Retubing axles

[Roxtar]

May have to replace the tubes in my HP44.
Anyone done this?
Tips?

 

[trailxj]

I had my hp44 retubed by colorado custom crawlers.

My brother torched out the stock plug welds and pressed out the stock tubes, then just took the bare center section to them. Then they retubed it using 3" .5 wall tube.

cost was 200 or 250?? not sure exactly...

to do it they way they did youd need a lathe to machine down the ends of the tube and a big ass press to press them in with, as well as some sort of alignment jig...

 

[seanR]

Get ahold of BillR, he just did his last winter.

 

[Gil BullyKatz]

you need a lathe to machine down the ends of the tube and a big ass press to press them in with, as well as some sort of alignment jig...

Well Brad...

I guess you're S.O.L.

 

[Lincoln]

The jig is important. Make some pucks that replace the bearing races at the carrier and ends and really straight piece of 1" stock will work. All the ones I've seen used were turned on good lathe to get them true. I posted a link on non-tech where you could buy the alignment setup. Search the NASCAR shops and I bet you can find one that's a better deal if you go that route.

The easiest way I've seen to get the plug welds out clean was a mill. Torching will work but the tubes seem to hang on the holes. You can press them out with a bottle jack but be careful not to stretch the housing (seen that one done too. ).

I'm having a hard time remembering the press fit, but .005" comes to mind. You should be able to verify that after pulling the current tubes. I've known a few people that just heated the pig in an oven to 300 degrees and the new tubes drop right in. Put a good bead of silicone around the end of the tube before pressing them in.

Why don't you be NASCAR and just put some nice full float ends on there while your at it. Still need the jig though, they cause funny wear on the side gears and flanges if they are not straight.

 

[bj-666]

find another 44 in the bone yard:dunno:

 

[CRASH]

We're talking a front axle here, child prodigy.

Why don't you be NASCAR and just put some nice full float ends on there while your at it. Still need the jig though, they cause funny wear on the side gears and flanges if they are not straight.

 

[Lucas]

Speaking of front axles, how critical is alignment compared to the rear? How much (if any at all) float does the stub/joint/inner allow? I know it's radial alignment that's in question, as opposed to thrust, but I was just wondering. I just did a ton of cutting/welding on my cast mount HP44, and dont want to mess up the Detroit I have in there.

 

[Lincoln]

We're talking a front axle here, child prodigy.

Damnit! I was thinking big too.

 

[4ward]

That's what you get for thinking.

Also, the guys that I know won't use a 1" piece, you can still bend it with a hot weld. 1.5" is what is common for axle jigs. And to continue on with the jig building process. I definately wouldn't true it up with a lathe. An o.d. ground piece of 4140PHT is the material of choice here in the rust belt.

I'd still use a jig for setting knuckles, just bolt your spindles on. Of course, you won't be able to futz with camber. I'll be building a couple sets of steering axles this winter. Let ya know how it goes.

 

[Jeff 98XJ WI]

I'm working on the same thing up here in the woods. I have a pretty good friend in my club that has done a number of retubes for different reasons. He tells me that he has had good luck with gouging out the plug welds with a plasma cutter and then cleaning the hole with a carbide tipped burr in an electric die grinder till he can see a crack between the tube and the housing. After that is done, the puts the housing in a large ( I beleive 60 ton ) press with the shoulder of the housing against press plates and puts a long rod through the other tube and presses on a puck that is slightly smaller than the pressed in tube section. He tells me it takes a lot of force, but once the big boom happens and the tube moves a little, it presses right out. As for reinstalling new tubes, he tells me that he has made an insert to fit between the bearing surfaces so that when the new tube is pressed in, the housing is not distorted. He built a rear 60 using custom made tubes that have inner axle seals machined into them, the press fit machined and another press fit on the other end machined in for a custom ring. He pressed it all together, plug welded the tubes back in, and then pressed and welded his custom ends on the tubes. Stock 60 spindles then bolt onto the custom ends and stock front 60 hubs and drive flanges install on the spindles. He had custom double splined 35 spline shafts built and has been running this setup for quite awhile now.

I plan to do basically the same thing to my Ford HP 60 front. I plan to remove the remains of the short side tube and replace it with a long side tube from an old Dodge front 60 that has a bad pinion bore. So far I have cut the Ford 60 ends off and used a Milwaukee 7/8" steel Hawg cutter in a magnetic drill press to drill out one plug weld. However, the cutter managed to get into the plug weld a bit and dulled. It did make a fantastic first cut, but I either need to do the torch and die grinder to the rest of the plugs or get a larger diameter steel hawg cutter that will avoid the hard plug weld. I think I can make some adapters for front 60 spindles that will weld directly to the tubes (no machine work on the ends of the tubes to "true" them to the press in end) and be aligned close enough for a floating double splined axle shaft. We'll see how it goes. Jeff

 

[Lincoln]

That's what you get for thinking.

Also, the guys that I know won't use a 1" piece, you can still bend it with a hot weld. 1.5" is what is common for axle jigs. And to continue on with the jig building process. I definately wouldn't true it up with a lathe. An o.d. ground piece of 4140PHT is the material of choice here in the rust belt.

I'd still use a jig for setting knuckles, just bolt your spindles on. Of course, you won't be able to futz with camber. I'll be building a couple sets of steering axles this winter. Let ya know how it goes.

That rod could very well be bigger. I have distorted eyesight anyway. Have no idea what material it is, he said it was scrap from work that he turned down.

As far as the lathe, I could only dream. I believe he said it was seven figures (CNC of course) and it is used to make 36" diameter axle shafts. Have no idea what it's like beyond that. The last time I got in the building that area was off limits. I guess lathe might have been the wrong word.

I need to get back over there and try to get a tour. He said they just got a new 3600 amp welder running. Would that be enough to build some rocker skids?

 

[4ward]

He said they just got a new 3600 amp welder running. Would that be enough to build some rocker skids?

No, you need 3650 amps to weld .120 wall tube, Noobs

 

[Lincoln]

No, you need 3650 amps to weld .120 wall tube, Noobs

Damn, I guess it's back to the drawing board. I guess I could build them out of some .063 stuff I have laying around. Won't be quite as bullet proof, but I was told they would hold up to running over little old ladies and shopping carts.

 

[tealcherokee]

No, you need 3650 amps to weld .120 wall tube, Noobs

what?? i weld .120 wall w/ my 100a mig

 

[JnJ]

what?? i weld .120 wall w/ my 100a mig

You got a bite........

 

[Roxtar]

what?? i weld .120 wall w/ my 100a mig

joke P Pronunciation Key (j k)
n.
1. Something said or done to evoke laughter or amusement, especially an amusing story with a punch line.
2. A mischievous trick; a prank.
3. An amusing or ludicrous incident or situation.
4. Informal.
a. Something not to be taken seriously; a triviality: The accident was no joke.
b. An object of amusement or laughter; a laughingstock: His loud tie was the joke of the office

 

[4ward]

Apparently sarcasm falls on deaf ears to some.

 

[Lincoln]

I thought the 3600 amps was enough to clue everyone in, guess not. A kazilion amps should do it.

 

[seanR]

I thought the 3600 amps was enough to clue everyone in, guess not. A kazilion amps should do it.

How many zeros is that?