How To Drive Without Half Shafts

Contributed by Amceaglenest member IRON HORSE

I wanted to share a way to drive your Eagle without the front axles. (Remove both half shafts even if only one is bad to prevent front differental ware) ... You need four 2" dia. washers with 3/4" hole. Also need two 5 inch long x 3/4" bolts, nuts and lock washers for the bolts. Cut two pieces of 3/4" inner dia. heater hose about 3" long. Place one washer on each bolt ... then slide the piece of hose over each bolt ..... a little grease will help slide the hose over the bolts ....then push the bolt with the hose thru the hub hole from the inside outward. Put the remaining washer on the exposed thread end of the bolt then lock washer and nut... Tighten until the lock washer is fully compressed ( both hubs ) and you're ready to drive away. This is only intended for temporary use because it won't keep the water and dirt out of the bearings, but keeping that in mind you can drive your Eagle without the wheel falling off until you get the parts to fix it right. .......Pict added......

For a more permanent solution to driving with the bolts in place of the front shafts ..... you have to machine this ( in pict below ) ... and use it in place of the inner washer mentioned in the above post ... it will seal out the elements by contacting the seal on the inside of the hub assy.......use the 5 inch bolts .. use thread lock or drill a hole for a cotter pin !!!

what it looks like ( 5" bolt used )

I have done this and drove without any problems, but ! .... I figured I better add this disclaimer: .... based on the expected sheer, tension and torsion loads on the hardware used, a failure is unlikely ... but it is not in keeping with the manufacturers design ... so it is up to the user to determine suitability and safety if this modification is used .. and by using this idea you are accepting the outcome of its use, good and bad.