| Author | Message | ||
     Super 55 |
I have my Super 55 final drive taken apart for bearin, seal and brake replacement. I have some slight grooves that are worn in the axle where rust or grit must have gotten under the contact surface and wore a slight groove. What is the best way to repair? I have heard of spray welding and even fellows uisng JB Weld to repair. This is my first restoration and would like some opinions. Thanks for any advice. | ||
| Chris Losey (Admin) |
I assume that the grooves are in the axle where the bearing mounts on it? I would get a new bearing and try to fit it onto the axle before doing any welding. If it is a snug to tight fit, I wouldn't mess with the axle. Even if it slides on with just a little tapping, as long as it doesn't wobble on the axle, it will be ok. If the bearing has worn the axle to the point to where the bearing is loose, I would look for a used axle in better shape. I believe these axles are case hardened. If you have them welded, that might ruin the hardening and cause an axle failure. If you use JB Weld, there is no guarantee that the bearing will be centered on the axle. | ||
| Super 55 |
Chris, They aren't worn that much. What I am worried about is that the seal might leak. The goove is really slight and won't affect the bearing seating on the axle. | ||
| Chris Losey (Admin) |
In that case, I would try the JB Weld to fill in the groove where the seal lip will ride. I've seen that stuff do some pretty amazing things. Sand it down smooth and it will probably work just fine. Probably the groove is from the seal in the first place. You might try finding an undersized seal that will set down in the groove better. Your local bearing/seal supplier should be able to help you find one. Another trick is to not drive the seal all the way into the axle cap so that the lip does not ride where the previous seal lip rode. Hope this helps. | ||
| Super 55 |
Chris, I am going with the quick sleeve shim to repair that goove. You just heat up in the oven and slide it over the axle and it gives it a smooth durable surface to ride on. It is fairly cheep at about $25 for both axles, yet I think it will be better than JB Weld and doesn't require any sanding. The only other method I was comptemplating was the cold metal spray and re-machining, which propable would have run in to big money. | ||
| Chris Losey (Admin) |
I think you found the best solution. I have seen the sleeves you mentioned used on crankshaft rear main seals. I didn't know if one could be found for the size you needed, but apparently you found it. |
