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Axle tube cracked -- Can it be fixed?


rjgoth

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Hello all. I have a 1965 or 1966 Simplicity Landlord 101, that I am restoring. I was taking the diffrential off the right side of the axle tube and I noticed that the axle tube was cracked. The crack is shown in the picture that I attached, I highlighted it in red to make it stand out. My question is; how can I fix this? I was just curious if any of you may have run into this problem, and hopefully there is a fix for it. Thank you for your time. Ryan :)

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Since the crack is that small, a welding and machine shop should be able to repair it. The stress area is already defined with no apparent distortion, so it should come out just as good as a new axle tube. Judging by the prices in my area, I would guestimate the repair to be about $75. Pat
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Ryan, As Pat said, it probably can be repaired. There are a few things to keep in mind. Welding will change the properties of the surrounding metal, and on a thin tube this might be a factor. Also, if I recall correctly, there is an inner brass bearing to the axel, if this is inside the broken area, it will most likely need to be replaced. Personally, I would either get a rear end with less stress or a tube off another tractor. These are not as rare as you may believe; a lot of us have extra ones sitting around. Let me know if you need help.
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New ones are also available but run about $140.00. If you can't find used or repair yours let me know. I probably have a new one in stock
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Does the crack run from the outside end, through the keyway and back down to the inside? I am going by the red marker. You can try weilding, but I would be looking for another tube. The keyway will be hard to weild and make the key fit back in. Good luck on whatever you decide. Fuzy, What is the service history on the tube axles. I don't know how long you have been in parts with the dealer, but has the tube axle always been a stock item?
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I wouldn't weld it myself without a lathe and milling machine, for the reasons that DaleC mentioned. Even if you could preserve the original keyway, I wouldn't want to use it. I would have the keyway welded along with the crack and have a new one cut at least 90 degrees from the weld. Pat
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We have a full machine shop and fabrication shop where I work so hopefully I can get someone to weld it up for me and then I can get the keyway re-machined, and the outside re-turned on the lathe. I guess I have nothing to loose trying to weld and re-machine, where if it does not work, then I will work on getting a used one or a new one. Thank you for your advise. Ryan
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You will need both the inside and outside of the axle tube turned, the inside has to be machined for the axle shaft bearings. While you're at it, check the keyways for the final drive gear and left hub. It might be easier to find a parts tractor with a good rear end and just swap trannys out. Then you would have either spare parts or a tranny that you could rebuild at your leisure and swap back in once finished....
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Dale, We have probably had the tube as a stocked item for 10 years or so. We probably see 1-3 failures a year. (Just a good guess because I don't have a record of my sales history in front of me) Being as large a dealer/distributor as we are, we stock much more than a normal dealer would. Usually the tubes have been lasting 15-20+ years. I can't think of any customers who have changed more than 1 in the 15+ years I have been at my dealership.
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John, I see you post a lot about parts and such. Which dealer do you work for? Are they a sponsor, or perhaps they'd like to be? It would be great to give them recognition, perhaps by recommending them as a Sponsoring Dealer along the likes of Sandy Lake Implement, Jeff Nemes, and others.....
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Dale is correct. I have worked for Tennies for about 12 years total. We have been a sponsor for several years now. Our current web site is www.simplicityparts.com We will be starting a brand new site within the next few days that has a searchable parts database and a secure shopping cart system. As soon as it goes live I will post a message with the new site's address.
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Cool!! I knew you had to be well sourced from the information you have available. I have yet to try you guys out but will keep you in mind for future needs.... Hey, even old scroungers need new parts once in a while!!
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Hi, I personally would not try to repair the tube. I would suspect that the crack extends invisably a lot further than you can see. Often these run out at a 45 degree angle and then a chunk comes out and breaks the transmission sideplate in the bearing area. Then you need a now tube and sideplate. My 2 cents worth and its free. Value accordingly. Al Eden
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Thank you to all that replyed with suggestions. I have decided to manufacture a new axle tube to the factory measurements. I will make the new tube out of 4140 tube steel which should be much tougher than the stock one. I will cut exact keyways into it as well as press in new bushings that will be reamed to original factory measurements for the axle. I only need one for myself, but I am buying the 4140 steel tubing in bulk, which means that I will have plenty more material left to make many more axle tubes. My question for the group is if any of you would be interested in a new axle tube for use as a repair, or for an extra one "just in case" If I know that more people want one it would be easy for me to just make a bunch of them up. I know these are not cheap new ~$140-$160. I would sell these in the area of $75-$100 (Ballpark estimate). Let me know. Ryan
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