# taper lock over splined shaft?



## Tristar500 (Jul 9, 2008)

Anybody had any experience with using a taper lock over a splined shaft?

I could have it turned down to a smooth shaft but am not sure it is necessary.


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## stormcrow (May 28, 2008)

I dont know about the taper lock but I can tell you what I am doing. I'm using a clutchless system so I took the clutch all apart and kept the middle piece that has the center hub that fits onto the splined shaft. Then I got a Lovejoy coupler. One half is 7/8" that fits right on my motor shaft. The other half is 1/2" that was bored out to fit over the very end of the splined shaft. Then I had that half machined so that part of the center hub fits into the end of my Lovejoy half. All I need to do is weld that clutch piece to my Lovejoy half and bolt everything together. Should work pretty slick!


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## TX_Dj (Jul 25, 2008)

I think (and I may be wrong) that the OP is saying his traction motor has a splined output, not that he's trying to taperlock @ the transmission input shaft.

I'm no expert, but I'd think that trying to put a taper lock over a splined shaft would be a no-go. Less surface area making contact with the splined shaft = less holding force, at least by the logic in my head.

Now, having said that, if you happened to have a clutch hub that fit the splines on that shaft, and a clutch hub that fit the splines on the tranmsision input shaft, you could make a solid coupler that makes use of both... but how you keep it attached without sliding back and forth and wearing out the hubs without putting extra thrust loads on the motor or transmission, I dunno!


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## Bugzuki (Jan 15, 2008)

Sounds like you are refering to the Ford Ranger Motor. Etischer has posted a thread here on what he is working on with his motor.

http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16479&highlight=ranger+motor


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## Tristar500 (Jul 9, 2008)

TX_Dj said:


> I think (and I may be wrong) that the OP is saying his traction motor has a splined output, not that he's trying to taperlock @ the transmission input shaft.
> 
> 
> Yes, I've got a motor with a splined output shaft and am wondering about using a taper lock. Another option to turning the shaft smooth would be to cut a keyway in it.
> ...


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## CNCRouterman (May 5, 2008)

Tristar500, have you researched getting an adapter from an industrial supply house? Grainger, J&L, etc, or perhaps from an electric motor mfg? How about an IC engine rebuilder or tranny shop, or for that matter, a driveline shop? It seems like getting the right coupling would be most prefereable.


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## enganear (Jun 16, 2008)

McMaster Carr has lovejoy type couplers with SAE splines. See if you can match anything up with what you have. Go to http://www.mcmaster.com and search spline bore coupling.
-Stephen Chapman


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## etischer (Jun 16, 2008)




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## Coley (Jul 26, 2007)

How about annealing the half that will go on the splines? Then the splines could "dig in" a bit and be rock solid.

Especially if you are not reversing the motor for "reverse gear"?

On the two ended spline hubs, a brass pin could be inserted through the coupler to keep the coupler from "walking" either way.


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## wgiles (Sep 2, 2008)

Tristar500 said:


> Anybody had any experience with using a taper lock over a splined shaft?
> 
> I could have it turned down to a smooth shaft but am not sure it is necessary.


I have done exactly that, but perhaps not in the manner that you are referring to. You can buy splined billets that can be welded into a steel coupling hub. What I did was to weld a splined billet into a blank taper lock bushing and then split the bushing so that the taper would clamp the bushing to the splined shaft. This has worked out quite well for my application. A loose spline that isn't lubricated will wear rapidly and both mating parts will have to be replaced. This is partly due to corrosion (rust) in the splines which causes the fit to deteriorate. It is much worse in a splined shaft than on a keyed shaft. If you don't intend to remove the coupling from the shaft, a simpler choice is to mount a splined billet or coupling half using Loctite 609 or equivalent. This retaining compound will fix the hub on the shaft and will exclude air and moisture from the splines. If you want to remove the coupling, heat it to 400 Deg. to melt the retaining compound and it will slide off.


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## Coley (Jul 26, 2007)

Quote:
"A loose spline that isn't lubricated will wear rapidly and both mating parts will have to be replaced. This is partly due to corrosion (rust) in the splines which causes the fit to deteriorate. It is much worse in a splined shaft than on a keyed shaft."

One noted exception is a clutch disc hub. There is not regular lubing of it and they run for thousands and thousands of miles.

The input shaft on the trans doesn't wear either.

On my EV I have an access hole, so I can lube it if I desire, but it is not actually needed.


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## ww321q (Mar 28, 2008)

You can actually increase wear by lubing parts in a dirty environment. The grease or oil holds dirt and sand in place like glue . Valve lapping compound is made from grease and abrasive . J.W.


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## wgiles (Sep 2, 2008)

Coley said:


> Quote:
> "A loose spline that isn't lubricated will wear rapidly and both mating parts will have to be replaced. This is partly due to corrosion (rust) in the splines which causes the fit to deteriorate. It is much worse in a splined shaft than on a keyed shaft."
> 
> One noted exception is a clutch disc hub. There is not regular lubing of it and they run for thousands and thousands of miles.
> ...


That is true. I need to think in consumer time instead of industrial time. For me, 2000 hours is one year, one shift per day. At 30 mph, that's 60,000 miles. Acceptable life depends on your perspective. It also depends on the availability of replacement parts. If the spline doesn't need to slide, I favor the retaining compound route. I'm using retaining compound instead of shrink fits more and more, primarily because of the ease of installation and removal and the reduction of in service failures. 

Thanks for reminding me.

Bill


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## enganear (Jun 16, 2008)

I have searched unsuccessfully for splined options. Where did you source the splined billet?

I have used a product before from Loctite called Press Fit Repair. It is about the consistency of toothpaste and works quite well.
-Stephen Chapman



wgiles said:


> I have done exactly that, but perhaps not in the manner that you are referring to. You can buy splined billets that can be welded into a steel coupling hub. What I did was to weld a splined billet into a blank taper lock bushing and then split the bushing so that the taper would clamp the bushing to the splined shaft. This has worked out quite well for my application. A loose spline that isn't lubricated will wear rapidly and both mating parts will have to be replaced. This is partly due to corrosion (rust) in the splines which causes the fit to deteriorate. It is much worse in a splined shaft than on a keyed shaft. If you don't intend to remove the coupling from the shaft, a simpler choice is to mount a splined billet or coupling half using Loctite 609 or equivalent. This retaining compound will fix the hub on the shaft and will exclude air and moisture from the splines. If you want to remove the coupling, heat it to 400 Deg. to melt the retaining compound and it will slide off.


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## wgiles (Sep 2, 2008)

Most of the splined billets that I have used have been from Hub City, Inc.

Bill


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## enganear (Jun 16, 2008)

The Hub City website seems to be dead, but Gmail provided me with a suggestion in the header of the message from you for www.rushgears.com and this place looks capable of doing the work.
Thanks!
-Stephen Chapman



wgiles said:


> Most of the splined billets that I have used have been from Hub City, Inc.
> 
> Bill


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## wgiles (Sep 2, 2008)

I am not sure what you mean by dead. Here is a link to the catalog page for splined couplings.

http://catalogs.hubcityinc.com/farmrev/nonPTOproducts.html#2


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## enganear (Jun 16, 2008)

Thanks, I could not get in through the front door last night but it seems to be working fine now. This looks like a great resource for spline solutions.
-Stephen Chapman



wgiles said:


> I am not sure what you mean by dead. Here is a link to the catalog page for splined couplings.
> 
> http://catalogs.hubcityinc.com/farmrev/nonPTOproducts.html#2


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