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Post by Vodka Racing on Oct 2, 2009 12:31:39 GMT -7
My rail rider tool is useless except as a car paint stand. And that's after sending both the tool and axle press back to derbyworx for review. For my pure stock entry this month, I ended up using the axle press alone after failing to get a worthwhile bend using both tools. How are you bending your axle for steering?
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Post by Bones on Oct 2, 2009 12:44:31 GMT -7
I mark the axle where the wheel hub will be and cut a 1/16" groove with a round file. Then I bend it to where I want it before taking it out of the drill. I also mark the direction of the bend on the axle head with a sharpie.
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Post by Vodka Racing on Oct 2, 2009 12:53:04 GMT -7
I mark the axle where the wheel hub will be and cut a 1/16" groove with a round file. Then I bend it to where I want it before taking it out of the drill. I also mark the direction of the bend on the axle head with a sharpie. So your axle is spinning in a drill when you lay a 1/16" diameter round file against it and make a 1/16" groove completely around the axle? Then you use pliers to bend the axle?
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Post by Bones on Oct 2, 2009 12:53:52 GMT -7
You got it.
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Post by psycaz on Oct 2, 2009 13:05:52 GMT -7
My rail rider tool is useless except as a car paint stand. And that's after sending both the tool and axle press back to derbyworx for review. For my pure stock entry this month, I ended up using the axle press alone after failing to get a worthwhile bend using both tools. How are you bending your axle for steering? Try this with an old or unwanted axle. Mark the head and insert like you normally would do. Hammer on the center and towards the side with the axle sticking out. Start out hammering soft, getting harder with each hit. I have ended up using the 2.5 side jsut so I know it is bending. I also hit it a TON. I did notch out the 1.5 side to try to move the part that was doing the bending away from the axle press portion. If you look at the setup, it is trying to shear the axle - at least from what I can see. The tool has the groove flat across. This to me makes it try to bend the axle at the point where it just starts coming out of the axle press. The tool should be anlgled so the part doing the bending is farther away from the axle press. If that makes any sense.
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Post by Vodka Racing on Oct 2, 2009 13:26:37 GMT -7
Try this with an old or unwanted axle. Mark the head and insert like you normally would do. Hammer on the center and towards the side with the axle sticking out. Start out hammering soft, getting harder with each hit. I have ended up using the 2.5 side jsut so I know it is bending. I also hit it a TON. I did notch out the 1.5 side to try to move the part that was doing the bending away from the axle press portion. If you look at the setup, it is trying to shear the axle - at least from what I can see. The tool has the groove flat across. This to me makes it try to bend the axle at the point where it just starts coming out of the axle press. The tool should be anlgled so the part doing the bending is farther away from the axle press. If that makes any sense. I see what you are saying, remove the inner half of the rail rider tool so the outer half that remains directs force further out onto the axle. Hitting it a ton won't fly with me, the only concrete I have is the sidewalk so it's uncomfortable as is to hit only a few times. And my axles end up moving / rotating on me. In theory I like the method Bones mentioned and it may be close to how 2Fast does it. I have a set of the JE91 nails and one of them was bent for me. The bend is located at a groove similar to what I imagine following Bones method. And I can be more precise using pliers over a hammer.
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Post by psycaz on Oct 2, 2009 13:54:05 GMT -7
I hammer minie on the edge of the computer desk, directly over where the legs meet the top. Most sturdiest place on the desk.
We've scratched up the desk enough that mom won't kill me for doing this - of course, I am not stupid enough to do it when she could see it. ;D
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Post by psycaz on Oct 2, 2009 16:47:42 GMT -7
Anyone got a picture of the groove before the bend?
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Post by Zeebzob on Oct 2, 2009 17:53:19 GMT -7
I clamp the axle press in a vise with the axle sticking out. Then I take the wheel that I cut in half (tip from Glenn in The Block video) and put it on the axle. This will allow me to set the depth so I can put the bend in the right spot, then I gently push on the half wheel to bend the axle.
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Post by Bones on Oct 2, 2009 18:16:24 GMT -7
The groove is Guru Glenn's method, always follow the Master grasshoppers
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Post by Vodka Racing on Oct 2, 2009 20:23:44 GMT -7
Anyone got a picture of the groove before the bend? Here's a picture of the moon over my house tonight! Actually it's a picture of the groove "post bend" (shouldn't matter) magnified at 30x. Some measurements I took... ...distance from underside of nail head: roughly 3/8"(0.375") ...largest diameter of nail body: 0.091"(2.31mm) ...smallest diameter of groove: 0.066"(1.69mm)
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Post by Burpin Chunks Racing on Feb 6, 2010 22:51:32 GMT -7
thank you for the post - my question now is - how much damage does derby worx hammer method damage the axles. i have several special axles i have bent this way and wonder if i should just throw them out. or are they ok and i should use this method to bend them rest of the way given that derby worx method doesnt bend them enough.
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Post by down4derby on Feb 7, 2010 2:16:38 GMT -7
I assembled a car this morning and had to bend an axle quik. I took a pair of wire cutters and lightly cut a square groove in the axle. Then I took a pair of needle nose pliers and cut a piece of shamwow to protect the riding surface of the axle. I Made sure to bring the edge of the cut to the edge of the pliers. Then bent the half that goes in the body with another pair of pliers ,again bringing the edge of the pliers to the edge of the cut. This worked very fast and accurate for me this morning.
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Post by Shade Racing on Feb 7, 2010 9:29:42 GMT -7
This is primarily for Burpinchunks, since he asked (during the live chat on 2-6) how people were bending their axles, but I figured a more detailed explanation might come in handy for other newbies like myself. I would like to state that I am NOT an expert in any way, and am only repeating the information that I have gathered by reading the message boards. I take no credit for this, as it was in no way my idea. Step 1: Polish your axle (the axle in all the pictures is obviously not polished, but its the only one I had laying around to use for this. I actually had to dig it out of the garbage can ) Step 2: Mark location for bend with a sharpie (3/8" from the inside of the nail head works good for me - thanks Vodka) Step 3: Clamp a hand drill horizontally in a vise. Step 4: Insert axle into drill and use a file to create a groove in it while the drill is running at medium to medium-high speed. I like to use a triangular file held at around 45 degrees, since it tapers the axle on the side going into the car, and leaves a near 90 degree edge on the other side. I don't have any measurements, but I grooved my final race-ready axle a tiny amount more than the one below. Step 5: Insert the axle into the drill all the way up to the groove and use an old wheel cut in half to bend it (or your thumb...basically anything that wont scratch it will work) Step 6: Set an angle finder (available at the hardware store for $5) to 90 degrees + your desired bend angle (90 + 4). Step 7: Check the bend by placing the angle finder on the flat part of the drill chuck...repeat bending as necessary. The axle in the picture needs to be bent another degree or two. Again, a big thanks to everyone who provided me with this knowledge. I've come a long way in a short amount of time because of all your help. I like the angle finder than you have ; you think Lowes have them very good post
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Post by down4derby on Feb 7, 2010 9:58:59 GMT -7
The groove cutting method and the axle bending method are two different methods for bending axles, not combined. The cutting method provides an area for the bend to occur without warping the riding surface of the axle. I have not used an axle bender, however I have bent axles by hand without the groove and its difficult to readjust without warping. With the cutting method if you apply pressure only at the groove, tweaking the axle is more precise and easier to bend, however it is also easier to snap it with too many adjustments! So you get sharper angle, more precision, less warping, less pressure needed against the riding surface to bend, no pounding on your polished axle, cheaper, less headaches. Like I said I, havent used the axle bender before, however I think cutting or grooving is better. My 2 cents
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