RCV 300M Rear Axle Cone Washer Issue

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SNLC said:
The RCV flange is designed for large cone washers, as well as bigger studs. The cone washer is sitting to low in the hub, hence why you have no thread left on the stud.

Cheers
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What stud/cone washer are you supposed to run? I've been running factory hardware for years without a problem.

Just measured some parts and without taking a mold of the taper, the bore and taper are about 0.020" bigger. Still not big enought to get a 10mm gauge pin through the bore.

Would be super if you could run some larger factory hardware while still utilizing studs and cone washers.
 
Gerrha said:
Thanks!

That might very well be the problem. But now I am looking at solutions. I am proceeding in 2 directions. One is getting the correct die for the studs with the thought of increasing the threaded length of the studs I have. The second direction is trying to buy studs with the dimensions that will work from Bel Metric.
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Do not cut the threads deeper, they are rolled from the factory and cutting them will probably cause them to fail at the new thread.

I'm sure you could find someone to make you some spacers, if I had the time I would whittle some out at work for you. Might even look ar McMaster Carr and see if they have some thick enough hardened washers or spacers.



It is still weird that you are having this problem, both of our studs measure very similar to each other. Only difference is you having new hubs.
 
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Forgot to add this. These are ARP studs that I just installed, they are 0.100" longer on the outside thread. Otherwise close enough for eyeballing it.
 
Here is a picture of mine.

New Studs, Cone Washers, Washers and Nuts: 9011608325, 4232360010, 9020108042, 9017008204

New hub as well.

Mine looks like ThreeEyedBandit with about 4 threads showing past the nut.

1775353098432.webp
 
42323-60030

That is the bigger cone washer. 105 & 70-series uses larger hardware. I can't speak for RCV but perhaps they made these to work with both 80's and 105/79's. The drive flange that is not the axle shafts.

Also seems to me after installing a number of sets you can drill for larger hardware in your hubs. However, there is not much meat there compared to a 105/70 hub.

Cheers
 
Thanks! I'll have to look into those.

These flanges where originally designed for minitruck front axles, so not 100% confident they where designed around non mini truck hardware.

Thanks again, I'll be ordering some of the cone washers to play around with. I'll be looking into machining the hubs to accept the larger studs. Been wanting to machine a duplicate pattern in each hub as a backup.
 
There are a lot of good comments above and thanks for that. I think my issue comes down to the longer length of the unthreaded section on the studs. It is the same for the OEM studs and the ARPs. I have attached a couple more photos showing the situation including one where I reversed an ARP stud to show that there is more than enough thread depth in the hub itself. Clearly the unthreaded section of the studs sit proud of the cone washers and the OEM washers are not thick enough to compensate for this.

I see only two options. One, get studs with a slightly shorter unthreaded section. This could be a challenge. The second option is to add another washer (or replace the OEM washer) of sufficient thickness to do what is needed. The second option is likely the best.

But I would like to bring up another consideration that occurred to me last night. My axle is not mounted to the vehicle. It is sitting on jack stands in bright light where I can look at it from many angles. When I installed the RCV axles, I did what everybody else does. I slid the cone washer on the stud, next came the washer, followed by the nut. I then used my torque wrench set at 25 ft-lbs to torque the nuts. Everything went as expected except, for some reason, I decided to back off on one of the nuts at which point I saw the unthreaded part of the stud sticking out beyond the OEM washer and I could see where the nut had been digging into that area. I then repeated the entire process over again for all 6 nuts, all the while looking very carefully. As I torqued the nuts, the cone washers slowly became seated in the cones on the flange - as expected. This was smooth going until I reached about 15 ft-lbs. At that point, the nuts were halted by the unthreaded section of the studs. But, unless you got right down there and looked very carefully, you would not notice this. You would, as I did, continue torquing the nuts until you achieved 25 ft-lbs. Especially on an axle mounted to the vehicle, you most likely would not have noticed that the last 10 ft-lbs were not applied to the cone washer, but rather to the nut grinding into the unthreaded section of the stud. Anyway, just a consideration.

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IMG_6956.webp


IMG_6957.webp
 
@Gerrha I think you are right.

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Original rear stud (left) vs orginal front stud (right).
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9011608325 is sold now for both front and rear.

I am adding a locking washer for now.
 
SNLC said:
The RCV flange is designed for large cone washers, as well as bigger studs. The cone washer is sitting to low in the hub, hence why you have no thread left on the stud.

Cheers
Click to expand...
Has something changed ? I have been running the RCV 300 Ms since they first came out. With standard cone washes
The only thing that was bigger was the dowels.
 
Since you have a threaded bore in the hub that is deep enough for the stud to go in further, but the non threaded part of the stud is what stops it, can you counter bore the top of the threaded hole in the hub? Just the distance you lack. This would position the shank of the stud inside the hole slightly.
 
aztoyman said:
Since you have a threaded bore in the hub that is deep enough for the stud to go in further, but the non threaded part of the stud is what stops it, can you counter bore the top of the threaded hole in the hub? Just the distance you lack. This would position the shank of the stud inside the hole slightly.
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From my side, that would definitely be a way to solve the problem. I don't think the exact alignment of the counter bore would be that critical either. I just find drilling in solid steel such a pain though. I shudder at the very thought of botching the job, but the amount of material you would need to drill out would be small so, maybe...
 
Broski said:
Has something changed ? I have been running the RCV 300 Ms since they first came out. With standard cone washes
The only thing that was bigger was the dowels.
Click to expand...
If your studs are the longer version like mine, then you very well could have the same issue, but not seeing it.
 
Gerrha said:
If your studs are the longer version like mine, then you very well could have the same issue, but not seeing it.
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True but I highly doubt it.
I Am running ARP studs but they don’t have the star on the ends.
So definitely different.
I all so run 39s and wheel some of the hardest trails.
I have had it apart and back together a few times and I’m OCD
If they weren’t getting tight I would probably had a failure by now.
I’m in Europe for 10 more day so I can’t check right now but I sure will before I head to Sand Hollow in early May.
My guess is it something to do with the new hubs.
I also re-torque that hardware every trip.

What LAN said about the hardware has me second guessing everything as I think he one of the most knowledgeable LC guys out there.
 
Gerrha said:
From my side, that would definitely be a way to solve the problem. I don't think the exact alignment of the counter bore would be that critical either. I just find drilling in solid steel such a pain though. I shudder at the very thought of botching the job, but the amount of material you would need to drill out would be small so, maybe...
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I would use a counter sink bit and just kiss it.
 
If you have a drill press you could insert a snug fitting bit into the bolt hole and then align it with your chuck, clamp it down and insert the correct size bit or reamer you need. Set the depth stop and drill. You would be done with this problem as any future stud should fit. Unless I'm completely missing something. Could be the case since I don't own an 80. Either way, I hope you get it fixed.
 
Broski said:
True but I highly doubt it.
I Am running ARP studs but they don’t have the star on the ends.
So definitely different.
I all so run 39s and wheel some of the hardest trails.
I have had it apart and back together a few times and I’m OCD
If they weren’t getting tight I would probably had a failure by now.
I’m in Europe for 10 more day so I can’t check right now but I sure will before I head to Sand Hollow in early May.
My guess is it something to do with the new hubs.
I also re-torque that hardware every trip.

What LAN said about the hardware has me second guessing everything as I think he one of the most knowledgeable LC guys out there.
Click to expand...
Now that I have sort of an idea of what is going on, I tend to agree it seems not to be a large operational problem since the proof is in the pudding, and you have been running yours for years as have others with OEM rear axles. But what it does mean is that the full specified torque of 25 ft-lbs might not be reaching the cone washer. Some of it, the last ?? ft-lbs, is used twisting the nut into the unthreaded portion of the stud.
 
aztoyman said:
If you have a drill press you could insert a snug fitting bit into the bolt hole and then align it with your chuck, clamp it down and insert the correct size bit or reamer you need. Set the depth stop and drill. You would be done with this problem as any future stud should fit. Unless I'm completely missing something. Could be the case since I don't own an 80. Either way, I hope you get it fixed.
Click to expand...
I don't have a drill press, but maybe a collar on the drill bit would work well enough to get the job done. Right now, I am liking this option more than a much thicker washer on the front end.
 
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