Rear Beam Trailing Arm Shaft, Is This Ok?

[Guest richardm]

After stripping my 1.6 rear beam this weekend, it all went ok. Some persuasion was needed on a couple of parts but all in all not bad. I am replacing the two outer bearings but the inner bearings look fine. The only problem I may have is that although one trailing arm shaft looks as good as new the other has some small pitting where the roller bearing has eaten into the shaft. This is shown in the picture.

 

What I need to know is if this damage is OK and will not be a problem when a new outer bearing is inserted or does this shaft really need replacing?

 

 

As it came out of the beam.

 

 

The shaft cleaned, the pitting visible is not on the whole circumference of the shaft only the top half.

 

Any views are welcome.

 

Thanks

Rich

[taylorspug 7]

If you can feel the surface of the shaft is pitted with your fingers then the shaft is scrap and needs replacing. Even the slightest surface damage will eat through the new bearings in a matter of weeks.

[Anthony 1,003]

If it's pitted then there's no point reusing the shaft as it stands - ideally you need to replace it, but at the very least press it out and turn it through 180 degrees so that the unworn side is facing upwards (where the majority of the loading is)

[gti_al 1]

One of the guys here has a access to an engineering place so pressed a shaft out and welded it up, then machined it back. After a decent period of time he pulled the beam apart and found things were perfect... We did this with one of mine as i pulled the thing apart, and couldn't get a new shaft for ages.

 

Has anyone tried this?

[taylorspug 7]

One of the guys here has a access to an engineering place so pressed a shaft out and welded it up, then machined it back. After a decent period of time he pulled the beam apart and found things were perfect... We did this with one of mine as i pulled the thing apart, and couldn't get a new shaft for ages.

 

Has anyone tried this?

 

Havent tried this but it is a perfectly good way of repairing the shafts, as long as your lathe chuck runs true enough (if not using a 4 jaw).

 

Certainly once i get installed in my new workshop il be repairing shafts in this way, as il have the facilities to run a few machines (not an option atm as anyone whos seen my workshop will testify!).