Best Way to Narrow Axle Shafts

[maxxa87]

I've already figured out what I'm going to do with the housing itself. I'm only narrowing the rear for a dually project. Mocking it up, removing the straight axle adapter, putting the bearing in the housing like the front, and sliding the axle shaft through the housing puts the center line if the two dually tires in the center line of the front tire. Looks perfect to me. I'm looking for ideas on cutting the shafts down or another sutable idea. I thought maybe I'd get lucky and the short side shaft from the Wraith would work but it's the same length.

[The-Blacksheep]

thats a tough one there maybe tig welding them after you vut to length? but then again im not even sure if that would hold up, would be the best best as far as strength unless you were able to sleeve the shaft and weld the sleeve onto the shafts some how, or maybe even tap and die a sleeve and the shafts and just screw them into a sleeve, thats a tough one buddy hope these idea give you one, or is usable somehow!

[maxxa87]

That's the two ideas I had. I have a mig welder but I'm sort of an amateur. I think I'm going to buy a spare pair and try it out. I'm not going to cut the housing itself so it's reversible. My plan was to get a piece of brake line tubing and that fits tight and use it to sleeve the joint after it's cut to length and weld both ends. I just wanted to see if there was a better way. I found lots of threads of narrowing housings but no one ever really goes into depth on the shafts themselves and they also never wrote back in the thread whether or not it held up.

[old man 52]

What axles are you using? And how much shorter do they need to be.

[hoghead5150]

why not cut the shaft down from the side that slides into the locker, and just regrind the flats on the axle to slide into the locker? seems alot easier than cutting in the middle and welding/sleeving. would be stronger i would think also. i know guys with ax10's do this to xr10 axle shafts for the front end.

[maxxa87]

Using the stock rear axle and shafts old man 52. hoghead, on the stock shafts there is a ring made into the shaft where it meets the bearing. Also, the shaft is a larger diameter where it goes into the locker than in the center.



I could order these and cut them down since they are the same diameter all the way through.