Welding new hubs to new axles

[pcs800]

I have 8 new hubs and 8 new axles that I had made at a shop near my home.
The holes in the hubs are the same ID as the axles OD, but of course when I slide them together I get a little play. If I weld without somehow centering them, I am certainly going to have some wheel wobble going on.
Here's a pic of them both on my work bench, I have a square zip tied to the axle to illustrate my point.
Is there a tool of some sort to keep the axle centered as I start to weld?

[Rusty-Gunn]

I'm not a welder, so I have no info. But can I ask what your investment is per axle?

[Rock Doctor]

The second you touch the welder to the hub/axle, its going to pull the axle out of square with the hub. no matter how many zip-ties you put on there.

Did you weld the bolts to the hubs? and are you using the same procedure to weld the axles on?

Take a center punch and drive it into the Hub about 1/8" from the axle at 12, 6, 3, 9 oclock. On both sides of the hub. Make sure your still square. Do it again between each of the first 4 punches.
Tack the Axles in a similar pattern with your welder, using the tacks to pull the axle straight back to square if it moves. Once you are sure you are no longer getting movement from the tacks, you can try to run a bead around the axle.
Short of building a Jig, this Might keep you square enough.

RD

[thebuggyman1]

The best way to do it is with a lathe. Tack weld, spin, tap w/hammer to straighten, spin again. It you are using a square to determine alignment, I would bet you will be disappointed with the finished product. Your machine shop should do it for a reasonable price.

[racerone3]

have a machine shop knurl the end of the axle. this will make the OD slightly larger. If they can get a rough enough knurl to make the hubs a press fit, you will be ready to weld. it's hard to judge without knowing exactly how much slop you have.

[pcs800]

@rock doctor - What do the punch indents do for me?
@rusty gun - I have a friend who works at the shop, most of what he is using is round stock they already had on hand which his boss said to go ahead and take. I did have to pay for the metal for the hubs though.
@racerone3 - I had thought about knurling them too, that's probably what I will end up doing.

[Rock Doctor]

Punch indents close to the edge of the hole in the hub will hold the axle in the hub hole. Try making punch mark close to the edge of a steel plate, and you will see the edge of the plate bulge out a bit. In the end, your final weld around the hub/axle will fill/cover/disguise the punch marks, and you will never know they were there.

I like the Lathe idea too, but I don't have one of those and thee is no machine shop within hundreds of miles of me :-)

RD

[pcs800]

Oh ok, I wasn't visualizing it correctly. I see what you mean and yes that's a decent idea.
I have since talked to my shop friend and he's going to have their guy weld them, they have everything to get them square. Also my welder is a 70 amp, 110 volt, so it probably won't be hot enough for these parts.