axle repair?

[Tinman22]

Not what you would want to find when doing brakes. I have never seen a butt welded half spindle repair.

[terry]

Isn't that between inner and outer wheel bearing? If weld looks good run it,    terry

[Onyx610]

That’s a first! 

[67RModel]

16 minutes ago, terry said:

Isn't that between inner and outer wheel bearing? If weld looks good run it

I think it would have to be. There is no way a bearing would ride on that without getting destroyed in fairly short order. I wonder if it actually broke or if there was just some type of stress fatigue cracking at that machined step and they just threw some weld on it for good measure. Either way that is pretty wild. Would that pass a Federal Annual Inspection or would that be up to the discretion of the inspection mechanic?

[Onyx610]

1 hour ago, 67RModel said:

I think it would have to be. There is no way a bearing would ride on that without getting destroyed in fairly short order. I wonder if it actually broke or if there was just some type of stress fatigue cracking at that machined step and they just threw some weld on it for good measure. Either way that is pretty wild. Would that pass a Federal Annual Inspection or would that be up to the discretion of the inspection mechanic?

I don’t think they are pulling hubs on federal inspection and I know PA doesn’t require it for state inspection. So hard to say what the answer is. However it is apparently ok to make repairs like this and places like axle surgeon will come out and repair them. 

Edited March 23 by Onyx610

[Tinman22]

It was completly cut off and a piece welded back on. Some say run it. I personally don't trust it and with my luck it will definitely break right on the I-69 michigan scale and send the wheel set rolling into the scale house. So either a housing or a new spindle is the choice.

Here at BEA transpotation failure is not an option, It comes as standard equipment.

Edited March 23 by Tinman22

[Onyx610]

I wouldn’t trust it either…i feel a weld like this should be x ray certified haha.  Did you guys just get this truck? Someone make a quick repair and unload it?

[67RModel]

Yea with that information there is no way in hell I would trust or run that spindle. You basically traded the entire cross section of heat treated homogenous material for a fillet weld around the diameter of it. Somebody probably blew in a 6010 root and capped it with 7018 and called it good. Nuts

[Joey Mack]

if this was done by an axle repair company, then it should be a replacement spindle that is inserted into the axle housing, (rear or trailer).. if you see 2 plug welds about 6 inches back, I would say its an insert..  they typically cut the bad spindle of, then machine the tube, before fitting the axle insert, they also drill 2 holes in the tube if there is not a set bolt, then they weld it as shown, then plug weld the holes to the insert..  if this is just a butted up weld,,, dont use it..  like the other guys said.. jojo

[Joey Mack]

im guessing it is a drive axle, you should be able to look inside to see if its an insert..   im curious... jojo

[Vmac3]

We used to repair these axle stubs all the time. There is a company called PR Welding that will come out and weld new stubs on these meritor and eaton axles. It was quite interesting to watch, although the old man did not like an audience. After he finished stick welding the stub on, he would wrap it in fiberglass insulation. Hus welds were pristine. He would remind us to allow it cool overnight. Never had an issue with these when he did the repair. 

V

[doubleclutchinweasel]

Like JoJo said, it might be an insert that is engaged well beyond the weld.  Looking inside, you might be able to tell where the joint is.  If it is the same distance in as the outside seam, I would definitely worry because it is just a butt joint.  If the inside joint is well beyond the outside joint, then it would be the inserted stub he described.  That might be a "legitimate" repair, like Vmac described.

I've never done this to an axle spindle, but have done similar things through the years (drawbar tubes on CNC lathes come to mind).

[fjh]

1 minute ago, doubleclutchinweasel said:

Like JoJo said, it might be an insert that is engaged well beyond the weld.  Looking inside, you might be able to tell where the joint is.  If it is the same distance in as the outside seam, I would definitely worry because it is just a butt joint.  If the inside joint is well beyond the outside joint, then it would be the inserted stub he described.  That might be a "legitimate" repair, like Vmac described.

I've never done this to an axle spindle, but have done similar things through the years (drawbar tubes on CNC lathes come to mind).

There"s a roving guy in this area the spray welds trailer king pins and you can't even tell after its done even thou you are not allowed to weld on hitches ! So That said if you don't know about it when your looking at it then your likley not going to worry about it! If that axle stub was on a pilot hub wheel and the seal was dri you would have been none the wiser! you would have slammed the brakes on there and a new drum and all done just like normal ! Now that said if that vehicle comes back in a week from now with a wheel seal leak there is a problem!

Just sayin!

[doubleclutchinweasel]

1 minute ago, fjh said:

There"s a roving guy in this area the spray welds trailer king pins and you can't even tell after its done even thou you are not allowed to weld on hitches ! So That said if you don't know about it when your looking at it then your likley not going to worry about it! If that axle stub was on a pilot hub wheel and the seal was dri you would have been none the wiser! you would have slammed the brakes on there and a new drum and all done just like normal ! Now that said if that vehicle comes back in a week from now with a wheel seal leak there is a problem!

Just sayin!

I've used that spray weld a lot in the machine shop.  Spray it on, turn it to size, and rock on.  It's generally good stuff.  Hard as hell on turning tools!

[doubleclutchinweasel]

Oh, and aren't a lot of the spindles friction-welded to the actual housings?  I know they did a lot of that up at the Meritor plant.  And, seems like they made (make?) axles under contract for Mack.

Point is, a weld isn't necessarily a problem.  It's more about HOW it's welded than THAT it's welded.

Edited March 23 by doubleclutchinweasel

[Tinman22]

Its been in the family for years. my wife thinks it happened in the late 90's and her dad had it done in a pinch and just never fixed it right. 

The truck was only used around the county to move asphalt trailers and rarley ever saw 55mph or a full load. I've got it going in on monday for a new spindle at axle surgeons. Really glad that I decided on new brakes and seals otherwise I wouldn't have known it was there. Really can't believe its lasted this long.

[doubleclutchinweasel]

20 minutes ago, Tinman22 said:

Its been in the family for years. my wife thinks it happened in the late 90's and her dad had it done in a pinch and just never fixed it right. 

The truck was only used around the county to move asphalt trailers and rarley ever saw 55mph or a full load. I've got it going in on monday for a new spindle at axle surgeons. Really glad that I decided on new brakes and seals otherwise I wouldn't have known it was there. Really can't believe its lasted this long.

Well, that should take care of it regardless!

[terry]

7 hours ago, Tinman22 said:

Its been in the family for years. my wife thinks it happened in the late 90's and her dad had it done in a pinch and just never fixed it right. 

The truck was only used around the county to move asphalt trailers and rarley ever saw 55mph or a full load. I've got it going in on monday for a new spindle at axle surgeons. Really glad that I decided on new brakes and seals otherwise I wouldn't have known it was there. Really can't believe its lasted this long.

Are you sure it wasn't fixed right the first time, the weld sure looks good from the photo.    terry

[mrsmackpaul]

3 hours ago, terry said:

Are you sure it wasn't fixed right the first time, the weld sure looks good from the photo.    terry

The fact that it has lasted this long I think says the repair is fine and more than up to the task 

The repair has the runs on the board to show it's fine

As we say out here "if it aint broke, don't fix it"

 

Paul

[Hans Remmers]

I'm having flashbacks to 2005 when we put our DM dump back on the road with a set of 44's we never used.  It kept blowing 1 wheel seal daily being done by our regular mechanic.  I assembled it without a wheel seal and was checking if it ran true rotating with a dial indicator, the needle wildly jumped and I realized the plug welds were broke loose and it was chucking in the seal ring!

[Tinman22]

It might have some time on it but thats about it. Like I said earlier it was only used to move two asphalt trailers around the county from township to township usually half to empty. If it were still on that job I would leave it too.

I had a set of wheels come off the front axle of the lowboy one summer after leaving the tire shop. they rolled up county 13 crossed state 20 one hit a barn the other olmost hit the old woman mowing her grass. After collecting my wheels It took the tire shop an houre and a half to get out to me. He asked where the lug nuts were I said how the hell should I know. An hour later he was back with lug nuts. and a non matching wheel to replace the one that was not usable anymore.

A month later I got a bill from the tire shop for the road service call including the round trip for lug nuts,the lug nuts AND the rusty non matching steel wheel. 

Never did pay that bill. Old woman sent us some lug nuts that had taken the wheel for the ride and fell out in her yard with a note saying she didn't know what kind of nuts they were but she didn't like the kind of fruit that fell from the trees and we could have them back.

$1350.00 for a " I'm not gonna kill the old woman on the mower guarantee" sounds cheap to me now.

Edited March 24 by Tinman22

[Hans Remmers]

12 minutes ago, Tinman22 said:

It might have some time on it but thats about it. Like I said earlier it was only used to move two asphalt trailers around the county from township to township usually half to empty. If it were still on that job I would leave it too.

I had a set of wheels come off the front axle of the lowboy one summer after leaving the tire shop. they rolled up county 13 crossed state 20 one hit a barn the other olmost hit the old woman mowing her grass. After collecting my wheels It took the tire shop an houre and a half to get out to me. He asked where the lug nuts were I said how the hell should I know. An hour later he was back with lug nuts. and a non matching wheel to replace the one that was not usable anymore.

A month later I got a bill from the tire shop for the road service call including the round trip for lug nuts,the lug nuts AND the rusty non matching steel wheel. 

$1350.00 for a guaranteed sounds cheap to me now.

I hope you fought that bill.  Unless this was 100's of miles later there's no excuse for that.  Were these spoke wheels?

With today's brutal roads I think thats the best choice.  As long as its reputable axle surgeon company.  I think most half ass ones I described have faded away.

If that started to fail its not like you'd get much warning.

FYI for anybody here, Frontier truck parts has reconditioned axle housings in the $2500 range I've been using to replace ones with worn out spindles and broken banjos on 404 Eatons, they've been decent.

[mowerman]

Yeah looks pretty good to me I know a lot of times these guys need to get them repaired just to get out of the scales emergency situation as well I would be more worried about bearing alignment…Bob

[Dirtymilkman]

That would be fine to run. If it were done half assed the seal would've been out constantly. It has to be welded straight to not eat seals and bearings. 

[Mark T]

I once had the axle surgeon here, changed a spindle on a 462  (which turns out you're not supposed to)  and he asked if I minded if he took the broken one . Said he could use it cause the threads were good and it didn't have bearing issues.  Must be they do stuff like that.  I have a like new 46,000 pound housing  (seriously, it's not even stained from a carrier) air ride that takes the 6 bolt axles. I'd take a grand for it.