[Spridgets] Axle thoughts...

[Dean Hedin]

It has been mentioned on the list previously, and is common knowledge, that the wire wheel rear axle housing is
one inch narrower that a drum brake axle housing.

The situation is such that if you upgrade, say, a Bugeye to wire wheels that the axles will be 1/2 inch shorter and you
will lose this amount of engagment of the splines into the differential.

One way around this problem has been to take a later wire wheel axle and weld all the proper fittings
to make it a quarter eliptic axle to fit into the Bugeye.

Another option mentioned, was to press the axles out of the hub a little and then weld the axle to the hub.

Others have suggested to just live with the 1/2"  less engagement.

I was wondering why nobody has made an aftermarket axle that just a 1/2 inch longer to facilitate
this conversion.

4 ft of 1 inch diam 4340 is only $56.  Machining cost on top of that is what? $100 bucks maybe? 

Also has anybody out there ever pressed off the the axle from the wire hub?