Magnaflux your axles boys!!!

[nels]

I've noticed that whenever an axle breaks it's always on the left or the drivers side? Also, over tightening the nut splits the flange. I believe the interface between hub and axle relies on a morse taper type grip. The steel key is just a security device but might actually start the failure. Some guys recommend a brass key and they might be right. The absolute best cure is flanged axles. Studebaker realized this and were in process of changing over as noticed with the Canadian production.

[Roscomacaw]

Fairborns are the ones that Ted Harbit had made

I'm just guessing here, but if there ARE brand new flanged axles that aren't of those pioneered by Ted Harbit, then they're likely NOS ones from late Studebaker production. I didn't think any of those original flanged shafts were still to be had, but maybe that's the case. Rich???

[StudeRich]

You know Bob, I am not ABSOLUTELY sure either, but there are still '65-'66 Axle Shafts in S.B. stock the last I knew, but remember those are NOT conversion Kits like Fairborn Studebaker sells, they require no Hub Drums, a different Axle Housing, different driveshaft Yoke the whole Nine.

Whereas the "Kits" require some Mods and are not "bolt-in". I am quite sure there would not be remaining stock in any quantity of more than (1) of the Special Paxton R3 axle assemblies with a sealed Packard Wheel Bearing available either.

I do not know if Studebakers West has some Frost and French West Coast Warehouse '65-'66 type Axles like S.I. has or not, or if they got some Fairborn Stock from Steven Allen, or IF Steve had his own, maybe Moser Axle Kits made?

I guess someone could ask Carl Thoms if he wishes to share that info, but the go-to source for conversion "KITS" has always been Fairborn since Ted sold it.

[Jessie J.]

I've noticed that whenever an axle breaks it's always on the left or the drivers side? Also, over tightening the nut splits the flange. I believe the interface between hub and axle relies on a morse taper type grip. The steel key is just a security device but might actually start the failure. Some guys recommend a brass key and they might be right. The absolute best cure is flanged axles. Studebaker realized this and were in process of changing over as noticed with the Canadian production.

Over the years, and under hard driving I have at different times experienced axle breakages on BOTH sides. The last one literally turned the -passenger- rear quarter inside out.
Nothing in any of these breakages was indicative of any problems at all with the axle keys, which were in each case intact and still firmly seated within the hubs.
The breakages were on the thick axle shaft portions where the axle entered into the hub, next to the bearings, and well inboard of the keyed area. The break being through the thick diameter of the axle, with the broken ends presenting a crystalline appearance.
This has been experienced and been discussed in this Forum for years (in posts by Ted, and others now so old they are no longer accessible)
The problem seems to be in the design, material or heat treatment batch related. With some axles having shown capable of standing up to unbelievable amounts of abuse (notably Ted's early dragstrip exploits) while others have broken while in daily driving use behind a 259.
My view, and I pressed for it in this Forum with my personal 'horror stories' long before they became available, is that aftermarket flanged axles are cheap insurance for any Studebaker.

[RDWEAVER]

Over the years, and under hard driving I have at different times experienced axle breakages on BOTH sides. The last one literally turned the -passenger- rear quarter inside out.
Nothing in any of these breakages was indicative of any problems at all with the axle keys, which were in each case intact and still firmly seated within the hubs.
The breakages were on the thick axle shaft portions where the axle entered into the hub, next to the bearings, and well inboard of the keyed area. The break being through the thick diameter of the axle, with the broken ends presenting a crystalline appearance.
This has been experienced and been discussed in this Forum for years (in posts by Ted, and others now so old they are no longer accessible)
The problem seems to be in the design, material or heat treatment batch related. With some axles having shown capable of standing up to unbelievable amounts of abuse (notably Ted's early dragstrip exploits) while others have broken while in daily driving use behind a 259.
My view, and I pressed for it in this Forum with my personal 'horror stories' long before they became available, is that aftermarket flanged axles are cheap insurance for any Studebaker.

Yes I agree with you Jessie J... Mine broke well inboard of the keyed area as well. The old part of the break had broken long enough to discolor and darken. The axles were carefully inspected at the time of assembly and the crack was not noticed then but almost certainly was there. Hence the need for magnafluxing. Or better yet get rid of em! Contrary to what some of the forum members think, I am convinced this had nothing to do with hub key installation, torque values or lubrication. The car never did (never will) do a doughnut on pavement. I own the 3 complete manuals and use them. Don't get me wrong you guys, I can take constructive criticism when it is warranted and will welcome it then. I don't really think it's necessary now. This could have been worse for me than the faulty ignition switch that was on the news a couple of months ago. I posted this with the intent of driving home the fact that now, I also agree flanged axles may be required for safety. Hopefully there is somebody out there that can learn from this post. That said, anyone who is considering rebuilding a Dana 44 should seriously consider upgrading the axles.

[nels]

If anything should concern you about driving a studebaker it is the rear axles. When they break, and they do, you lose the wheel and drum assy, you lose all braking with single master cylinder, emergency brake doesn't do anything, and you cannot down shift to slow down....you are just screwed. Very scary feeling, I've been there! Flanged axle investment is on par with seat belts.

[jackb]

....any evidence of old, flanged axle failures anywhere in the system ?

[Alan]

The flanged axles break too. But it is at the edge of the splines. So you have a stub about 1 1/2" long inside the carrier that you have to remove, but the wheel and drum are retained. Don't ask me how I know that.

[avantibngrant]

About 10 or 12 years ago I had this happen to a 81 AMC eagle. I found a used axle and drove it a long time after. Great car with the 258 engine. Left side too that broke. Makes one wonder if the 6 cylinder engines with the rear low ratio say 4.56 rear ends might fatigue like that also. In my spare time I think i will do a calculation as to what the torque would be for full motor torque ratioed to the axle with the weight of the car added and see what the it woud come to vs the endurance limit say for 1045 steel unless anyone know for certain what the steel used is. I could also work from the resistance of the wheel to spinning with say a coefficent of traction of .75 or so. This would be independent of ratio and power, just on torque to spin the wheel on pavement. What is the diameter of the axle if someone has a loose one?
Regards

Neil

[Mike Van Veghten]

Having flanged axles is NO guarentee that it won't break between the flange and the bearing. Ask me how I know..!
During "normal" driving/ cornering, etc. conditions, that area between the flange and the bearing is the area with the higest stress on the entire axle.
Not counting snapping the clutch out...!

Mike

[Dan Timberlake]

Just going down the road accumulates about 900 revolutions per mile, loaded by the weight of the car.
It's a perfect "full reversed bending" endurance test machine.
By the time I've gone just 1200 miles the axles have rotated over 1 million times.
"Fatigue" or "endurance" testing often involves testing a part for 1 to 10 million cycles, as it takes millions of cycles to make a part fail if it designed so the stress levels are near the material's endurance limit. A goal is often to have the operating stress BELOW the endurance limit, which should result in an infinite life.
One thing that can spoil those infinite life plans is degradation of the surface finish in a highly loaded region. Solid performing premium materials or even movIe star materials LIKE " chrOmE mOLY" have their lovely high endurance limits reduced to cabbage patch levels if the surface is rusted or marred by fretting.
page 82 here -

http://timkensteel.com/~/media/Files/Practical-Data-For-Metallurgists-TimkenSteel.ashx

Of course knicks or sharpacorners, even in keyways, can raise the stress 3X or more above the "nominal" values.

Bottom line, taking corners and accelerating at 0.3 gs increases the bending or torsional stress relatively briefly, but an axle's daily life accumulates bending stress cycles faster than a miser collects pennies.

Pictures of the fracture surfaces could provide clues where the crack initiated, which could be useful pointing to where magnaflux techs should look especially close, and also suggesting practical detail improvements that could increase time-to-cracking 10X or more.

[Chicken Hawk]

....any evidence of old, flanged axle failures anywhere in the system ?

I didn't break one but when I replaced the ring and pinion about a year ago, I found the left axle had the splines twisted slightly. This was in the Tomato after many many 3500 rpm launches. After finding this the ones in the Wrapper were checked and they are fine but it has not had nearly as many quarter mile runs as the Tomato. I'm sure if the Tomato had been an automatic it would not have happened.

I would put them in my daughter's '63 Cruiser but I already have the flanged ones in it. I think they would last forever in a normally driven street car.

Ted

[JoeHall]

Obviously a broken axle at road speed would be catastrophic, and I certainly do not want to have that experience. But I cannot understand what makes a flanged axle less prone to failure than a tapered axle, if the hub is installed correctly on the tapered one.

Given the above accounts of tapered axle failure usually at a point where the taper & hub connection is a non-issue, and the accounts of flanged axle failures too, what makes a flanged axle safer than a tapered axle??? I absolutely agree magnifluxing both types is a very good idea. But its gonna take some convincing before I am ready to bite the bullet for flanged axles in three Studes, though I am willing to learn.

Thanks

[11SecAvanti]

Do not over look the safety value of balanced tires and rims on these axles. The rims must rotate with out runout and the wheels and tires need a quality balance. The axles need to run true and not wobble.

[Jessie J.]

The price of installing flanged axles can be much cheaper than the results of experiencing a broken one at an inopportune time.

My first Stude axle failure was when the right rear wheel departed company while making a left turn at the base of a blind hill _in the rain _ with my wife and two children on board. I had to exit the vehicle, run up the hill and frantically wave down the oncoming traffic.

We remain free to make a cheap choice, or to place a bet deciding to take an unneeded risk, and may get away with it. But the costs of losing that bet can well be incalculable.

I have little doubt that Studebaker would have eventually been subjected to a government Safety Recall in this matter.
Ask yourself, if Studebaker had issued a Safety Recall, and had offered free axle replacement, would you have refused to have your vehicle(s) serviced?

The Company is long gone. The responsibility to address and correct such known and documented risks now rests entirely with us, the present vehicle owners and operators, and SDC's representatives.
Ted has done his part, and seen to it that safer axle shafts are now available. It is our individual responsibility to now do our part.