replacement one piece rear axle?

[linker48x]

so as not to pirate someone else's thread, I will ask this in a new thread. Anyone know of a over the counter one piece replacement rear axle, to get rid of the two piece stock axle on a Commando? I would like to make that mod with a minimum of machine work, if possible.

 

[Hobot]

Here ya go to get up to speed on what ya need.

Broken Axle

This is the second rear axle that has broken, clearly something is amiss. The Commando rear wheel is a brake drum joined to a hub with three stubs. The axle broke where it joins to the stub axle. Is there a flex that occurs between the brake drum and the hub? Is there a "limitation inherent...

www.accessnorton.com

 

[jeffdavison]

Is it the dummy short axle in the brake drum that breaks or the long axle through the hub?
Might be an expen$ive proposition, but could new parts be fabricated from Titanium?

JD

 

[linker48x]

So, what I guess I have in mind is, buying something off the shelf. I am surprised no one makes such an animal, considering how much accessory stuff there is for Commando's.

If I have to make something, one idea is to start with a piece of 9/16 chrome moly rod from the airplane store, cut a thread on one end, screw a nut on, and then weld it on, and cut a thread on the other end, outboard of the axle plate, and put a spacer on either end to engage the axle adjuster, and to make the threaded section outboard of the load bearing portion of the axle on either end. Buying a die that big, and threading chrome moly, is a sort of pain, though, so I am hoping to find someone who makes/sells such an animal.

Another thought would be to go to the diesel truck or Cat tractor store, and buy a 9/16 grade 8 bolt of sufficient length, with threads outboard of the axle plate. Don't even know if one exists, but that is where I would look.

Interesting to read in the link above Kenny Canaga's tale of woe at Willow. Good to see you at Miller, Ken.

I have a stainless axle now, to replace the badly bent mild steel axle that was in this thing when I built it, 23 years ago. However, the stainless axle is not high quality, and now it has bent and is partially stripped, so it has to go. Don't let me scare anyone off, please keep posting your ideas, or information. Thanks!

 

[highdesert]

So, assuming most of us are riding on 40 year old axels, might be real smart preventive maintenance to put in a new axel NOW?

OR, if it's not broken in 40 years, why would it break now?

Which is the better logic?

 

[pete.v]

So, assuming most of us are riding on 40 year old axels, might be real smart preventive maintenance to put in a new axel NOW?

OR, if it's not broken in 40 years, why would it break now?

Which is the better logic?

Proper mainenance will usally dictate the logical course. Things like axels don't fail due to age but from neglect.

This is another one of those items that should be seriously reconcidered if you are choosing Stainless. There are no published torque specs for this particular application and the ones that are published are for a very different materiel.

I will trust my 40 year oem axel with sound maintenance practices far and above a miss applicated material (SS) replacement.

Just sayin.

 

[pete.v]

OOPS!

 

[batrider]

What maintenance do you do on an axle? It is just a big bolt.

 

[Hobot]

Proper mainenance will usally dictate the logical course. Things like axels don't fail due to age but from neglect.

haha, I'll remember you let that opinion out in public and hope your axle event works out fine as me and others neglected vitals.

The down and dirty replacement is about any universal japan cycle, 17mm is the standard such as Honda middle weights and plenty long enough. The main machinist hassle is to make a speedo drive clamp top hat bush to work. Just machining out the factory one leaves it rather thin all around. OH yeah the other thing to watch out for is opening up the factory axle slot don't leave much meat for full strength and report exist of that fracturing and needing beefing up.

Another solution is to completely jump Norton fence and lace in another hub with all the features you want.

Factory dumb axles are almost radioactive, that is there are all waiting to break. Going by just my decade long paying attention to broken axle reports I'd say their half life is 3 decades, that is half of them were broken by a decade ago, so less reports only because less aged one replaced the dead one, but I suspect those half lives are ticking to to show up with next generation riding on them, if our bikes are even legal to own by then.

 

[pete.v]

What maintenance do you do on an axle? It is just a big bolt.

Bearing, bushing, tightness, looseness, dirt, oil, grease, chain adjusters, speedo drive, tophat,.....you know......maintenance. When I think axel, I think of it and everything that's related to it. It's kinda important.

 

[Hobot]

On my negated Trixie Combat everything was new and new and new and refreshed and lubed and adjusted with seasoned skill developed by doing all the wrong things on un-new parts in past. By far its been the early racers that found out the hard way on dumbass axles. That more abuse rather than neglect though.

I now call them Radioactive Fission Axles. Can never predict any single axle but as a whole sure as hell can. Next one for Trixie gets magfluxed then cyro tempered along with chainsaw blades and gear shafts/cogs then will jubleee clamp and safety wire on, because I can't help but cross rough stuff or just give it up.

 

[pete.v]

On my negated Trixie Combat everything was new and new and new and refreshed and lubed and adjusted with seasoned skill developed by doing all the wrong things on un-new parts in past. By far its been the early racers that found out the hard way on dumbass axles. That more abuse rather than neglect though.

I now call them Radioactive Fission Axles. Can never predict any single axle but as a whole sure as hell can. Next one for Trixie gets magfluxed then cyro tempered along with chainsaw blades and gear shafts/cogs then will jubleee clamp and safety wire on, because I can't help but cross rough stuff or just give it up.

Ah.......yes......I see what you mean. Sound maintenance practices.

 

[Hobot]

Dear sir, those pictures are after the fracture 50 mile from home. Ugly wire was stolen off a barbed wire fence for my first failed attempt to leave the area w/o sending Wesley off to stores w/o a buddy to help him push off d/t his hand filed kicker pawl given up just as we were heading out. Wire photo was taken after a short test ride revealed it too loose with axle shifting back and easing out of hub.

The last view was very effective bodge I could of rode across state if I had too.
So no neglected maintenance about it, just pure road side rescue bodge. If this happens to you or a friend, might study it to adapt you own to get home.

When deer took out me and Trixie in '06 I renewed everything forks to rear bearings and tranny but for the engine. Since then she's only gotten like 1000 miles so rear area was not exactly clapped out unattended to.

They are radioactive fissionable material and predict we will read about others within a year from now.

 

[pete.v]

Dear sir, those pictures are after the fracture 50 mile from home. Ugly wire was stolen off a barbed wire fence for my first failed attempt to leave the area w/o sending Wesley off to stores w/o a buddy to help him push off d/t his hand filed kicker pawl given up just as we were heading out. Wire photo was taken after a short test ride revealed it too loose with axle shifting back and easing out of hub.

The last view was very effective bodge I could of rode across state if I had too.
So no neglected maintenance about it, just pure road side rescue bodge. If this happens to you or a friend, might study it to adapt you own to get home.

When deer took out me and Trixie in '06 I renewed everything forks to rear bearings and tranny but for the engine. Since then she's only gotten like 1000 miles so rear area was not exactly clapped out unattended to.

They are radioactive fissionable material and predict we will read about others within a year from now.

Just messing with ya, Doc. Seemed funny to me.

 

[gtsun]

I rebuilt both front & back wheels/hubs when I first got this 850 & both axles were very worn and all the bearings were shot. I replaced both axles with stainless but still used the stock dummy axle so as to not have stainless to stainless thread lock issue. I have since found out stainless may not be strong enough for this apt so I guess I'm living dangerously... I would buy a one piece if someone made & proved them to be safe.

 

[grandpaul]

Yes, you can go down to your Holt/CAT store and buy a big ol' honkin' bolt, but you'll need to carefully fabricate all the internal shouldered spacers that properly space the brake bits to the hub. It's not rocket science, but you do need careful measurements and access to a machine shop.

Although the spacer will be thin, you can keep the thinnest section to JUST the bit that slides into the brake side bearing opening, the rest can be thicker and still have internal clearance and nominal material strength (if you stqart outr with good stock).

 

[Hobot]

Just messing with ya, Doc. Seemed funny to me.

I enjoy being the butt of jokes actually - once I know we all know the facts concerned. When first deer strike almost killed me I figured it was like lightening and had gotten that krama out of the way, then second hit me, to realize I was just fantizing about avoiding a 3rd no matter how safe I rode or picked my time and places to ride. First time axle broke on Ms Peel I could write it off as old stiff sloppy bearings and over loaded cargo on big tar seams in cement plate hi way going 90 mph, then this recent Trixie fracture just doing mild circles in parking lot. I garantee as I work up my faith in Trixie I get way higher loads going around sharps.
So I luck the Fuk out and now realize no matter how good I maintain Norton swingarm can still flex and the stress riser of dumpass axle is an innate engineered oversight for radioactive fission lurking, always lurking.

Study my road side bodge, as with a bit of dress up and snipping will be how I finish fastening the next new split prone axle. I've seen it before so have not pulled rear apart till spares on hand.

BTW SS is the weakest material in shear loads so be pensive on that in engine cradle bolts and almost taboo to use as an axle unless over sized. If ya get a grade of SS that is meant for serious structural use, its not very stainless anymore and will also be magnetic.