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WTB 3/4" Axles

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Posted

Anyone have a set of 3/4" axles for bungee gear?

Thanks

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Posted

Pretty sure you can get them from Matco.

:BC:

 

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Posted

I have a number of loose sets but:

1. The length may vary with the wheel and spacers. What overall length do you need?

2. The mounting holes may not be in the right place, depending on who drilled them.

3. They aren't hard to make, Aircraft spruce has 3/4 x 3/8 tubing, and any machine shop can thread them. Castle nuts can be had from      an auto parts store and faced to the correct thickness.

 

Bob

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Posted

Whizzers is right I don't remember exactly what I used tor mine but I'm guessing it was the 3/4 OD and it was either .120, .156, or .188 wall thickness. and you can get a thread cutting Die from any hardware store. Really simple to make.

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Posted

I'd vote for the Matco axles, they are light and tough.  Well worth the money.  That what I have been using after bending the heavy walled (and heavy) factory axles.

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Posted (edited)

Hollow axels??? My bluefox and my yellowfox both have solid 3/4 axels? As do the other 2sets of stock gear i have hanging in shed, Y would u want hollow axels, the weight savings verses the strenght? Think ive cn bent soild ones, and bent or broken hollow ones. But ill bet for the 3/4 axels the Matco r best, and if ur not changing the gear. Hahahahaaaa 

Heck i dont even like the 3/4 axels, my blackfox has 1 1/2" axels and thats what ill do to my others when i update the landing gear on them, Pretty easy to just have a plate there and bolton some aluminum cessna axels (solid or hollow) like my blackfox has with clevland single calipers,( i can hold mine back on the brakes to full rpm) Not to mention the update u get for 6" wheels/tires, real brakes, heck even clevland double puck calipers (if ull need them) instead of two caliper per wheel. 

Edited by Buckchop

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Posted

Dunno. All the Avids I have (five) had axles made from 3/4 OD x 3/8 ID round stock. Why?... because that's what Avid furnished. I can't address what Kitfox might have done, and the axles that I had which were pre-made to bolt onto gear such as the Grove gear I doubt would satisfactorily bolt to the back plate on stock Avid gear.

IF you're a welder and machinist you can make anything fit.

 

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Posted

Hollow axels??? My bluefox and my yellowfox both have solid 3/4 axels? As do the other 2sets of stock gear i have hanging in shed, Y would u want hollow axels, the weight savings verses the strenght? Think ive cn bent soild ones, and bent or broken hollow ones. But ill bet for the 3/4 axels the Matco r best, and if ur not changing the gear. Hahahahaaaa 

Heck i dont even like the 3/4 axels, my blackfox has 1 1/2" axels and thats what ill do to my others when i update the landing gear on them, Pretty easy to just have a plate there and bolton some aluminum cessna axels (solid or hollow) like my blackfox has with clevland single calipers,( i can hold mine back on the brakes to full rpm) Not to mention the update u get for 6" wheels/tires, real brakes, heck even clevland double puck calipers (if ull need them) instead of two caliper per wheel. 

A hollow tube has more strength than a solid one... How many solid round bar roll cages do you see?  I has solid ones on my avid once and they bent way easier than the tubes.  Tubes will flex and return to relaxed position whereas solid will just bend.

The 4130 tubing is available on spruce, but I think Matco might heat treat their axles as they are less prone to bending.

:BC:

 

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Posted (edited)

Ill Second what AK says about strength. I never new that till a few years back when I bought some rod ends for my wing struts that were way higher strength than all the others and the only difference I could see is they had a hole drilled through them.  And if a matco one just bolts onto your gear then definitely use it. I thought you were making gear that was like the original gear which would just be 3/4 tubing.

Edited by TJay

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Posted

matco has the 3/4" axles already threaded and ready to install just like the factory ones only stronger I think.

:BC:
 

 

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Posted

I have a set of the ATV Kitfox wheels that need the longer axle that is around 9" long   The Matco wheels use a shorter Axle. I have those and will trade anyone that has the longer ATV style Axles. I guess I could just get some 3/4" 4130 and thread them myself but just seeing if anyone had some laying around collecting dust.

Thanks

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Posted

Ok guys since the topic came up, I'm going to have to buy new wheels brakes and maybe new axels as well since the gear i bought was built to take matco stuff. My big question mark is the axels. Have any of you seen a setup like this before? Does that cap that says hadco on it get pried off with a screw driver? I'm hoping that my axels will fit the matco wheels otherwise that's another $140 i'll have to spend

20181218_204355.jpg

20181218_204407.jpg

20181213_221917.jpg

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Posted (edited)

I have a set of the ATV Kitfox wheels that need the longer axle that is around 9" long   The Matco wheels use a shorter Axle. I have those and will trade anyone that has the longer ATV style Axles. I guess I could just get some 3/4" 4130 and thread them myself but just seeing if anyone had some laying around collecting dust.

Thanks

I don't know if my axels are what you need or if the matco ones that you have are what i need but if it works out that way it would be convenient.

Edited by Willja67
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Posted

Those brakes are what was used on the Kitfox 1.  I can't remember the name off hand.  The hub should fit a newer style Kitfox wheel, and for that matter, if you welded the lugs on these wheels so you can put the newer style brakes and rotor on, you would have wheels just like the later Kitfoxes.  That is just a grease cap and will pry off just like a trailer wheel grease cap.  JImChuk

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Posted

Just from what i can see looking at my current setup and the new gear leg and the matco brakes that the new leg is designed for the current brakes at least don't look compatible with the new gear.  And I'm not sure what you mean by welding lugs on.

20181218_212129.jpg

20180928_223458.jpg

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Posted (edited)

I tried to find a picture to explain, but didn't find any.  Maybe someone else will post one up showing a later model Kitfox wheel, brake rotor, and caliper.  The later model rotors were about 7" in diameter.  They bolted to lugs that were welded onto the wheel about where the screws are that keep the tire from spinning in your second picture.  Here is a picture of some rotors.  You can see the three bolt holes.  Your current brakes are not set up for this new gear, but you could use the wheels if you get the lugs welded on.  Also, the axels probably will work if you just make them protrude out the right distance.  If they are just a bit short of going all the way through on the other end, it shouldn't matter.  JImChuk

PS  to get your wheels off, remove the allen head screws that hold the brake rotor to the hub, pop off the grease cap on the opposite side, remove cotter key, and nut from axel, and the wheel should slide off the axel.  

Kitfox rotors.jpg

Edited by 1avidflyer
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Posted

I googled it, and found this picture.  You can see the 3 lugs on the bottom wheel.  JImChuk

See the source image
 

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Posted

Ok i understand now what you're talking about. Thanks for the explanation. Although i have an expert welder lined up to weld the brackets to my fuselage he's graciously offered to do it for free and i don't want to take advantage of the situation, so i'll probably spring for new wheels, unless someone wants to trade. 

 

I will probably be selling probably the whole gear minus the tires and maybe the axels if anyone is interested. 

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Posted

Those are Air-Heart 150 brakes thats what I welded on my gear and I really like them

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Posted

TJay, are you saying that you have good braking power with these brakes?  How big of wheels are you running?  If they will work good enough, that would for sure be the cheaper way to go.  JImChuk

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Posted

TJay, are you saying that you have good braking power with these brakes?  How big of wheels are you running?  If they will work good enough, that would for sure be the cheaper way to go.  JImChuk

Hey Jim, I feel I got great brakes with 21 inch Nancos but I did buy the soft pads that they sell on ebay. Under Air heart brakes 150.

One little trick I wish someone would have told me is be sure to align the toe in and toe out before welding on the torque plate. If you don't when you bend the axles the caliper will no longer move freely. And then you have extra work to do.

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Posted

After talking with Matco I ended up with getting two of the 10" axles that are hardened and zinc coated.

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