[alexiskai]

One thing I'm curious about, and I don't know whether we have the relevant diagrams available – does the angle of taper on the hub precisely match the angle on the axle, or is it slightly narrower?

I'm wondering if perhaps the purpose of the high clamp load by the axle nut is to force the narrower hub taper outward as it presses onto the axle, which would maximize the surface area engagement between the two tapered surfaces.