Shafts in Drivetrains

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by TheFrozenSlink

If you're using 1/2 in Hex shafts for a live axle, with wheels that have a hex hole for the shaft, what do you use to keep the wheels from coming off then, as you cant thread the shafts?

There's a few ways to do this. Hex shaft collars are the "zero-machining" way to do it, but they take up space and weigh more than other solutions. Drilling and tapping a hole in each end and using washers is another way to do it. Works just fine, though you want to Loctite those bolts and check them frequently. Snap rings work great on the ends of shafts, not so much between loads, provided you can cut grooves.

At one point we actually turned our hex stock round at one end and used a thread die to cut threads in the ends. We just popped in a nut and were good to go. I wouldn't recommend this as shaft collars, tapped end holes, etc are much simpler but if you must you can do it.