Help w/ narrowed 14b

[redrustbucket]

Got a narrowed 14b a while back off Lowtideride. Copied Fred's 40's 6 lug hub conversion.

Couple pics of the issue I'm having w/ the pass. side rear axle shaft.

It's binding when I tighten the axle bolts down. If I leave approx. .050 gap It'll spin ok. This is on the side we shortened but neither Al nor I can recall there being an issue with binding on mockup after final cutting and welding.

If there's not something I'm overlooking I can see 3 possible fixes.

1. Shim it
2. Trim it
3. Mini spool?

I'm leaning towards option 1 now as I don't want to trim the axle shaft if it's not necessary and I don't have the $$ for a mini spool at the moment. I am also wondering whether the mini spool will allow the axle shaft to seat in farther I think it eliminates the center section of the spiders ( where the pin would be on a cruiser diff ). Any info/advice appreciated. Thanks, Jeremy

 

[CruisinFJ60]

I dont know what you would use for a shim but chopping the axle down I dont think would do anything. What it appears to me is the axle tube was cut to short and the axle shaft is bottoming out after the splines have ended so if you cut some of the splines off it would still be bottomed out. you could cut the tube again and add a sleeve in there so you could space it a hair then weld around it and I would bet you would be just fine.

Also looks like you are using a DRW hubs what will that make your WMS to WMS?

 

[Chop Shop]

It will take less time to grind off .015 from the end of that shaft than it did to post this up here.

If you think its bottoming out he splines like the other feller suggested then put some grease or gear paint on the splines and slide the axle in and see if its bottoming out or still has splines left when.


have you setup gears yet? or plan too? Just a carrier adjust and you will have the same problem again.

 

[peesalot]

old late 60's ford p/u dana 60 rear axle had steel shims there IIRC that should fit

 

[Mace]

My mini spool was just a straight set of broached splines on the inside.

Sandy Cone made it.

 

[redrustbucket]

Still confused as to what could have changed. Looks like I've got some options. I have zero prior experience with these so I wanted to get some opinions before I fawked something up. Thanks for the replies. I hope to get back into it this weekend.

you could cut the tube again and add a sleeve in there so you could space it a hair then weld around it and I would bet you would be just fine.

Also looks like you are using a DRW hubs what will that make your WMS to WMS?

Don't feel like cutting the tube again, that's for sure. I'll have to check if it's the splines bottoming, didn't think of that.

Width is at 60 3/4" WMS to WMS.

It will take less time to grind off .015 from the end of that shaft than it did to post this up here.

have you setup gears yet? or plan too? Just a carrier adjust and you will have the same problem again.

Pic is deceiving, all three gauges were in the gap, I'd need to remove .060 or more I'd guess. Test shimming it with 1/8" plate made it spin smooth. It looked like I'd get into the splines if I took this much off. A little beveling would straighten that out I'm sure.

I haven't set up gears but I will need to eventually. These are 3.73s, I'm planning on going to 4:11s and shaving it then. So should I remove some extra if I do trim it just in case?

old late 60's ford p/u dana 60 rear axle had steel shims there IIRC that should fit

14b bible on Pirate shows what appears to be shims on the hub side of the shaft. I'll see if I can track some down.

My mini spool was just a straight set of broached splines on the inside.

Sandy Cone made it.

That's what I thought. I was looking at this one from Ouverson Engineering.

 

[Mace]

I also have metal "Seals" on the flange side of the shaft.

 

[Mace]

I'm pretty sure I have a set of 4.11 14 bolt gears sitting around as well.

 

[redrustbucket]

Finally got back at this after the holidays. Splines were not bottoming so I started hacking the end off the shaft. Took about 1/8'' off and it spins smooth now. I'd like to shave it if I can track down some 4:11s.

I'm pretty sure I have a set of 4.11 14 bolt gears sitting around as well.

PM sent.

 

[Sputnik40]

Jer. Good that it's fixed.

Did you ever compare the new PS short side axle with the driver side to make sure they were the same? If I recollect, you guys only had one short side handy when you did the cut - and the PS sat empty for awhile. When Dennis was working on my 14B he had pulled two short side shafts - so I'd have a spare when the narrow was done. One was at least a 1/4" longer. We put the matching one in - and still haven't gotten around to locating a spare - or shortening that one.

He couldn't remember what it was out of - may have been one of those van shafts. I dunno.

 

[Sputnik40]

Oh yeah - let me know if you run across any allen head bolts (or whatever the tech. term is for them) that are small enough to allow removal of the rim. The ones I sourced are a hair too large - or the WE rims are too close of a tolerance. Need to file them down - or replace.

 

[freds40]

I have seen short side shafts vary in length about a 1/4" as well. I'm running one now with a bit ground off the end.

All the socket head cap screws I sourced for my 6 lug hubs were just a hair too big to allow my Raceline wheels past. I ended up chucking each of them in the lathe and taking a 1/16th off the OD. They are fine now.

 

[redrustbucket]

Honestly I can't remember for sure if I compared the shafts side by side but I had them both out at the same time when I swapped them side to side to see if it was the shafts or the housing. Pretty sure I checked them together as well but who knows , could easily not have occurred to me. ( Lots of tweed back in the day... ) Everything I did points to the housing being a tad too short on the pass. side but whatever , it's in!

The heads on the allen head bolts I put in are a hair too wide as well. I just ground a flat spot on them till the rim would come back off. A lathe would be nice though. Could probably ghetto lathe 'em plenty good to work with a drill and the angle grinder.