axle case spreader

[yagernc]

Hey guyz, this is my first post here, i like seeing everyone projects,i finally have one worthy of posting...

I have a few axle projects to finish off for some friends and with it being cold, I wanted to reduce the time laying on the floor prying out the chunks. I didnt want to pay the $300 price tag on a boughten tool so i made my own.... I'm using 1.5x1.5 .120 square for most of it and the rest is stuff i had laying around. I need to do a little more work on the safty catchs to make em more universal but it works for now....

basically there a large machined hole on each side of the case, i used 2 9/16 blots i needed to just round off the heads to make em fit. The rest is as seen in the pic...

hopefully i attacth the pic right...

l8r -mike

[morpheus]

nice work man. I like the axle working stand too !

- jack

[Blkvoodoo]

Nice job !!

Umm, can I borrow it ?

Heh heh .....

Kevin

[dysfunction]

Very nice, be careful how far you're spreading the case though (the big reason I havent made one, Im too lazy to use a dial indicator when spreadin, and I know it ;D ) The stands definatley cool

[yagernc]

thanks guys, ya i definitly planned to slap a dial on it. It's actually hard (for me) to pry one out on the stand, as everythign wants to move around which prompted the new tool....Plus with my skinny butt, i aint got any weight to throw in to it....

I got board 1 night, so this cart is light weight protoype #1 :-D works great on rear axles and temp storage... it gets a little off balanced with a front on it... But its small and light ~20# and it fits under my shelf or in the crawl space....

Next one will have 1 end slide, and be a little higher, tired of sitting on a stool :-) Look for it in the future....

-yag

[ZACHV]

The only thing I see wrong is that you are working on a Dana 35!! The only thing they are good for is a boat achor.
JK. Nice work on the spreader.

[morpheus]

be nice zach, I figured he just set it up there for illustration purposes. then ... he threw it out

- jack

[yagernc]

Hey be nice !!! No PBB smack downs here Its NOT mine honest, i run toy 8"s in my zuke buggy. That 35 is now a Super 35, With the 30 spline shafts and the detroit... I threw it together a few weeks back.

Actually the jeep was in my garage today and i got to use the spreaeder on the front axle, need to drill a few more adjestment holes but it worked well. I welded a small 2x3 1/8" to a 5/16 bolt to hold my dial ind. and a 2nd on the other side, The 3/8" NF bolt for the adjusnment work great with lots of control, ~ 2 turns per .001 on the guage, I only cranked it enought ease poping out the chunk... Works great... Think I should have made it smaller thought....

l8r -yag

[ZACHV]

Just baggin' on 'ya. Actually, it was some real nice work. I like someone like yourself that can see something and make something just like/better than it. Just wondering, but now that you have made one, what would you charge to make another. I have a buddy that sets up R&Ps that need one of those. We could make one, sure, but you already have the design down.

[Teeps]

Hey guys,

sorry to revive an old post here.

I actually am working on some Aluminum IRS pumpkins, and I've been lucky with a few, that I didn't need a spreader to work on, but I've got two here that are very stubborn.

The Ford manual calls for a spreader on the 8.8 Aluminum pumpkin, and they advised you will damage the housing (shim surface) if you try to forced the carrier out (pretty good interference fit).

Especially since I'm building one up for a friend, I don't want to go damaging the case, so a spreader is my only option on these particular units.

Unfortunately no rental places around rent anything like this, so I'm going to build my own.

Just out of curiosity, what thickness steel did you use? 3/8?

I'm not sure what kind of torque to expect here, thanks for any insight on proper materials to use.

I'm thinking of making one kind of like this.

http://www.tooldesk.com/products/productDetail.aspx+id+11

Looks like two thick side pieces that will bolt direct to the housing (or via adapter plates), and then top has two parallel pieces that bolt to the top and bottom of the thick side pieces. Then the last side has some type of threaded fitting between two plates.

Not sure how I'll do the turn buckle portion yet probably start with some nuts welded in.
One side must swivel and the other side must move on the threads, no?
Thanks for any insight on your build up!!!

[yagernc]

tubeing is 1.5" .120 mild steel, with 3/16" for the flats, (whati had handy) Honestly i expected more stress on the tool, but it spread the cases with total ease... I'd go real easy on an aluminum case... -mike

[Teeps]

Thanks bud, that helps alot, btw if you don't mind my asking, what did you use for the Rod? to control the expansion?

Thanks.

[yagernc]

its a 3/8" Fine Thread bolt (grade 5 IIRC) the bolt is welded to a sleeve thats pin'd on the right side, other end free floats into a hole on the cap of the lower square tube, with a few washers under the nut to help it spin, very little effort needed. I think a course thread would work just fine, but the fine thread slows me down from goign to fast happy to help... -mike

[toolaholic]

great work, and you,re no junior ,junior!

keep the pix coming, and welcome

[SuperchargedS10]

looks good. i have been thinking about building one of those.