Need ideas

[Pookapotamus]

So I am very close to purchasing a brand new metal lathe to add to my shop, I have a bearing idea that I would like to work on and well lathes are cool, love working on them. Now my bearing idea would be the main use, but I would like to be able to use the lathe to produce other jeep related stuff, as the lathe I am considering will have many bells and whistles and I need to justify dropping 4 g's index this lathe.

Some of the ideas that I have come up with are adjustable spacer lifts, gear shift knobs and different sized pulleys for alternators. I have also thought of boring throttle bodies.

So basically I'm looking for other ideas that I could use this lathe for, what else do we need beefed up? Different length bump stops? Screw together tool canisters? Bigger vacuum reservoirs? Harmonic balancer with pto belt groove?

Shoot me some ideas!!

[4.3LXJ]

C clip eliminator for D35 and the 8.25. You will have to match bearings and come up with plate to hold them in

[Pookapotamus]

Thanks Steve, I will look into it!

[4.3LXJ]

The D35 will be easy. The new bearings have an inside race so you can get rid of the C clip. The 8.25 situation is not one I have looked into

[Pookapotamus]

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/16/14242553297ac54ba3212d126d2c7ee2.jpg

I pick it up Monday!!!!!

[4.3LXJ]

That looks like lots of fun Dana. Back when I was young and stu … Never mind. Anyway I enrolled in machine shop classes at a community college a few miles from the one near me. They let me make anything I wanted. Soooooo, I made some neat goodies. A transmission adapter for my CJ5, and three 44 fronts for said Jeep and a few other things of minor consequence :D

[NW99XJ]

SYE's

[bluedragon436]

That looks like lots of fun Dana. Back when I was young and stu … Never mind. Anyway I enrolled in machine shop classes at a community college a few miles from the one near me. They let me make anything I wanted. Soooooo, I made some neat goodies. A transmission adapter for my CJ5, and three 44 fronts for said Jeep and a few other things of minor consequence :D

When I was in HS I was in a metals tech class where we worked with lathes and milling machines... Made some pretty neat stuff on the lathe... Made a spacer for a guys Mustang transmission, a few custom shift knobs for him and a few friends, and many other items... built a cigar holder that even had an O-ring that went into a groove, on the cap, so it could be sealed to keep the contents fresh it even had a knurling from one end to the other, which made it look like one solid piece of stock.. made a few other things when we had substitute teachers that would have been frown apun... but had requests for my mad (or lack of) skills on the lathe.. I'd love to pick up a lathe and play more... or even have more time on a school lathe, as I don't have a real need for my own personal lathe..

[abebehrmann]

Are you accepting son applications yet?

[Pookapotamus]

Are you accepting son applications yet?


I'm still looking for some one to adopt me!!!! Lol!

[Pookapotamus]

Can't wait to get this running, did lots with a lathe in HS as well, and a few jobs.

[4.3LXJ]

I'm still looking for some one to adopt me!!!! Lol!

Sounds like an instant multigenerational family in the making with all the fun toys

[Pookapotamus]

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/20/0478cd61759e488a818e409a50e6703e.jpg

Built a stand for it, I wanted it a bit higher and movable so I can clean behind it or to maintain it. Now I can start cleaning and re assembling.

[autotech98]

Awesome !

[Pookapotamus]

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/02/03/d4df8dabfc0cb6f2266071d2cfbae7a4.jpg

Cutters finally came in!!!! Time to get to work!!!!

[4.3LXJ]

I love carbide cutters

[Pookapotamus]

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/02/07/1b488db1c5e07d751347c7e7c6bf4a22.jpg all set up and ready to use!!!

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/02/07/980579f0da1bedcf863bca714c88353d.jpgthen I made this for my wife!!

[4.3LXJ]

Fun stuff Dana

[XJ Wheeler]

Nice! Smart move too! Showing her how tools like this can be useful. :D :thumbsup:

Sent via messenger pigeon - i talk, he types.

[Pookapotamus]

My thoughts exactly!!! Now I can move onto bigger things!!!

[Firemanray]

WOW! That's nice! I want to add one of those to my shop someday, for the time being I'll sit back and watch you. I'm sure all of us here can give you a mountain of ideas we'ed like to see turned in to reality.:D

[Pookapotamus]

The main reason I got the lathe was to see an idea of mine come to fruition, a wheel bearing that is practically indestructible, using tapered cone bearings instead of ball bearings, that is completely sealed, rebuildable, and can withstand 5x the forces that the "off the shelf" unit bearing can handle.

Hopefully have a prototype on mort before the month is done, and be supplying them roughly 6 months after.

Need to finish up the design, work on some calculations, and get some material.

[4.3LXJ]

front or rear bearing?

[Pookapotamus]

Front unit bearings.

[4.3LXJ]

I believe those already have a double row of tapered roller bearings in them. They face the opposite way. Don't ask me how they assemble them

[Pookapotamus]

Nope double row of ball bearings running in a cast iron grove, at least every set I have got my hands on and not sealed.

[4.3LXJ]

My bad then. I do know from wandering around at bearing shops that they make bearings like that

[Pookapotamus]

If you find a set Steve let me know, get a brand and part number. I haven't found a unit bearing for jeeps that have tapered bearings in them, if so my idea is sunk!!!!!

[Pookapotamus]

I will post a pic of a disassembled one when I get to my comp later

[4.3LXJ]

No part numbers, just recall seeing something like that in a pic once. Until you get that far, check the dual tapered bearings out. Make an adapter and you have it

[Pookapotamus]

I've pulled one apart, then drew it in 3d, then modified it so that it can accept the tapered bearings and seals.

A lot of machining involved, unfortunately there is no bearing that will swap in easily. And then it has to machined to be able to add a preload to the tapers. And a bunch of other stuff done before they can be reinstalled. Big job, been working on this for over 4 years!

[XJ Wheeler]

I like it. There needs to be a better option anyway, might as well capitalize on the need.

[Pookapotamus]

I hope lots of people like them, don't know yet what to charge for them, but I'm thinking a discount if you give me your old cores so I can make more. What do you think you would pay for an indestructible front unit bearing??

[Firemanray]

Do you plan to field test them? If so what do you have in mind?

[XJ Wheeler]

To be honest I have no idea what they normally go for. When I start replacing them I will learn quickly though. :D

[4.3LXJ]

Here is a link to the types of bearings I was talking about. If you could use the hub and center in one of these and make a retainer, might be a good deal

http://www.globalspec.com/learnmore/mechanical_components/bearings_bushings/tapered_roller_bearings

[Firemanray]

To be honest I have no idea what they normally go for. When I start replacing them I will learn quickly though. :D

Mine are lifetime warranty at O'reilly Auto parts. I just take the bad one in and exchange for a new one. Cheap and easy.

[Pookapotamus]

Yup will be field testing, have a set going on mort, drive the snot out of him, have sets going on friends jeeps, different tire sizes, and wheeling styles.

I saw those Steve, hard to get and super expensive! And can't get them in the size I need.

[Firemanray]

Yup will be field testing, have a set going on mort, drive the snot out of him, have sets going on friends jeeps, different tire sizes, and wheeling styles.

I saw those Steve, hard to get and super expensive! And can't get them in the size I need.

MUD, drive them in lot's of nasty mud! That's what is killing mine. I've pretty much got zippers on them at this point.

[Pookapotamus]

MUD, drive them in lot's of nasty mud! That's what is killing mine. I've pretty much got zippers on them at this point.


Yup mud will do it! The "off the shelf" ones are not sealed, they made a very lame attempt at sealing them.

[Pookapotamus]

Here is the 3d model I have made of the standard unit bearing, you can see a seal up front(green) and the two sets of ball bearings and the orange thing at the back is kind of a seal but not air or water tight.

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii191/pookapotamus/Explode_zps7c924e7c.jpg (http://s264.photobucket.com/user/pookapotamus/media/Explode_zps7c924e7c.jpg.html)

[NW99XJ]

Nicely done pook... that looks pretty good!

[Pookapotamus]

Nicely done pook... that looks pretty good!


Wait until you see the finished product!

[Pookapotamus]

Ok so I have finished the design process, replaces the two sets of ball bearings with tapered rollers which can each take a 15,000 lbs load. Replaces both "seals" with good silicone O-rings that can withstand -65f to 450f. The bearing can be disassembled so that it can be greased or repaired on the trail. And the preload is set by shims so it is very easy to adjust, if any adjustment is ever needed.

[autotech98]

When you gonna build em Dana?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I547

[Pookapotamus]

When you gonna build em Dana?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I547

when I can afford all the parts to build them, and the parts come in to fix my lathe.:bang: