icecreamslick

My Feedback: (9)

I drive a TRAXXAS Monster Buggy and even though it is not as popular as most others, I love it. The only thing that I am having problems with is the conversion from the stock, wagon-wheel wheels and tires. I replaced them with aluminum adapters (tapped holes and added grub/set screws) and installed wheels and tires from a Cen Genesis. The problem is that the set screws will not keep the adapters on for more than a tank of fuel. There's nothing like being the laughing stock when a rear wheel spins off in the grass.

Is there a good way to drill holes through the steel axles, so I can use a set screw/axle pin? I tried a hand drill (ha ha) and even a drill press, but they barely scratched the surface! I don't know anyone who has a metal working shop, but I will seek one out if there is something that can put holes in the four shafts.

Could a welder burn a decent hole through without screwing them up? [sm=drowning.gif]

Thanks,
Jason

Slammed

Have you tried Locktite?

bigmodman

on a drill press you need to lock it down with a clamp and then drill your hole.oh and i would try heating up the metal and drill into it while its red hot.it might work it might not.

icecreamslick

My Feedback: (9)

Oh, yes; blue at first, then red. []

Here are some pictures of one of the axles (one for each wheel). The flat spot for the set screw is where the hole needs to be. Any advice is appreciated, but I know that solutions are probably going to be limited.

jimbo1890

Find someone with a lathe and turn up your wheel adaptors out of steel which is a lot harder than those aluminium ones. you can then tighten up your grubscrews and not worry about stripping them.

MrMikeG

You can use a small cutting disk on a dremel to concave the flatspots a little, then get long setscrews and locktite everything. put the locktite between the axle and the adapter as well!

icecreamslick

My Feedback: (9)

Thanks, Guys! [sm=thumbup.gif] That's one reason that I love this forum; advice for weird problems is always available.

Jason

MauiMikey

I had the same issue when building a custom rig using 8mm hardened steel rod for axles. On advice of a "steel" friend I heated the ends with a micro torch until glowing red and allowed them to cool slowly. I ground a small flat where I needed to cross drill, clamped them up in a v-block and vice on the drill press, used a GOOD drill bit (Cobalt I believe) with plenty of WD40 for coolant/lubricant, and Shazzam! I understand you can regain some hardness by heating again and dropping them in ice water although I didn't bother.
Good Luck.

carpy100

if you do the cold water thing it will make the metal really brittle!

reddog6625

if you are going to heat down wery hott metal or steel you need to do it on oil, otherwise when you do it in water, it is true that it is going to beee really hard but fragile as glass. So if you do it in oil you will get a bit less harder than with water BUT it is ghoing to be flexible and not rigid.

Do it 4 or 5 times (heat up coool down) and and you will get it near inuff perfect

best oil is if you not an engineeer and you do not hawe special ones, is 4 stroke or used 4 stroke oil.