andyfletcher
Bronze Member
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2004
- Messages
- 65
I note many people use jigs to align wheels to toe in and camber on square and round pipe axles. I do too but use this method more.
Drill a hole in the center of the 2 end plates if one is not already there. Get a 12 gauge fence wire or similar the length of the axle + an additional 4 ft. Cut the wire in half. Get a bungee tie down rubber, the hard solid black rubber ones not the cheap ones. You'll need one for each axle and they will be disposable.
Do all the cutting and taper the end of the tubes close to
the camber and toe in you want. "V" notch for welding or any other prep you have to do. Finally scribe in pencil all around the plate for centering.
Tie the bungee to the end of each wire. Place the other end of one wire through the first plate and slide a nail through the loop so the wire can't come out. Pass the end of the other wire through the tube.
The bungee should be around mid way in the axle and not close to the welding area. Pass the other end of the wire through the second plate. Now pull on the bungee and loop the wire so's it can't pass back through the hole in the plate. (a partner would be handy here).
When you finally let go, the plates will snap back against the axle ends. Use 2 bungees for heavier plates. You can shim up with ungalvanized tin until you get your alignment right but not too much as you'll weaken the weld. Grind off the ends of the wires.
A better way to handle inevitable distortion is to use threaded rod, but may be harder to shim up the plates. Grind off end bolts when ready. Slightly noisier axles too.
Drill a hole in the center of the 2 end plates if one is not already there. Get a 12 gauge fence wire or similar the length of the axle + an additional 4 ft. Cut the wire in half. Get a bungee tie down rubber, the hard solid black rubber ones not the cheap ones. You'll need one for each axle and they will be disposable.
Do all the cutting and taper the end of the tubes close to
the camber and toe in you want. "V" notch for welding or any other prep you have to do. Finally scribe in pencil all around the plate for centering.
Tie the bungee to the end of each wire. Place the other end of one wire through the first plate and slide a nail through the loop so the wire can't come out. Pass the end of the other wire through the tube.
The bungee should be around mid way in the axle and not close to the welding area. Pass the other end of the wire through the second plate. Now pull on the bungee and loop the wire so's it can't pass back through the hole in the plate. (a partner would be handy here).
When you finally let go, the plates will snap back against the axle ends. Use 2 bungees for heavier plates. You can shim up with ungalvanized tin until you get your alignment right but not too much as you'll weaken the weld. Grind off the ends of the wires.
A better way to handle inevitable distortion is to use threaded rod, but may be harder to shim up the plates. Grind off end bolts when ready. Slightly noisier axles too.
