Spindle Surface Issue - Run or Replace!

[Outbounders]

Long story short, left my knuckles in the home brew rust reformer longer than I planned and looks like it affected the surface of the spindles. They no longer look polished. Wondering if that’s an issue or not? Should I look at replacing them or run em? Any info is helpful, thanks! Of note, the bearings seem to slide over them as they did before, very little if any play from what I can tell.

 

[excessive]

you havent done anything to affect the metallurgy, i'd run them. they look amazing actuallly

 

[TahoeZ]

Run em.

 

[Malleus]

What was in the "home brew? And why was it needed?

I doubt you could determine play, from a bearing fit, by hand. I know I couldn't, and I've been doing this work all my life. I'd need a dial indicator, but if there was no measured runout, or wobble, I'd use them.

FWIW, bearing journals usually aren't polished, they are usually either turned or ground. The spindle journals I've seen were all turned.

 

[Aracobuilt]

I am no expert, but it looks really good.

 

[OEMGUY0720]

Can you share the recipe for your home brew rust reformer? That looks good tbh.

 

[Trapper50cal]

What's going on here?

Is that something a razor blade could remove? Or is it some type of corrosion?

 

[Outbounders]

What was in the "home brew? And why was it needed?

I doubt you could determine play, from a bearing fit, by hand. I know I couldn't, and I've been doing this work all my life. I'd need a dial indicator, but if there was no measured runout, or wobble, I'd use them.

FWIW, bearing journals usually aren't polished, they are usually either turned or ground. The spindle journals I've seen were all turned.

It was actually the recipe you posted in another thread. Worked great, I used it to remove the rust on the knuckle assembly.

Can you share the recipe for your home brew rust reformer? That looks good tbh.

@2001LC If you're buying Evaporust by the gallon (or 5–gallon) bucket, I can save you some cash.

In one liter of distilled water, add 100–g of citric acid and 40–g of washing powder. If you want a little stickiness, add a squirt of dishsoap. This, and some green color, is the recipe for Evaporust. Pro tip: mix this in at least a 2–gallon bucket/container. When you add the washing powder to the citric acid, it "boils" when the excess oxygen is released. The soap makes it even more bubbly. After 5 minutes, it'll be flat again.

IME, this works better than the commercial recipe, and reuses much longer.

I mix it 2 quarts at a time, because I don't have spare 5–gallon buckets lying around when I mix my batches.

Buy the citric acid by the 2– or 5–pound bag. It stores, closed, forever.

FWIW, you can use baking powder, but you have to use 65–g/mix, to make up for the lack of calcium, which is replaced by the hydrogen in the baking powder.

From another thread on mud. Definitely cheaper, and seems to work really well.

 

[Outbounders]

What's going on here?

View attachment 4100855

Is that something a razor blade could remove? Or is it some type of corrosion?

It’s built up rust. I used a file and some emery cloth to get the last bits of it off.

 

[Malleus]

It was actually the recipe you posted in another thread. Worked great, I used it to remove the rust on the knuckle assembly.



From another thread on mud. Definitely cheaper, and seems to work really well.

That can't have changed the surface finish appreciably. If it was OK to begin with, it still is. However, if it was pitted before, it still will be. The chelation action only removes the oxide.