Linear Shafting as Axle Spacers

[Tim The Grim]

So I’m converting the rear wheel on my old chop to a cast wheel with tapered roller bearings, a disc brake and a 3/4 axle, up from 5/8.
I need all new spacers for the bearing seals and something for the caliper bracket to ride on. Rather than buy a nickel plated assortment, I decided to make what I need out of some 1-1/8 polished linear shafting.
The shaft is 1566 case hardened from McMaster Carr. The OD is glass hard, nicely polished and eats carbide inserts. The ID is relatively free machining and easy to drill and deburr.
I parted the pieces off with a reinforced cutoff wheel on the surface grinder and then faced them off in the lathe while I fit things up. I’ll finalize the lengths on the grinder.
The pic shows the depth of the case which is much deeper than I expected. I got lucky being able to drill out as far as I needed. Good stuff and only $22 for a foot long piece. I’ll have some left over for the front wheel when the time comes.

[wierdscience]

Yep,I use it for pins and bushings on a regular basis, good for a lot of things and like you say, cheap for what it is.

[BCRider]

With the hardness that'll take a bit of work for the seals and road grit to wear away. Nice idea! ! And yeah, lucky you hit your sizes before getting to the hard part. What did you use to face it to length? Carbide and just live with the wear?

[Tim The Grim]

Yeah, I would use the side of the insert and shave back from the ID. The point was already shot so I wasn’t worried about trashing that side of the triangle.

I would love to know the process they use to get that deep and uniform a case.

[Davidhcnc]

Did you notice it gets bigger diameter when you drill it out?

[754]

I have made literally hundreds of wheel spacer bushings, for mototcycles. And over 90 percent were Aluminum.. if a brake caller mount had to sled over one or be welded on it was steel. 1/3 the weight, no painting or plating, no complaints.

[wierdscience]

I would love to know the process they use to get that deep and uniform a case.

Induction hardening, like in this video, except smaller diameters and done horizontally.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wokgaqrQqvo

[Tim The Grim]

Thanks, I enjoyed that video.

This is the high desert and we have dust storms with nano size dust every other week. I replace my truck windshield about every 3 years from the blasting it gets. Aluminum with a seal spinning around it is not gonna cut it down here.
It’s my own bike. I’ll own it 50 years in August. I don’t compromise.

[JRouche]

The shaft is 1566 case hardened from McMaster Carr. The OD is glass hard, nicely polished and eats carbide inserts. The ID is relatively free machining and easy to drill and deburr.

I like what you are doing. I made bushings for my car. Its always nice to make yer own chit. JR