M37/M715 axle swap using orig Budd wheels

[Drew M.]

I am swapping out the axles on my M37. The gearing is just too steep for my needs.

I have CAB & CHASSIS 14 bolt to keep the wheel mounting surface width 63". However, it is 8 lug. I'd prefer to keep the Budd bp and wheels.

I keep looking at the Helitool hubs and my spare M37 hubs and ideas to keep the 5 x 6 7/8 bp run through my head.

Here is my latest: chuck up a M37 hub on my lathe and cut off the M37 lug flange after making its outside diameter true. Then, do a skim cut on the 14 bolt hubs to clean them up. Machine the id of the M37 lug flange to be just slightly smaller than od of the 14 hub. Press the M37 flange on the 14 hub and weld. It would allow the use of the orig wheels on modern axles such as 14 bolt and dana 60 front ends.

The flanges on the Helitool modified M37 hubs were welded on to accomodate the 8 lug rotors. Never heard of a weld failure, but then again, those flanges were not taking the twisting loads of the lug flange/wheel.

Anyone ever do this or know why this would be a bad idea?
(I am nervous relying on welded lug flanges without more info to reduce my safety concerns.)

[Frank Irons]

I was able to modify the existing hubs to fit a Dana 70 axle. The modification involved changing bearings and cups and machining the bearing surfaces in the hub. Get a bearing catalog showing sizes available and see what you can come with for the 14 bolt axle.

Frank

[Drew M.]

dana70 & 14 bolt use the same hubs/spindles...

Thanks John. If you managed to do it with D70 hubs, I just need to repeat finding the same bearings for my application for the rear. As for the front D60, still researching that one.