I know, you should just buy one, and I am... going to a chromoly heavy wall tube axle....
...but for now, I've got a broken 1.25" solid aluminum axle. Snapped off completely right a the bearing. Never again... chromoly every time going forward. To be fair, the design should have had the bearings closer to the wheel, but still.... quads tend to run much more length out to the wheels.
It happened last night. The trouble is, my boy has a couple friends coming over this weekend, and the whole weekend was planned around them ripping around on go karts, so he is really disappointed about it.... and well, that's life, so it is okay for him to learn that. Also, it is okay for him to learn to pull your boot straps up and figure **** out if you want it bad enough.... So I'm sitting at my office brainstorming on ways to come up with a temporary axle with the limited supplies around here. I can get the chromoly axle here in a couple weeks, but that doesn't help me right now.
I thought about trying to weld it, but I don't have the rig. A buddy of mine might have the right welder, but I've never welded aluminum, neither has he, and what are the chances we'd get it reasonably straight and strong enough.
So, my next idea - buy the thickest wall length of 1.25" welded steel tube at the local pacific steel.... it is all they really have on hand. They don't keep DOM or aluminum in stock. Maybe I could try to telescope 1" tube inside, or go with a solid piece of 1.25" round bar (HEAVY). Then grind out the key slot and tack some key stock in place for the accessories
Ideas? We're saving a boys dream fun weekend here... this isn't a permanent solution, just one good enough for a weekend.
...but for now, I've got a broken 1.25" solid aluminum axle. Snapped off completely right a the bearing. Never again... chromoly every time going forward. To be fair, the design should have had the bearings closer to the wheel, but still.... quads tend to run much more length out to the wheels.
It happened last night. The trouble is, my boy has a couple friends coming over this weekend, and the whole weekend was planned around them ripping around on go karts, so he is really disappointed about it.... and well, that's life, so it is okay for him to learn that. Also, it is okay for him to learn to pull your boot straps up and figure **** out if you want it bad enough.... So I'm sitting at my office brainstorming on ways to come up with a temporary axle with the limited supplies around here. I can get the chromoly axle here in a couple weeks, but that doesn't help me right now.
I thought about trying to weld it, but I don't have the rig. A buddy of mine might have the right welder, but I've never welded aluminum, neither has he, and what are the chances we'd get it reasonably straight and strong enough.
So, my next idea - buy the thickest wall length of 1.25" welded steel tube at the local pacific steel.... it is all they really have on hand. They don't keep DOM or aluminum in stock. Maybe I could try to telescope 1" tube inside, or go with a solid piece of 1.25" round bar (HEAVY). Then grind out the key slot and tack some key stock in place for the accessories
Ideas? We're saving a boys dream fun weekend here... this isn't a permanent solution, just one good enough for a weekend.
