Axle Tube work

[Don]

I need to remove the bearing housing form my axle tube, does anyone have any tips on how difficult this is? The pin in the housing has 2 small flats machined on one end and three punch marks on the other. I assume the pin is tapered, which end is pushed out; and can I pound it out or do I need to a press. Is there heat required?

thanks for the help.
don

[SR Racing]

The pin punches out pretty easily. The place where the pin pricks are is normally the top. So punch from the other side. Use a good size drift pin punch and a good size hammer and 1 or 2 licks usually does it. Pulling the cast flange part off the tube is a bit harder. We have a puller for this so it is pretty easy. A large press will also work. But you need a fitting to go in the cast piece that catches the tube. You then press on the fitting until the tube slides out. An uglier way to do it is to just use a good size sledge and bang it off. Trying not to bend the cast tangs. From looking at many flanges hammering seems to be popular.

No heat required in either process. When you re-install the cast flange (usually a press) make sure you line up the pin hole with the small indentation on the tube for the pin.

[FV80]

Maybe we should ask WHY you need to remove the casting .. ?? One generally only needs to come off if it's BROKEN. And in such cases, the tube (generally the bell flange end) is also bent .. therefore useless. I take the castings off to SAVE them for use when another one gets broken somehow without bending the tube.

Steve, FV80

[Don]

Jim, thank you for the info on removing the hub, I will give it a try.
As to why.......I have a transmission with long axle housings and the bell shaped retainer for these axles uses an o ring so I want to use this style on my short axle tubes as I am always fighting small oil leaks.

thanks, don

[hardingfv32-1]

Maybe we should ask WHY you need to remove the casting .. ??

You can buy new tubes and use the old castings.

Brian

[hardingfv32-1]

[quote="Don"] As to why.......I have a transmission with long axle housings and the bell shaped retainer for these axles uses an o ring so I want to use this style on my short axle tubes as I am always fighting small oil leaks./quote]

I believe that you will find that the casting are different lengths and that the axle tubes are all the same.

Forget about all the gaskets and o-rings. The system was design before there were today's modern adhesives. After a proper cleaning, use a anaerobic gasket maker, like Loctite 518, and you will never leak again. It is kind of like a silicone adhesive that cures without contact to air.

Brian

[FV80]

Technically, the bells you refer to would not be legal for FV (not original equipment). The proper answer to leaks at the bell end is to use the bell strengthening kit - like this one
http://www2.cip1.com/ProductDetails.asp ... e=C12-5027. Change the case studs to longer ones (in the kit) and use 2 or 3 paper gaskets covered with grease (adjust # gaskets for tube 'freedom' with all nuts tight). Don't forget the packing flower (daisy). When assembled, the axle should fall to the bottom if not supported (won't 'stick out and hold' on it's own), but have no noticeable play if you push/pull on the axle tube.

NOTHING will stop leaks if the bell retainer is not straight. Thoroughly inspect it for straightness - a bit difficult to do with it still on the tube, but it can be straightened (somewhat) - usually enough to stop the leaks. If you have an OFF or get airborne, it is highly likely that the force on the axle tube will deform the bell retainer and cause it to leak. The strengthening kit will raise your 'resistance' to that by a significant margin, but you should always inspect it after any significant off or altercation. In an emergency (like AT THE TRACK), you can generally loosen and rotate the retainer to put the "most bent" area at the top so that it doesn't leak... much .

[FV80]

Sorry, I bet Jim (RaceCarSupply.com), Dietmar (QuixoteRacing.com), and Steve (VeeSportRacing.com) also have that strengthening kit available (support those that support Vee and this site). Just that CIP1 was the only one I could quickly find an ad for it during my last post....
Steve, FV80

[SR Racing]

Yep. We have them.

Jim