Quote:
Originally Posted by Synchro909
JB weld is no where near as strong as the original steel. IMO, filling the groove with JB weld is OK only as part of fitting a speedy sleeve over it for the new seal to run on but the axle is still weaker at that point
The usual place for a rear axle to break is right at the differential end of the hub and that is a result of worn hubs and bearings.
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Synchro - I've been unsuccessful finding a Speedi-Sleeve the right size for the rear axle seal (~1.135" or so). Do you have a source?
And as to whether the seal groove in the rear axle creates a sufficient stress riser to be an issue: the grooves I've seen have been relatively smooth with no sharp edges. You mechanical engineers out there can correct me, but my recollection is that it's sharp corners, either internal or external, that create potential problems. That's one reason it's important that when resurfacing flywheels you maintain the radius at the outer corner of the friction surface. JB weld in the axle seal groove will neither help nor hinder this stress riser problem. I think it's more an issue of whether the JB Weld will hold up to the rotational friction from the seal.
I have some minor grooves in the axles of the rear end I'm building right now. I plan to polish them, check the seals to assure they still make contact with the slightly smaller diameter, perhaps fill some pits with JB Weld but I'm not planning to try to restore the original diameter. If I was to try to restore I'd consider having a spray weld, followed by lathe work and polish to the original diameter, although since the axle appears to be hardened I'm not sure I want to put a large amount of heat into it. But, since new axles are $800+ apiece, I'm not anxious to replace them unless I really need to.