Hex shaft

[Yalib]

We are thinking about using HEX shafts for our drive train..
we searched the web and could not find shaft coupling or hubs...
did anyone work with HEX shafts and can help us with this?

[Astechz_Nick]

Are you looking for something like these?
http://www.andymark.com/product-p/am-0096.htm
Also have you considered investing in a hex broach?

[jtus]

We use hex shafts all the time. Andymark.biz has hex bearings and hubs.
mcmastercarr.com has the shaft material. we use aluminum shaft to save weight. http://www.andymark.com/product-p/am-0096.htm
bearings http://www.andymark.com/product-p/am-0439.htm
shaft material http://www.mcmaster.com/#aluminum-alloy-rods/=fimtj6

[Yalib]

I meant bearings... like http://www.andymark.com/product-p/am-0160.htm but for a hex shaft...

[Astechz_Nick]

Contact AndyMark and see if you could switch out the bearings in am-0160 for bearings with the hex bore(which they sell btw). This seems like the simplist solution. They are closed for the holidays though so it might take a few days for a response.

Also if your team has the resources you could try to design and fabricate your own hub that would accept the hex bore bearing from AndyMark.

[artdutra04]

Originally Posted by Yalib

I meant bearings... like http://www.andymark.com/product-p/am-0160.htm but for a hex shaft...

Why do you want the AM-0160 bearing hub (linked above) for hex shafts?

The AM-0160 bearing hub is designed to be used in a dead axle application (the shaft does not spin, and the sprockets are bolted directly to the wheel).

The only reason to switch to a hex shaft based design is to use them as live axles (the sprocket/gear/wheel all spin together with the shaft, with the bearings in your frame/chassis).

[Yalib]

Beacuse i want to place the gearbox inside the chassis and the wheels outside.. so i need a hub bearing so the live shaft can spin in the chassis profile..

[Yalib]

Does anyone know where we can purchase a hex shaft coupling?

[Joe G.]

It sounds like you don't need a hub, but just standard bearings. The simplest solution is probably to press fit something like this into your chassis rail. If you don't have the machining capabilities to press fit bearings this way, use something like this with the correct bore, and swap the bearing. Alternatively, you could use standard round bearings, and turn the ends of your shaft to a round profile.

Another consideration is, you don't necessarily have to support your shaft with your chassis rail. If your gearbox provides adequate support for your shaft by itself, you can just drill a clearance hole into the chassis, and let the gearbox's bearings do the work for you. It is almost never a good idea to support a shaft with more than two bearings, as this can cause binding.

[PAR_WIG1350]

Originally Posted by Joe G.

Another consideration is, you don't necessarily have to support your shaft with your chassis rail. If your gearbox provides adequate support for your shaft by itself, you can just drill a clearance hole into the chassis, and let the gearbox's bearings do the work for you. It is almost never a good idea to support a shaft with more than two bearings, as this can cause binding.

It is also almost never a good idea to place the load on an axle far away from its supports. This is just another trade off to be considered, depending on the width of you chassis rails, this might not be an issue. If the rails are wide enough, it might be worth your time to try to align the bearings so the shaft can be supported. In situations where machining capabilities are minimal, narrower rails without additional axle supports might be the best option.