I am in the process of replacing back axle after replacing a half shaft and I wondered what to do if it happened somewhere other than my drive whilst manouvering.
Looking up bravenet from about 2014 you can remove wheel and brake drum separate two halves of hub, pull broken half off with halfshaft still in it, put a ball bearing or suitably sized nut in hole and reassemble.
This pushes the half shaft in, lockking the diff, I assume by pushing the two half shafts together.
Since my failure was about the interference fit failing and the woodruff key getting chewed up ( I suspect a more common failure than an outright fracture). It appeared that by removing the halfshaft castle nut and then using the hub puller to “ push” the half shaft in, this would work as well.
Sorry if I'm getting wrong end of stick but if only the key has failed, surely you can re-tighten onto what's left of the taper and drive on? The key serves little purpose if the shaft is lapped into the hub as it should be.
Yes I agree tightening the nut may do the trick, I am hoping I don’t need to try, but if that didn’t work I was thinking this may work as a backup. as for the puller fouling the wheel the hub cap would probably need to be removed which I have never tried but it looks as though it clips on.
I am hoping this is likely to remain theoretical anyway.
You would have to run with the puller still on the hub, but then it would be impossible to fit the wheel. I have heard that the odd 7 lost its wheel and the wheel overtook the car, but it would have to be really badly loaded to keep it balanced on the remaining 3 wheels.
(26-04-2018, 04:05 PM)bob46320 Wrote: You would have to run with the puller still on the hub, but then it would be impossible to fit the wheel. I have heard that the odd 7 lost its wheel and the wheel overtook the car, but it would have to be really badly loaded to keep it balanced on the remaining 3 wheels.
The A7 Companion suggests using a (brass) wheel nut as the get you home spacer. J. Pope suggests no more than 100 miles or the Hub bearing Race will be taking the "bending load" & will eventually fail.
I note that H Briggs in Dec 53 said that to do the hub nut up tight enough you should use a 6' (FOOT!) tommy bar!!! and then check the tightness of the nut regularly- which could be taken up by one castellation" for some considerable time"....and he had no cases of failure on his fleet of A7 vans. So There!
I have used a nut inserted between the to halves of the broken half, you do not need to keep the hub puller attached. Keep the speed down to say 30MPH. New shafts are available from suppliers.
Removing the wheel hub cap at the side of the road would be a dam site harder than pulling the outer hub off and replacing the broken key with the spare we all carry in our tool kits wouldn't it? Once a hub outer has spun the taper is invariably damaged, tightening the nut may get you home but if the hub spins more you risk further scoring of the taper, far better to fit the spare key drive home carefully, then do the job properly.
(26-04-2018, 09:03 PM)Ian Williams Wrote: Removing the wheel hub cap at the side of the road would be a dam site harder than pulling the outer hub off and replacing the broken key with the spare we all carry in our tool kits wouldn't it? Once a hub outer has spun the taper is invariably damaged, tightening the nut may get you home but if the hub spins more you risk further scoring of the taper, far better to fit the spare key drive home carefully, then do the job properly.
I agree with Ian & Others. If the key was the problem, fit your spare key - or if you've done the job properly in the first place your hub/axle taper should be lapped on properly and you won't need a key. I raced my Chummy special I think for four seasons without any keys fitted - they're only extra weight!!!) Good Luck, Cheers, Bill
