Simplicity 728 rear axle shafts

[Guest]

I'm going through an old (71) 728 Broadmoor and I'm puzzled with the damage found on the rear wheel hub assemblies.

On this unit, the wheel hubs are one piece with a portion of axle tube that slide over the differential axle shaft on both sides. These two components are locked together with a 5/16 pin and cotter key.

On mine the hollow tube hub portion around the locking pin has elongated such that the pin hole is over an inch long! Is this common?

Any ideas on a fix? I assume that the parts are available but I hate to spend money.

Thanks in advance.

[Fred 1]

This is about the only major flaw the this series of Broadmoor has. Mine are also elonggated (not as much) and that is something you live with or find another 'scrapper' with better hubs or by new ones. I just makes the machine a little more sloppier driving and braking. Trying to close up the holes with an arc welder is almost impossible.

[Kent 435]

You can also mig or gas weld them up and replace the pins with 3/8 X 2.5 grade 5 bolts with HD flat washers on each side and locknuts - run them up tight to help them from twisting. Also check the big drive pulley set screw - they can also loosen up periodically.

[Guest]

Thank you both.

I didn't want to offer the "design flaw" words because I'm new to this board.

Bruce

[khtsr 0]

Hey anybody ever think of tuning them 1/4 turn and redrilling the holes?
Just a thought.
Ken

[Guest]

You Sir, are brilliant!!

[paulfreda 0]

No just an old farm boy.:)
You could also bend a washer to fit the conture of the axle and weld one on each end after you drill the holes.
Use the heavy ones 1/8" thick.
Just another thought.
Ken

[Guest]

Here's the deal; the holes in the wheel assembly are too close to the rim edge to drill a clean hole at the proper location. But your other comment made me think.

I'm gonna find a pipe (black) with an ID of close tolerance to the OD of the goobered piece and drill hole through it. Then slide it over the damage and weld in place. I think that if I fill the void left under the new piece on the worn area is filled with an epoxy material I can take care of the stresses placed on the through bolt.

Thanks for changing my angle of attack.

[khtsr 0]

Well I've always found that everyone has a different view of any problem.
Hope I helped you out, and it will probably work.
What you plan will probably work. If you re-enforce the worn area it can't hurt.
Good luck,
Ken

[Guest]

This Discussion site is great. I purchased a '74 738 Broadmoor with a similar problem. But the previous owners had put a sleeve on the axle shafts inside near the transmission and welded the wheel hubs to the sleeve. The problem then was that the sleeves were so tight that I could not remove the wheel, even with a puller. So I had to split the transmssion case with a wheel attached. Wasn't fun but it worked.