How to bend BSA axle without a specialized bending tool??

[mritter]

Can someone direct me to information on how to bend standard BSA axles (without a specialized axle bending tool). I also need information regarding how to align wheels for rail riding.
Thanks in advance!!!

 

[Vitamin K]

Some folks like to clamp the nail in a vise and then put a screwdriver against the head and tap gently with a hammer.

I posted my method in a different thread, but here it is as follows:

- Get a pair of pliers, a rectangular piece of soft wood (like pine), -- 1x4 will do, a sacrificial axle and a sharpie.
- Take a throwaway axle, insert into wheel, find the area where the axle comes out of the hub. Decide on your desired gap and add that space just beyond the protrusion point. Mark it with a sharpie.
- Draw a perpendicular line in the middle of your block, cutting across the 'short' dimension.
- Clamp the throwaway axle with the pliers, with the axle head protruding, at the mark you made on the axle. Keep it straight.
- Still holding the axle in the pliers, line the tip of the pliers up with the base of the wood, at the line you drew. Align the axle shaft with the line.
- Press down hard to make an indention into the wood. Throw the sacrificial axle away.
- Take your good axle (that you've polished) and place an alignment mark on the head. Lay the axle into the indention you've made, with the alignment mark at the 12 o' clock position. Clamp it with the pliers at the edge of the wood. Place your other hand over the one holding the pliers and apply gentle, steady downward pressure. Less is more, and it's better to underbend than over. If your bend is not deep enough, place it back into the indentation with the mark at 12 o' clock, re-grip, bend further.
- Save the wood, as you can use it to bend future axles without having to make a new indentation.

 

[5KidsRacing]

Some folks like to clamp the nail in a vise and then put a screwdriver against the head and tap gently with a hammer.

[/QUOTE]

Definately don't do that... With a non-grooved axle you will probably will end up with a curved axle instead of a sharp bend and with a grooved axle it will bend at the groove...

 

[zeebzob]

What I used to do before getting the GoatBoy axle bender is to cut a grove into the axle where I want it to bend by inserting it into a dremel (a drill chuck will work too) and using a mini file to cut the grove. Then I would use the DerbyWorx axle vise..er..I mean pro axle press and clamp it in a vise with the axle sticking out to the grove I cut. Then take an old BSA wheel that I cut in half and use that to push gently against the axle to bend it. The half wheel bore will be pressing up against the axle so it should give enough support so that it doesn't round the axle like 5 kids mentioned.

 

[Vitamin K]

Just be sure to check your rules. Cutting a groove for bending would technically violate our Pack/District rules, even though they're not the sort of grooves that add any performance. (Unfortunately, the verbiage is pretty blunt on that regard.) Chances are, you're okay, but check to be sure.

 

[Obsessedderbydad]

I also need information regarding how to align wheels for rail riding.
Thanks in advance!!!

What do you mean info on aligning wheels for rail riding. You should only be bending your DFW and drilling a cant on your rear wheels. No alignment required. Only tuning your steer. If you're bending your rear axles, you're going to have to go to the derbytalk forum to find out how to align your car. No offense, but we dont promote rear axle bending.

 

[ngyoung]

First clamp the DFW axle in a vise very close to the groove. Next place a screwdriver in the notch on the axle shaft and tap very, very lightly on the screwdriver with a rubber mallet. You want to bend this axle to about 3 to 6 degrees. This is not an exact science, but the axle needs to be bent to steer the car.

http://5kidsracing.webs.com/cubscoutworkshop.htm

 

[zeebzob]

I also need information regarding how to align wheels for rail riding.
Thanks in advance!!!

What do you mean info on aligning wheels for rail riding. You should only be bending your DFW and drilling a cant on your rear wheels. No alignment required. Only tuning your steer. If you're bending your rear axles, you're going to have to go to the derbytalk forum to find out how to align your car. No offense, but we dont promote rear axle bending.

Maybe we can cut this guy a little slack. after all, it was his very first post.

 

[HurriCrane Racing]

Some folks like to clamp the nail in a vise and then put a screwdriver against the head and tap gently with a hammer.

Don't hit the head of the axel. If you have no other way to bend an axel, clamp the axel in a bench vice just below where you want the bend. Then with a standard screwdriver and rubber mallet, tap the axel as close to the vice jaws as possible. This will help eliminate bending the axel where the wheel will ride

 

[DerbyJP]

If you have no other way to bend an axel, clamp the axel in a bench vice just below where you want the bend.

So where exactly SHOULD we want the bend, right where the axle would exit the car body?

 

[5KidsRacing]

If you have no other way to bend an axel, clamp the axel in a bench vice just below where you want the bend.

So where exactly SHOULD we want the bend, right where the axle would exit the car body?

I make my bend/groove right at the end of the inner hub.

 

[ngyoung]

+1

To answer the OP's question. You should check the site I linked to. It will give you the basics of the process that is supported by the fastest league racers. As for the key to alignment is to get your rear axle holes drilled properly. Steering for rail running is done with just the DFW axle.

Now having said that if you are already invested in your current car there are methods you can implement to try to correct rear alignment issues. Bending rear axles is a last resort option. The basic check for rear alignment is to have some weight on the back and slowly roll the car forwards and backwards. Hopefully the wheels migrate to the axle heads. There are multiple threads on the forum that will go into more detail about how start fixing alignment. It can take some writing to explain it so unless you have an issue and can't find what you need using forum's search function I won't get into it now.

Maybe we can cut this guy a little slack. after all, it was his very first post.

 

[Obsessedderbydad]

I also need information regarding how to align wheels for rail riding.
Thanks in advance!!!

What do you mean info on aligning wheels for rail riding. You should only be bending your DFW and drilling a cant on your rear wheels. No alignment required. Only tuning your steer. If you're bending your rear axles, you're going to have to go to the derbytalk forum to find out how to align your car. No offense, but we dont promote rear axle bending.

Maybe we can cut this guy a little slack. after all, it was his very first post.

I'm not hammering him. I just didnt know what he meant by aligning the wheels. If he was talking about bending the rear axles he could find better help on that at derbytalk. If its about adjusting steer with a DFW bend, we can help him here all day long.