Catastrophic Hub Failure

[GreensvilleJay]

I'm with RWS..... really need to 'fill that gap', aka shims.
Your approach of tightening the clamp doesn't remove the gap,the root cause of the wear. You've now got a heavy offset mass going round and round and eventually it will cause another problem.

 

[Lil Foot]

I have been contemplating wrapping the axle with a hex shaped shim, but it would have to be a tough material (17-4 SS?) and of the correct thickness- that will be almost impossible to gauge with me, the hubs, and the shim 150mi from the axles. (and no shop facilities where the tractor is)
I think the modified clamp will just shove the axle into the "vee" in the hub on the opposite from the clamp and keep it there, but I will be checking the stock stash for possible shim material.
Maybe I can use the hex hole in the hub as a pattern.
If the shim is too thick, it won't assemble, and too thin will not be ideal either, but any play removed should be an improvement.

I briefly considered drilling & tapping each face of the hub's hex for a large diameter set screw that would take out the play, but I think that would weaken the hub too much

 

[Lil Foot]

I also think that individual shims (one per axle face) would tend to "walk out" of the hubs.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I also think that individual shims (one per axle face) would tend to "walk out" of the hubs.

No shims required.

What your doing is the right way to address that play, I've had several like that and they just made the cotters just a little to long on the short side, so they don't quite clamp tight enough.

I didn't do it as neatly as you, I just hit it with a grinder and faced them off.

 

[whitetiger]

I didn't do it as neatly as you, I just hit it with a grinder and faced them off.

I have been doing the same for years. It tightens them up and I have not had one come loose again yet.

 

[Lil Foot]

No shims required.

What your doing is the right way to address that play, I've had several like that and they just made the cotters just a little to long on the short side, so they don't quite clamp tight enough.

I didn't do it as neatly as you, I just hit it with a grinder and faced them off.

I have been doing the same for years. It tightens them up and I have not had one come loose again yet.

Thanks for the confirmation gentlemen!
Making shims would be a hit or miss solution at best without the tractor here, plus a giant PITA.
And I need another project like I need another hole in my head.