rear hollow axle, press fit?

[pisten-bully]

Just received my '46 Chief project and the first order of business is to disassemble everything. Now, this is my first Indian... and I've got lots of questions and I really look forward to using this forum, from what I'm reading there's lots of knowledge out there just waiting to be shared and the forum members are good about sharing it!

So, my first question regards the rear axle and the hollow tube/bearing race assembly. On my machine the axle bolt and hollow tube move as one unit, is this because the hollow tube is a press fit on the axle bolt... or like much of this bike is the tube fused to the axle bolt from corrosion, etc?

Last thing I want to do is try and drive the axle bolt out of the tube with a drift when I really should be applying heat.

Thanks! (photo of the project enclosed)

[exeric]

The hollow axel should be a slip fit on the main axel. The intention for iterchangeable wheels at both H-D and Indian was for the removal of just the wheel. The brake drum would stay with the frame. The proceedure is to remove the lug nuts that hold the wheel to the brake drum, and then pull the main axel out and your wheel should drop free.

The reality of removing a wheel from a skirted fender Indian is a bit more complicated and harder than a Harley. I have a motorcycle lift that I use on my Chief when I want to get a wheel off. Be careful with the balance of your bike because those wheels are heavy and when you take one off, the bike will get very tippy.

In your case, it sounds like you just need to get the whole wheel and brake assembly out so you can address corrosion and wear. I would use plenty of penetrating oil and use a brass or aluminum drift to work the main axel out. My standard proceedure is to start out carefully, and then adjust my aggression accordingly.

[pisten-bully]

Thanks for the reply! I hated the thought of heating up the tube considering all the grease in the area. Since I've got the motor, h-bars, and tanks off the frame I may just lay it over (gravity is your friend sometimes) and douse it with penetrating oil, then tap it incessantly with a "light touch".

I could always cut the axle bolt but I want to re-use anything that came on the bike ... within reason of course!

I'll have more questions as the project progresses, of course! F'rinstance... with the bike I received lots of parts I can't identify, and some manuals that look original except they look new... I would assume any manual that is a reproduction would have something, somewhere in it that identifies it as a copy, re-print, or otherwise. (do I need a new thread for this question?)

[exeric]

This is the right place for your questions. Some literature is identified and some isn't. Many people and companies have reproduced Indian literature on their own, and have done so for many years. I believe this is because Indians have always been poplular and people like Sammy Pierce, Jim Sutter, Indian Joe Martin, and Chuck Miles have always felt the need to supply information to the people that love Indians. Some of that literature is probably looking perfectly aged and vintage so it could be mistaken for genuine paper. The photographs are usually the give away. Genuine literature always looks very good and the photos are clear and sharp.

[pisten-bully]

Thanks Eric, likely these manuals have been reproduced since some, but not all, of the photos are not really crisp and clean.

I sort of hated to open them up and use them IF indeed they were original copies... I have a habit of turning pages with a little dirt on my hands sometimes.

This bike was purportedly obtained from a former Indian dealer in Puerto Rico, yet I have yet to prove that provenance. Thanks again!