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Weight of front axle? (Read 271 times)

verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28890 L.A. California Gender:	Re: Weight of front axle? Reply #30 - 10/09/19 at 10:43:26 It's important to leave large as possible radii where possible at the change in diameter. This will reduce the likelihood of fatigue fractures.
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stewmills

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Re: Weight of front axle?
Reply #31 - 10/09/19 at 11:42:48

I am not an engineer and this is a very crude comparison, but when I was making saddlebag hard mount brackets for my bags I first used 1" aluminum strapping (home depot stuff). I had to bend the aluminum at 90 degree bends. After mounting and grabbing the bags and bending them back and forth here and there to get them perfectly straight, I noticed the "cracked" look in the bends and realized it looked basically like the metal essentially tore apart instead of bend.

Did the same exercise with steel strapping and steel is still good after a couple of years and me constantly bending the bags/steel brackets up and down from where they get pushed in.

No, I did not use spaceship grade aluminum and no I did not anneal the aluminum, etc. My point is, I would be more afraid of the aluminum starting to "tear" and fracture over time versus the steel as you aren't going to be annealing the aluminum each time it wants to flex and come back to give its strength back.

Like I said...I am no engineer and know little to nothing about the different alloys and such, just my two cents based on my kindergarten experience bending cheap aluminum.

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zevenenergie

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Re: Weight of front axle?
Reply #32 - 10/09/19 at 14:07:11

A little while ago I made a clutch housing from 7075 aluminium to replace a standard cast iron specimen.

This one from aluminum was calculated at up to 14,000 rpm. for an 80cc mopet racer.

And although the aluminum 7075 was much stronger than cast iron, it was not wear-resistant at all. I was able to drive 180 miles with it and then it was worn out, while the cast iron one had already gone over 10,000 miles and stil going strong.

So it is really important to pay attention to how you use it and for which application you use it.

Strength doesn't say everything.
I think the front axle should be tested for shearing to.

Do what you know is right. (you can always use fear as a counselor later)

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verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28890 L.A. California Gender:	Re: Weight of front axle? Reply #33 - 10/09/19 at 14:59:44 Maybe bond a steel sleeve to the inside?
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ohiomoto Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 2778	Re: Weight of front axle? Reply #34 - 10/10/19 at 06:34:26 https://www.cycleworld.com/2014/04/18/ask-kevin-what-do-you-think-of-aluminum...
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Re: Weight of front axle?
Reply #35 - 10/15/19 at 09:30:04

Ohio,
Actually, Kevin and I traded notes about this axle before I made one. He hates anything other than steel for axles.
Without a doubt, he is my most respected bike tech writer ever.
My only comeback to his hatred/fear of the aluminum axle is that I am making the shape slightly different, and thicker along a significant portion of the axle.
In the MKIII version, I'll have the axle come in from the left. Bore out the lower leg the way the right side is. That will give me more thickness where there is more load (under braking).
What I'll do on the right is make a sleeve that will fit through the lower leg, sleeving over the axle, and butting up against the right side wheel bearing inner race.
This way, the effective diameter of the axle is significantly larger over much of it's length.
I've already bored out a left leg, and drilled/tapped/faced it to put a pinch bolt in like on the right.
Just bolts on!

In theory, theory and reality are the same. In reality, they aren't...

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Armen Serious Thumper Offline Half-Witted Wrench-Jockey from Jersey Posts: 1452	Re: Weight of front axle? Reply #36 - 10/15/19 at 09:35:15 Zeven, Beautiful work, but as you found out, aluminum is not a good friction material. Most bikes with drum brakes use a cast iron drum inside an aluminum hub. It would be a bit of work, but probably worth it. You could cut the existing cast iron piece up and press it into an aluminum hub.
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ohiomoto Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 2778	Re: Weight of front axle? Reply #37 - 10/15/19 at 10:10:59 Waiting for pictures!! I have no horse in the race. Always interested in innovation.
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