MTFCA Forum

I have an original set of Dayton wheels and hubs but one of the rear hubs has a bad bore and keyway. I have looked for another, but so far no luck. I am getting ready to machine a new hub, which is work, but not really hard. The challenging part for me is broaching the keyway in the hub. I would need to make some special tooling and jigs and I don’t think my hydraulic press is stable enough to do the job). If you have done this job before, I would love to know how. Alternatively, does anyone know of a shop or person who I can get to do the job?

This is something I would hire out to a machine shop that specializes in cutting keyways. I'm not sure Alaska would have many of these shops however.

Here is one such shop near me, (not much of a website...).

http://centralslotter.com/

Another: https://superiormetalfinishingdetroit.c ... g-machine/

A wire EDM shop could do it as well, but I'm not always impressed by the skill level of machinists that do wire EDM work.

Try contacting Jack Putnam. I bought one of his newly machined Dayton pin drive rear hubs and it was perfect.

If the taper can be saved by lapping it to an old axle then the keyway can be filed out with modified square files, then mill a stepped key to fit?
Craig.

Graig, the bore was monkeyed with in an attempt to “restore” it and is not save-able without welding and then I would have to do the machining anyway. I would rather start from scratch and have a hub I know is good.

ModelTSpeedster wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 18, 2024 10:34 am

Try contacting Jack Putnam. I bought one of his newly machined Dayton pin drive rear hubs and it was perfect.

I don’t think they are still available. Jack offered me some raw castings, but I would still have to do the machining.

For every .001” of diametral wear (or machining error) in the taper, the hub will move along the axle about .009”. A little wear can ruin a hub quick!

The keyway is a challenge no matter how you do it! I had no luck with multi tooth broaches with my steel hubs. Might work better if only enlarging a worn keyway in an iron hub tho…? Nothin wrong with stepped keys

A shop with a keyseater or slotter would be best. A Davis would be best because the small end of the taper requires a small broach bar and you run out of room quickly. You could cut it yourself using a boring bar in a lathe and drag cutting it, but you would have to kick the hub over at the taper angle- make some wedges and clamp the hub flange on a faceplate. Time consuming but if you only have 1 to do.......... As Kevin mentioned, the bore is too long for a short push broach to work. A good wire EDM guy could do a nice job, but wire guys are usually $$$.

You could make a broach bushing out of an old tapered shaft end with a stopper shoulder screwed on, mill the slot to fit a broach, which McMaster or MSC should have. Just need a press to drive the broach in.

I have a reciprocating key cutter that I have never used. It came with a number of broaches for various size key ways. I always thought it would be useful in this type of situation.

Many Hayes rear wire wheels have flogged keyways. I get around this by boring them out and pressing in a machined down centre of Ford hub with a good keyway.

Allan from down under.

Allan,
That has been done on one of my original hubs, if making a new hub does not work, I will give that a try. I think with some pins and some stud and bearing mount. That would work fine.

Once I have pressed in the replacement hub centre, I drill and tap a hole on each end to take a scotch screw to prevent the two components moving. I believe you guys have a different name for scotch screws.

Allan from down under.

Allan wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 19, 2024 6:07 pm

Once I have pressed in the replacement hub centre, I drill and tap a hole on each end to take a scotch screw to prevent the two components moving. I believe you guys have a different name for scotch screws.

Allan from down under.

Inour shop we've always called them "Dutchman".

Dutchmen, Scotsmen, both with a reputation for being a little tight.
Allan from down under.