Rears and Gears?

[C5rider]

We took our Original to the track this weekend and spoke with some really great IH enthusiasts. One person in particular was asking about our pullers. He asked what we had done to the rearend, and of course, our reply was "nothing".

He was surprised that we were not running a "fine spline" axle setup and haven't had any issues. Now we don't need to have the biggest and the best and our high-school isn't known for it's math program, but the way he was speaking, it kind of made us wonder if we were setting ourselves up for trouble.

Of course, our Original is belt-driven, so I don't know how much difference that makes, but my brother was also there with his 72 and he was wondering the same thing.

Would anyone care to shed some light on this subject for us? Thanks for any info!

[mickb72]

Yes, those big tires can be real hard on the rears. The cast carrier will explode or an axel break. Nice lookin O. Mike

[C5rider]

I've done a little bit of research on this but being a noob, there's a lot of options.

The way I understand it, even welding the spider gears is better than nothing and goes a long way to keeping the carrier intact. Sure, it doesn't help much at all with the axles, but if the spider gears can't force their way outward, then the strain on the carrier is greatly reduced, right?

Because I've got an Original with the drum brake on the one side, that kind of makes that axle special, doesn't it? That would negate being able to use a more modern fine-spline axle/differential?

Truth of the matter is, this is a fun toy for my son and I. We pull it maybe 5-7 times a year. I'd like to prevent anything catastrophic from happening but also, don't need uber-bulletproof ($$$) driveline components--yet.

I understand the "Do it right, do it once" motto. We're trying to keep this fun and grow into the sport rather than hop in with both feet and wonder what happened as we're gasping for air amid a flood of shiny, high-dollar parts. If that makes sense.

thanks for any info.

[dvogtvpe]

the belt does soften some of the shock from the engine into the driveline. personally I'd put a pipe or tube around the carrier to help strengthen the carrier. going through and reshimming the carrier and checking the pinion depth would be of help since it has almost 50 years of wear to it. you may want to weld your shift forks and make sure you lock it in gear or bungee it into gear to keep it from popping out.

[C5rider]

Thanks for the input. I've got a little bit of time before the next pull so I can do some research and hopefully, get the goods to make it more durable.

I'm sure Midwest Super Cub will be hearing from me at some point!

Another question. What holds the axle into the carrier? Is there a C-clip or what holds it into the housing? I know that they are a little different from the later style cubs.

thanks.

[dvogtvpe]

I might be wrong , been a while since I took one apart but from what I remember there were no clips. you just unbolt the axle tube and it pulls out. the axle's held into the tube

[C5rider]

you just unbolt the axle tube and it pulls out. the axle's held into the tube

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. But what holds it INTO the tube? My one axle has a lot of lateral play in it and while we're in there, I figured that we'd do a few touch-ups while we've got the fluid drained. Just wondering if there's a pressed collar that holds it on or ?

Thanks.

[dvogtvpe]

on the left side or brake side there's a set screw holding the brake drum onto the axle. you take that out and the axle comes out. I think there's just a coller with a set screw. That's were your slop is. you can shim them if the housings are worn

[C5rider]

Okay, THANKS!

That's just another reason to do a little work inside the ol girl before the next pull. Wouldn't hurt to get inside and see what's going on in there anyways. I've drained and replaced the fluid once, but I'm sure it would appreciate some new seals here and there.