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Snapped an axle

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Is the housing or hub bent near the wheel? That would stress the axle on every rotation. Insert the new axle with no o-ring or gasket and check to see if the is a gap anywhere when you hold the axle in by hand. If the housing or hub is bent you will have one area that is touching that gets progressively larger to the point that is 180 degrees away from the point that they touch. If you keep looking as you continue around the gap will decrees until you get to the point of contact. Do not rotate the axle when performing this check and do not use the fasteners during this check it will bend the parts closing the gap.
 
After the break, I replaced my axles with a pair designated BTA806S. They're supposedly one of the later, stronger types, and the guy I bought them from gets the splines hardened. So far no further problems, but it's possible that's because the car has been in the garage several months with clutch problems.

My understanding is that Bugeye axles usually break near the hub; they're even weaker there than at the splines. As for that junky replacement axle, it was probably just the luck of the draw that it broke where it did. It was sure to break somewhere.
 
I think the break at the flange is more rare. The twisted splines usually start a little at a time. It is a good idea to take them out every so often and check them. The racer guys do it all the time. My BE when I got it had one good axle and one with the spline just ever-so twisted. What every you do, do not switch them side to side, thinking that will untwist them! All that does is accelerate the fracture. Bought two ( from a 74) so now I have a spare.
Scott in CA
 
Looks lie glass bead will do them same w/ mulriple passes. I wonder if brake lathe cuttings will work for shot peening?
 
In my experience, street cars break more axles at the inner (spline) end. And racers tend to break them at the outer (hub) end). This is not 100% true.....but more generally.

I used to break them at the spline end when I was autocrossing. All the sudden starts did it.

On the other hand, road racing tends to have less sudden starts but flexs the outer part of the axle during hard cornering (especially with single-bearing hubs and sticky tires).

I broke about two or three a year at the outer hub end until I switched to double-bearing hubs (which reduces the flex on the axles....these axles are semi-floating). I only did that a few years ago.
The double-bearing hubs are almost $500 and used axles can be gotten for $10 :wink:

As stated, it's real important that the entire differential/axle housing be straight. I bend one (slightly) in a race accident a few years ago and I snapped two more axles that weekend. To be honest, it's hard to find a really, really straight one!

I don't know if ChrisS will see this. He <span style="text-decoration: underline">murdered</span> an axle spline so bad that it had to be removed with a plasma torch. He had some good pictures of it.
 
I have to share my "snapped an axle story". I was moving in my 65' sprite, pulling a 4'x 5' trailer from Minnesota to Arizona. Following an E ticket ride down the Rattan Pass at the Colorado/New Mexico border, I headed out of Las Vegas N.M. I'm about 75 miles down the interstate, high as a kite (35 years ago) going up a hill in 4th gear. Change to 3rd gear when the tach went to 7 grand and the car stopped moving. Just revved.

I rolled it to the shoulder, Not another car in sight, nothing in site. Check the map and i figure I'm 100 miles from anything. I notice an unmarked driveway and look down the hill about 20' from where I pulled off and see a security checkpoint. Walked to to the checkpoint and find I am at the Southern Baptist Conference Center.

They have an auto repair station on the compound! It's Saturday and by the time we shove the car down the hill and roll into the garage it is too late to get a replacement. Stayed with the mechanic till Monday morning, then rode with his son 100 miles to Albuquerque to pick up an axle. Back on the rode and all the way to Phoenix without any other incidents.

Memorable trip.
 
https://www.britishcarforum.com/bcforum/u...icat#Post677295

is an earlier thread discussing axle shafts and has some axle identifying information.
Now, if one of you guys wouldn't mind popping by this evening: I'm trying to get the input shaft bushing out of the butt-end of the 948 cc crank (going for a 5 speed); the borrowed puller wouldn't work; ran a tap into it with the idea that the tap would cut threads and then push the bushing out when the tap hit the end of the crank - broke an unbreakable socket tightening it down (but at least the tap didn't shatter); used to have a couple of carbide burrs but at $ 40 for a burr we'll pass on replacing them; next step up is to run a 1/2" drill bit through and remove some of the metal, then spend some quality time lying on the concrete going 'hrooba/hrooba' with a hack saw blade to cut through the rest of the bushing and hopefully be able to get it out then. Current temperature is -23C (about -10F) but there's heat in the garage. And the Bug-Eye was our only car - summer & winter - for a couple of years back in the 70s. Probably one of the few on this site that had a block heater at one point.
Doug
 
Before you drill the bushing out bigger find a 1/2" steel or aluminum dowel about 4 or 5" long- FILL the cavity FULL of grease until it won't hold any more, insert the dowel into the hole and (carefully) hit it with a hammer.
Be careful of the grease that squirts by! it will be coming out at VERY high speed!
The hydraulic force will push the bushing out. Done it many times.
BillM
 
The easy way is like,,,, someone correct me if I have it wrong. Fill hole with grease, pick a drift pin that just fits in input shaft bushing, place on top of grease and hit with hammer.
 
Thanks for the ideas - I'll be trying a combo tomorrow: tonight, ran a 1/2" bolt into the threads that the tap had cut yesterday with the 1/2" ratchet (and a bloody big screw driver holding the flywheel) until it bottomed and then tried tightening it further to back the bushing out; no go; switched out to the 18" breaker bar; put foot on breaker bar; no go; brain finally cut in: fired up the air compressor and hit the bolt with the 1/2" impact; nothing; dang! said Ah Ha! (prematurely, it turns out) and got the 3/4" impact and 125 psi; still no go.
At this point, I'm pretty impressed with the threads that are cut into that bushing. Left the bolt torqued up dang tight and came in for the evening. I've been spraying the bushing/crank joint regularly with penetrating stuff; tomorrow I'll back the bolt out and fill the cavity with grease and try tightening down again with the bolt - I'm thinking that should provide an equivalent hydraulic force. If that still doesn't work, then I'll run the 1/2" drill bit through and try the grease and steel bar routine; then "hroobah/hroobah" with the hacksaw blade.
And I appreciated the 65Sprite story!
Doug
 
Bolt just may not provide the jolt that is required to knock that thing loose.
 
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