trailer spindle repair

To get a good reading with a "TELESCOPING" gauge ;), first have a set that have not been abused or left to get rusty and filthy. They will be hopeless. Cheap ones are usually frustrating. You want gages that lock with light pressure, and then the parts slide smoothly smoothly and evenly on each other. If you crank them down, it will gall and distort them, and then you can throw them in the trash, worthless. Whenever possible, get into a comfortable position where you can see clearly what you are doing. Collapse the gage so it will fit in the hole. Snug gently enough to hold against the spring pressure but not much more. Get the gage inside the hole, rotate the gage until it touches both walls gently, do not loosen the screw so the gage will "SNAP" into place. The gage must not be close to center, but on a definite angle to the bore so the setting is bigger than the bore. Then try to help get the gage in line with the bore, splitting it in half, no side loading or holding the handle off the bore center line. It really helps if you have good access and a good view of the bore, and a comfortable position. Success becomes easier. Then pull the lever down part way, trying to let the plungers find the exact center of the bore, and snug it just enough to keep it from slipping, and when measuring it with the micrometer.. The plungers want to find center, and will, if you do not add loading and motions off the bore center line. I ALWAYS (unless I can't avoid it) pull the handle smoothly DOWN, and smoothly swing the gage through the bore. If it does not feel perfect, do it over, until it is as good as you can get it. Then go to the micrometer. If the mic is set too small, when you rub the plungers over the anvil and spindle it will change the setting. Don't do that. Do the measuring with the lightest of touches on mic and TELESCOPING gage plungers. If you come against resistance, stop immediately, back off, open the mic a bit, and try again. I find it easiest to hold one plunger stationary on the fixed anvil of the mic., then swing the other plunger against the mic spindle. You want to make sure that you only get the perfect contact drag of the moving plunger in only one position on the spindle. You must work the plunger in two axes trying to find the smallest distance achievable with the plungers on the mic anvil and spindle. When you get that perfect drag in one spot, and ONLY in one spot, read the mic. Start over at the beginning and see if you get the same number. When you do, then take multiple readings of the same bore, until you consistently get the same number. You want to be getting the CORRECT number, the actual size of the bore, or all is in vain. So use a bore that is a known standard, in good condition. Multiple bore test gages of different sizes will help with real world measuring. Eventually, TELESCOPING gages will be a SNAP, but only if you take the time to learn to do it right. Someone good with TELESCOPING gages can measure bores within a tenth or two, day in and day out. That is probably better than most can do with fancy bore gages, which are quite expensive and mostly stand idle unless you do that sort of work all day, every day. Get a good set of snap TELESCOPING gages and learn how to use them...

Warning: If you do not take the time to learn to do it right, you will have large errors and will turn much work into scrap...
 
sounds like a good thread for the metrology forum :big grin: lotsa good info

So how did the trailer hub workout?
 
I hear you Bob. My gages are Starretts. Lightly used and in excellent condition. I am the 3rd owner of my lathe. The original owner was a local farmer who used it to repair some kind of one cylinder pump engine as a hobby. When he passed away it was sold to another local person. The first owner went to my church and I found out through mutual friends that he hadn't used the lathe for several years before his death because of failing health. The second owner never used it himself and it was only used a couple of times by a machinist friend of the second owner. In fact everything I got with my lathe was in excellent condition. When I got it home and looked it over there was not even a chip to be found anywhere. The lathe had a coating of oil on everything and because it had not been used in several years there was also a layer of dust that had settled into the oil. And it came with every imaginable attachment except for a taper attachment, multiple chucks and tooling. I think I paid top dollar for it but then again I didn't buy a worn out piece of junk.
I lucked into a mill/drill with a similar background. I bought it from the estate of the original owner who had never used it. Shortly after he bought it his health failed and it sat first in his garage and then in storage for over 10 years. It didn't come with much except for a 15" Walther rotary table which wouldn't fit on the table of the mill/drill. I sold the rotary table to a local machine shop for way more than I had paid for the mill/drill. With what I sold the rotary table for my net cost on both the lathe and the mill/drill is less than $500.
My equipment doesn't hold me back. Just my skill level which gets better every time I use my lathe.
 
Guess the trailer hub spacer didn’t work out a
 
Don't know yet if the spacer is good or scrap. I will part it off this morning and see how it fits.
 
The spacer is a success. It would have been a tight press fit when I first parted it off except I didn't have enough chamfer on the backside to fit tight against the spindle. Good thing I didn't pound it home. So I increased the ID by .001 and this allowed me to just barely slip the spacer in place to check the chamfer. Increased the chamfer and now it fits very well. I will have to loctite it in place to keep it from spinning. Or I may use JB Weld. I have time to think about this because it is too cold today, mid 40's, for either loctite or JB Weld to cure properly.

IMG_3543.JPG
This is the side that goes against the spindle. I purposely left it rough because I wanted it to have some tooth to help the loctite glue it to the spindle. I might even ding the ID edges to make it more of a press fit.

IMG_3547.JPG
This is the front side. I have polished both the OD and the front side. So far I am at 600 wet or dry paper. Next step is some jeweler's rouge with my dremel tool.

All in all I am pleased with my spacer and how it turned out. Another good learning experience.
 
do you reckon those chinese use jeweler's rouge when they make the spindles? :)
 
Put the spacer on the spindle yesterday with red Loctite. Put the hub and the tire back on this morning before the rain started. Looks like I am good to go.

Thanks again to everyone for their suggestions.
 
mickri said:
Put the spacer on the spindle yesterday with red Loctite. Put the hub and the tire back on this morning before the rain started. Looks like I am good to go.

Thanks again to everyone for their suggestions.
Click to expand...

i think you were over thinking it from the get go. i/m sure it will be just fine. better than new :)
 
All of the telescoping gauges that I have used are rounded on the tips, Even the cheap harbor freight set I bought first. And I always use a micrometer for close tolerance work like that.

Post a picture of your telescoping gauge.
 
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