Figured I would get this started today so when I pick up the piece I can just post the pics and add comments. To make a long story short, Stu was kind enough to part with a set of these for me as I have two 52 MH's and neither one had the adapters on the rear axle. Josh also is missing a set and I have traded a few texts with him about this also. If nothing else if there are others out there that just google the right words maybe this thread will pop up and they can see if my build was a success. My brother located a piece of 5in id pipe with a wall thickness of about .25 inch. I dropped that off today and will have cut to 3 5/8. making sure both ends are square. They are also cutting the inside disc with a hole on the inside to fit the od of the 5in pipe. This will all be cnc plasma cut so they are plugging in the bolt pattern also. I asked how close they can get on the bolt pattern and they told me better than Marmon Herrington did. We will see. I was going to drill the pattern myself but figured I would leave it to them in case I got it wrong. If they get it wrong they can redo it on there dime. My next thought was to the tapper on the inside where the lug nuts seat. After way to many texts to Stu, sorry Stu, I found shank style nuts at summit racing that i thought would work and not have to worry about the tapper. Just oversize the inside holes and be done. As luck would have it, the shop that will be doing the cutting also had a 60 degree bit that will match the factory MH piece. They told me its a manufacturing standard or some such thing. Anyway, pics tomorrow if I can get jr. to load them into photobucket.

 

Outstanding Mark. For the guys that can't visualize what you're doing, here's one of the originals being copied. Stu

 

Thanks for posting the pics Stu. The plan is to do this one piece at a time to make sure its right before we move to the next step. Its all being saved on a computer program so more can be made in the future. I told them there may be at least six made. Two for me, two for Josh and just a couple laying around for the next guy. The company doing the work is called Wheeler Tank in Sioux Falls SD. They specialize in VERY large tanks, fuel, ammonia, etc. This is like childs play to them.

 

Now if they can just make a MH axle...

 

Sounds exciting, cant wait for more pictures of this coming together. Checkbook standing by!

Just remember i would need mine to be precision surfaced and balanced so i dont feel any wobble or out of balance movement at max speed of 47 mph...

 

What? Did you just get home from a road trip? Details, did you buy something?

 

I will be watching closely. I love this kind of stuff!

 

One step forward, one step back. Do not pass go! Called today to see if the parts were done and they hit a major snag and stopped. When they plugged all the info into the computer they noticed that the tapper on the lug holes would reach into the wall of the tube and i would not be able to get the nuts on. The od of the tube must be about 5.5 inches or greater which gets it into the way of the nuts. Now my search begins for a tube with a id of 4 7/8 and an od of less than 5.5 inches. The Marmon spacer was cast with an id of 4 7/8 and the axle hub is just over 4 3/4 to give you an idea of how snug the MH spacer fits over the axle. The problem now will be to find a tube that works both inner and outer. I can order custom tube that will be correct but it is sold in 20 foot lengths. Anyone need an F5 tornado proof flag pole? My next stop is to a local steel manufacture and see if they have any "drop" steel tubing that fits the bill. "Drop" meaning a piece that didnt get sold and is in the scrap pile. Does anyone have a piece of this odd tube around?

 

Might have to have the tube id and or od machined to spec? Ill check with the fellow i talked to about having adapters made. He had some remnant pipe pieces.

On another idea could the 8 studs be tapped into the adapter and then put the nuts on the inside of the drum/hub?? To hold it on.


EDIT: I better add these pictures so you can see what I am talking about. these are not my pictures but a fellow that Stu had talked to built these adapters (no spacer) to go from 8 to 5 lug and he emailed them to me, I hope he doesn't mind me posting them here.


Can this work for our application?

 

Thats an interesting concept Josh. I guess i never thought about taking the hub off and coming in from the back. I did find some more tube online. Ya gotta love google. I will call them tomorrow to see if they will sell buy the foot. What i found is 5.25 od with a id of 4.874 which = 4.7/8 same as MH. Wall thickness is 3/16. It should work. The wall is a little thinner than i would like but when all is said and done the tube shouldnt be supporting the weight of the truck. That task will fall onto the webbing. I will keep you posted.

 

5" pipe might be hard to find just laying about, you might try calling around to some of the metal shops, fabrication shops, windmill and well supply, irrigation or farm supply, etc. and see about "drops"

Back when I ran a fabrication shop building water tower parts I would gladly sell and/or give away "drops" depending on what or how much of the material they needed.
Sometimes a round of cold cokes for the shop, a box of popsicles (well, not a good idea in the middle of winter) or maybe donuts, etc can get a lot of shops to open up the doors to the "drop" pile

Good luck, interesting project
Bobby

 

Josh - Lee doesn't mind that you posted the pics. I texted him and asked if he'd mind if I use them to show this method for adapting a later axle to a big truck to achieve more roadworthy gearing. I also think this looks like a real good possibility for Mark's and your adapters. Stu

 

So for the heck of it today I had the guys cut two pieces that we had talked about earlier. The ones they said they didnt think would work. These pics show the 5 inch id tube.

 

As you can see the bolt hole is very close to the tube. And it doesnt have the tapper in it yet. They did a great job cutting the disc and bolt pattern. Now I have two thoughts. I can use the tube with the 5 inch id pictured and cut windows in the tube to clear the nuts. Could use a crows foot wrench to get them torqued. I think a socket would be out of the question because the window would have to be to big to clear it all. The second option would be to order tube with the 4 7/8 inch id and the 5.25 od. The tube in the picture has an od just shy of 5 5/8 inch. So just by getting different tubing I could pick up 3/8 of an inch for more clearance for the nuts. Any thoughts? And the smaller tube is special order and has a price to match. $102 for 24 inches. That would do 4 spacers.

 

Sorry for the interruption, I need to pay closer attention to details.