D1 Hubs for trailer axle

[carlschmid2002]

I have managed to secure a D1 axle for a trailer. I have stripped it down and have the hubs off. Instead of getting a plate made to bolt the hubs to a solid 45mm axle I thought of cutting the diff about 20cm from each end and attaching each end to the 45mm axle. That would allow me to use the shock mounts and brake mounts. Can the cast diff be welded? Has anyone done this before? Please show pics.

[loanrangie]

Only the center is cast the tube is well, tube. Better off with plates welded to take the stubs or hubs drilled to match the stud pattern.

[weeds]

I made an axle using land rover stubs and hubs for my trailer.... Search HCPU trailer.

[Lotz-A-Landies]

If going that method it would be better getting some thick wall steam pipe of the appropriate OD to sleeve into the housing stumps.

There is nothing in the ADR that requires you to use solid bar, in fact most truck trailer axles are RHS.

[carlschmid2002]

If going that method it would be better getting some thick wall steam pipe of the appropriate OD to sleeve into the housing stumps.

There is nothing in the ADR that requires you to use solid bar, in fact most truck trailer axles are RHS.

Does any one know of anyone in the Melbourne area who could sleeve it like this?

[loanrangie]

Does any one know of anyone in the Melbourne area who could sleeve it like this?

Why go to the trouble of sleeving housing ends when you will need to destroy 1 housing (assuming you have to buy one) and then get it welded anyway when you could just get a 40/45mm axle and weld plates on the end to bolt the stubs to ?

[weeds]

Why go to the trouble of sleeving housing ends when you will need to destroy 1 housing (assuming you have to buy one) and then get it welded anyway when you could just get a 40/45mm axle and weld plates on the end to bolt the stubs to ?

agree, seems a lot of work. will a trailer hydraulic brake coupling drive disco brakes?

see post 25 http://www.aulro.com/afvb/projects-tutorials/125879-hcpu-tub-trailer-3.html

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Why go to the trouble of sleeving housing ends when you will need to destroy 1 housing (assuming you have to buy one) and then get it welded anyway when you could just get a 40/45mm axle and weld plates on the end to bolt the stubs to ?Carl's first post indicated that he already has the housing.

It doesn't take much to weld something like this. The big job is getting steam pipe of the correct O.D. for the I.D. of the disco housing, but the important thing is to ensure the hub flanges are parrallel in both the vertical and horizontal planes when welded.

[weeds]

Carl's first post indicated that he already has the housing.

It doesn't take much to weld something like this. The big job is getting steam pipe of the correct O.D. for the I.D. of the disco housing, but the important thing is to ensure the hub flanges are parrallel in both the vertical and horizontal planes when welded.

one would assume the hub flanges would need to be machined after welding to ensure they are parrallel........that was the process when we made mine, although how accurate do you need to be with a trailer?

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Hi Kelvin

The parallel nature of the hubs on a trailer is most important only because of the desire to minimise tyre wear and stability/tracking issues.

As for the welding, I would drill big holes in the housing stumps and "puddle weld" the inner tube into position, (a bit like the axle tubes on a Salisbury are puddle welded) although for the outer end if you kept the inner tube a little short and use an interrupted circumfrential weld you wouldn't have to touch the stub axle flange or machine it off.

Diana

[slug_burner]

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/projects-tutorials/150058-independent-suspension-design-6.html

here is another option

[POD]

I went a different route in mounting range rover axle spindles and brakes on a 40mm square axle for my camper trailer. I had the ends of the axle shaft turned down to a push-fit inside the spindles, then welded the spindles on once in place on the shaft. This leaves the flange free to use for mounting brake calipers- I cut down a pair of swivel housings for that purpose. This works an absolute treat and I would certainly do it again- especially now that I have a lathe big enough to do the entire job myself. Which brings up another point- how does one get the flanges that have been welded to the ends of an axle shaft, absolutely square to the shaft? You would need a lathe with a spindle bore of about 200mm to face the ends square once in place- which leads me to suspect that they are welded on as square as possible and that would have to be 'near enough'.

[Killer]

I went a different route in mounting range rover axle spindles and brakes on a 40mm square axle for my camper trailer. I had the ends of the axle shaft turned down to a push-fit inside the spindles, then welded the spindles on once in place on the shaft. This leaves the flange free to use for mounting brake calipers- I cut down a pair of swivel housings for that purpose. This works an absolute treat and I would certainly do it again- especially now that I have a lathe big enough to do the entire job myself. Which brings up another point- how does one get the flanges that have been welded to the ends of an axle shaft, absolutely square to the shaft? You would need a lathe with a spindle bore of about 200mm to face the ends square once in place- which leads me to suspect that they are welded on as square as possible and that would have to be 'near enough'.

As long as your lathe is long enough, you don't need to go through the spindle. Hold one end in the chuck and support the other end in a steady.

Cheers, Mick.

[POD]

As long as your lathe is long enough, you don't need to go through the spindle. Hold one end in the chuck and support the other end in a steady.

Cheers, Mick.

Would require a machine about 2000 between centres, I guess the places that do trailer axles may have machines that long. I would certainly want to ensure that the flanges were faced otherwise a crabbing trailer and excessive tyre wear would almost certainly result.