RP Rear Hub

[Tony Press]

The woodruff key is not there to provide a drive between the half shaft and the hub.  The tapers are the mechanism for the drive and that is why the shaft should be lapped into the hub.  The problem with old shafts and hubs is that there is less metal available for lapping the two together after 80 odd years of use.  The key is there just to stop the shaft turning as you tighten up the hub nut. I doubt the nut worked loose, more a case of the shaft and hub surfaces wearing slightly and becoming loose.  I now assemble shaft and hub with "LocTite Bearing Fit" to delay any wear between the surfaces and to fill any imperfections in the mating surfaces.
I was lucky enough to find some better half shafts, but the ones I used for 10 years had the keyways ripped out of them. These were welded up to fill the holes and then re-machined. One hub was a poor fit and I used "tin can" metal to make a cone shaped shim and assembled with "Liquid Metal" paste.

If the hub sheared the key and the axle rotated it will most likely have cut grooves in the tapers, forming a nice 'locked' taper needing a bit of a pull to free- R's solution to spot weld the puller on to the hub might be the best solution - the hub and axle might be too damaged to recover if the tapers are badly grooved.

File up the axle and lap on a new hub might just recover the assembly.

Tony.

[Robert Leigh]

The woodruff key is not there to provide a drive between the half shaft and the hub.  The tapers are the mechanism for the drive and that is why the shaft should be lapped into the hub.  The problem with old shafts and hubs is that there is less metal available for lapping the two together after 80 odd years of use.  The key is there just to stop the shaft turning as you tighten up the hub nut. I doubt the nut worked loose, more a case of the shaft and hub surfaces wearing slightly and becoming loose.  I now assemble shaft and hub with "LocTite Bearing Fit" to delay any wear between the surfaces and to fill any imperfections in the mating surfaces.
I was lucky enough to find some better half shafts, but the ones I used for 10 years had the keyways ripped out of them. These were welded up to fill the holes and then re-machined. One hub was a poor fit and I used "tin can" metal to make a cone shaped shim and assembled with "Liquid Metal" paste.

If you are going to spot weld a ring onto the hub it should be welded to the larger portion beyond the thread, so that it can be removed and leave you with a recoverable thread hopefully.
If the hub sheared the key and the axle rotated it will most likely have cut grooves in the tapers, forming a nice 'locked' taper needing a bit of a pull to free- R's solution to spot weld the puller on to the hub might be the best solution - the hub and axle might be too damaged to recover if the tapers are badly grooved.

File up the axle and lap on a new hub might just recover the assembly.

Tony.

[AmytheAustin]

Thanks everyone, all good useful information and confirms pretty much what I thought so at least I'm not going mad (at least not yet!). I'm new to Austin7ing so am learning something everyday and loving it. Quite different from many years with '60's classics.
I'll now concentrate on attempting to remove the hub hopefully without damaging anything......and no, I'll certainly not be using chisels or sledge hammers on my little 7....reserve those tools for series Landies ?

[Bob Culver]

We are getting a bit ahead but personally I would not lap and ruin a new hub onto a bedraggled taper. Carefully fine file and fit the taper to the good hub using blue and ensre that a very heavy contact is acheived inboard of the key. Provided it is never allowed to turn the hub will remain good.

[AmytheAustin]

We are getting a bit ahead but personally I would not lap and ruin a new hub onto a bedraggled taper. Carefully fine file and fit the taper to the good hub using blue and ensre that a very heavy contact is acheived inboard of the key. Provided it is never allowed to turn the hub will remain good.

Noted 

[Chris KC]

However you choose to do it, do the halfshaft nuts up very tight - one of the few cases where it's a good idea to slip some tube over your spanner and give it some more leverage.

[AmytheAustin]

However you choose to do it, do the halfshaft nuts up very tight - one of the few cases where it's a good idea to slip some tube over your spanner and give it some more leverage.

Indeed, it'll be on tight this time.........and the offside will be double checked as well!!