ChuckJowett
Member
Does anyone know where to get I beam from that is the right size and material to make front axles out of? All my web searches for I beam only come up with 3" and bigger.
I beam axles
- Thread starter ChuckJowett
- Start date
fluidfloyd
Active Member
Chuck,
Not sure why you want to build an I beam axle as they are really priced pretty reasonable. The problems with I beam materiel are several. Right off the bat you have discovered size issues. I don't have my material book here at the house but I doubt there is going to be anything even close to what you need. The biggest issue is strength. I beams were originally hot forged. Some of the new ones are cast from nodular iron while others are still forged. By forging the axle you compress and tighten up the grain structure adding considerable strength and grain direction. Also the forged axles were made using a 1045 carbon steel. (NOTE: I will have to check on that as my memory fades at times) I beams are hot extruded from the mill. Basically they squeeze a billet slug through a series of reducing and shaping dies until they get the size they want. I would have to check but I seem to remember the material being a basic mild steel with no heat treat properties. The final issues is rolling or dropping the axle and forming the ends to take a kingpin. It looks to me to be a long and tough project just to get one axle. Somewhere I have the forging drawings with the material specs on it. I'll look and see later today. Hope this will help you.
George
Not sure why you want to build an I beam axle as they are really priced pretty reasonable. The problems with I beam materiel are several. Right off the bat you have discovered size issues. I don't have my material book here at the house but I doubt there is going to be anything even close to what you need. The biggest issue is strength. I beams were originally hot forged. Some of the new ones are cast from nodular iron while others are still forged. By forging the axle you compress and tighten up the grain structure adding considerable strength and grain direction. Also the forged axles were made using a 1045 carbon steel. (NOTE: I will have to check on that as my memory fades at times) I beams are hot extruded from the mill. Basically they squeeze a billet slug through a series of reducing and shaping dies until they get the size they want. I would have to check but I seem to remember the material being a basic mild steel with no heat treat properties. The final issues is rolling or dropping the axle and forming the ends to take a kingpin. It looks to me to be a long and tough project just to get one axle. Somewhere I have the forging drawings with the material specs on it. I'll look and see later today. Hope this will help you.
George
