Can Subaru CV axles be cut and welded to shorten the length?

[idosubaru]

I need EJ axles that are about 1" shorter - can a good machine shop cut and weld them and do that without significantly weakening the axle? 

I see that people do it and I see online commentary that the weld won't be as strong as the original metal and the heating will reduce the materials property of the metal.  Is that only something that matters for performance/race cars or...?

Edited November 11, 2019 by idosubaru

[john in KY]

Can't visualize what the shaft looks like without the joints installed but maybe cutting 1/2" from each end may work. Long time ago I had a transmission input shaft modified when I installed an Olds engine in a 44 Jeep. The machinist turned down one side of the cut shaft, drilled a hole in the other and left a lot of space between the cut that he filled with weld. Never broke although can't say that for the rear axles. But I was a lot younger then. 

[idosubaru]

7 minutes ago, john in KY said:

Can't visualize what the shaft looks like without the joints installed but maybe cutting 1/2" from each end may work. Long time ago I had a transmission input shaft modified when I installed an Olds engine in a 44 Jeep. The machinist turned down one side of the cut shaft, drilled a hole in the other and left a lot of space between the cut that he filled with weld. Never broke although can't say that for the rear axles. But I was a lot younger then. 

Great.  I’ll take an axle to a local shop I’ve been too before, theyre fabulous.  They do heavy duty industrial stuff and mining equipment.  and still will do small tractor and car project stuff.

[forester2002s]

I can't comment on whether this is a good idea or not.

But if you do cut & re-weld, consider that the assembly may have been rotationally balanced by the manufacturer. If so, have the machinist mark the two halves before cutting, and then re-weld in the same orientation.

[GeneralDisorder]

It can be done, but I would recommend cutting in the middle, turning the OD down to match some seamless heavy-wall tubing with some plug-welding holes pre-drilled in it. Press it into the sleeve with a .001" interference fit then weld up the ends and all the plugs. You should keep the splined ends wrapped in a wet rag to prevent them from losing their heat treat. 

GD 

[LPGforester]

On 11/12/2019 at 4:47 AM, GeneralDisorder said:

It can be done, but I would recommend cutting in the middle, turning the OD down to match some seamless heavy-wall tubing with some plug-welding holes pre-drilled in it. Press it into the sleeve with a .001" interference fit then weld up the ends and all the plugs. You should keep the splined ends wrapped in a wet rag to prevent them from losing their heat treat. 

GD 

I did this on my EJ'd Brumby....i machined a 7"long  1/4" wall sleeve with welding slots out of 4140 with a 5 thou interference and heated and shrank it onto the shafts and plug welded the slots....do not weld the ends of the sleeve as this creates a single point weak zone around the entire shaft in the heat affected zone of the weld.

those shafts ran for years until i had to get the vehicle inspected and the inspector failed them for not being OEM parts.

Callum

Edited November 23, 2019 by LPGforester
just measured them and had diamentions wrong