SHOULDER ON THE AXLE NUT WOULD JUST SLIDE IN. THAT'S HOW IT'S DONE. GUY'S NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO THINGS LIKE THIS BECAUSE YOUR NEW AXLE WILL COST YOU A TON OF MONEY TO FIT ON YOUR YOUR RIDE. THIS JOB TOOK ABOUT 2 HRS AND AT MACHINE SHOP PRICES THE PRICE OF YOUR NEW AXLE DOUBLES IN A HURRY.

2 comments:

  1. You could have cut the hex end off, cut to length and weld back on, that takes about a half hour and That's how we do it round here without a problem yet. Your way is way cuter though and you get to use all those sexy machines.

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