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68 dana 44 keyway material.

Discussion in 'Early CJ5 and CJ6 Tech' started by lostomper, Mar 14, 2011.

  1. Mar 14, 2011
    lostomper

    lostomper New Member

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    Nov 7, 2010
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    Ok so i have been searching for two hours now. chainsawguy. both google search and the early cj 5 search. came up with a lot of good resources for how to properly install the keyway, how not to, proper torque specs, maintainance, and other things about the rear tapered offset dana 44 rear axle that my jeep was blessed with.

    that being said about a month ago my driverside rear tire fell off while negotiating a turn. either the cotter key wasn't installed by my buddy while assembling (we were both on opposing sides of vehicle while putting rear axle back together). The dust cap was on as was the center cap that came with my rims. i know i should have check the work and he may have put the cotter key in or he may not have. i didn't put the blame on him. it happens. no one got hurt. it was on the back road and the only one that was mad was the police officer that witnessed it.

    Finally to the tech in the thread. What material should be used for the key way? I went to the local ace hardware and picked up some of there key stock. And i don't know if it is hard enough or too hard. but i broke two of them today just play on the snowbanks in the yard. I am properly torquing them. they are going in fully. the hub is seating all the way. I need to know if I should be going and getting a different key material. Any help is greatly appreciated. I thank you all for your advice in advance. :v6: :?
     
  2. Mar 15, 2011
    lostomper

    lostomper New Member

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    Also When the tire fell off the nut and washer stayed in the dust cap but lost the key, and cotter pin, if it was in.
     
  3. Mar 15, 2011
    sparky

    sparky Sandgroper Staff Member Founder

    Perth, WA
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  4. Mar 15, 2011
    jpflat2a

    jpflat2a what's that noise?

    Hermosa, SD
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    Jul 30, 2003
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    use the correct axle key, not the hardware variety
    degree of hardness, I have no idea
    and check the hub for a hairline crack
    I doubt very seriously it can survive failures like this without being damaged
     
  5. Mar 15, 2011
    lostomper

    lostomper New Member

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    10-4 will check for the cracks never thought of that. i guess when i bought the key stock from the hardware store i never thought of the strength of it. i usually buy the hardware store stuff for use in hdryaulic pumps and pto couplings but they don't experience the shocks and loads like the rear axle on a jeep with spinning tire.

    I am also going to check the local parts store tomorrow to see what they carry.

    i'd like to have something by saturday as its the wifes birthday on thursday and she wants to go wheeling instead of going out drinking how lucky am I!

    thanks sparky and jpflat2a
     
  6. Mar 15, 2011
    Warloch

    Warloch Did you say Flattie??? Staff Member

    Falcon, CO
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    5,466
    Alot of the keyway stock at a hardware store (or farm/ranch supply) is for equipment that the key is used for a shear pin type setup. We used them on the brush hog and other pieces of equipment out on the farm. The Keyway for the axle is a tempered tool steel - not designed to shear.
     
  7. Mar 15, 2011
    electricontr

    electricontr Member

    Denver Colorado
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    Jan 12, 2004
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    244
    I'd think parts of the cotter pin would have to be left in the hole in the axle or in the dust cover.
     
  8. Mar 15, 2011
    Mcruff

    Mcruff Earlycj5 Machinist

    Albertville, AL
    Joined:
    Sep 22, 2002
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    5,349
    To be truthfuly honest the key way is not what drives the hub at all. Tapers like what are on the 2 piece axles are what drives it, they are known as locking tapers, anything under 7* is a locking taper. The keyay is there for 2 reasons, 1 is to take shock load, the 2nd reason is to keep it from spinning under load and destroying the tapered surface. The taper however is what carries the load under normal conditions.

    In the machine world all good drill chucks are on tapered shafts, not keyed, all CNC machines use a tapered tool holder, they have external drive lugs to keep them from spinning if the motor stalls down. The taper however carries the load and turns upwards of a 150 hp. The key should be tough something like prehard 4140 or 4340, fit very snug, any movemtn at all will allow the key to shear immediately if the hub does slip under shock.
     
  9. Mar 15, 2011
    lostomper

    lostomper New Member

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    i finally got smart and went to the machine shop and they told me what i already knew about the hardware store keys. and they sold me a scrap piece of t 4140 or something along those lines and put it in followed the instructions to put it in to a T and went out did some knee to waist deep yard wheeling snow bank climbs and burnouts on the road to no availe... it works flawelessly.
     
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