C4 #5 Axle Replacement

My number 5 C4 camalot fell off a tower and the axle bent. Lobes and everything else appears to be in good shape.  I am going to cut the axle off and use a bolt and nuts to replace it. Like the rigid stem friends.

Anyone know what size bolt (length, diameter) and grade steel I should use? Any other helpful tips appreciated.

Darwin....ask Darwin

Just bend it back into straightness. Steel is strong.

Gunkiemikewrote:

Just bend it back into straightness. Steel is strong.

I can’t seem to find a way to bend the axle without bending the aluminum lobes?

Send that cam to a nice farm upstate where it can run around.

It's toast.

Jcastleberrywrote:

I can’t seem to find a way to bend the axle without bending the aluminum lobes?

First, preheat your oven to about 2500 degrees. 

Jcastleberrywrote:

I can’t seem to find a way to bend the axle without bending the aluminum lobes?

Now I'm becoming concerned that this isn't a shitpost... Also, I believe the axles are fixed to the head assembly, so you won't be able to just slide it out and replace it.

Jcastleberrywrote:

I can’t seem to find a way to bend the axle without bending the aluminum lobes?

climb the tower again and drop it the other way down.

I wonder how it really got bent? There is not enough mass to bend the axel on a drop of any distance!

Just buy a new one....

is it bent such that the lobe won't open/close without interference?  or, is it just bent to where the lobe looks funny (ie it is pretty close to the other lobe, or farther away from the next lobe than normal)? i have an old #4 that had a similar fate.  two of the lobes are really close together, but still functional.  i still use it as a backup piece and rarely use it (i have 8 #4's, so i don't need it that often).

Jason Zevenbergenwrote:

Now I'm becoming concerned that this isn't a shitpost... Also, I believe the axles are fixed to the head assembly, so you won't be able to just slide it out and replace it.

I’m going to cut the axles. Then they will slide out.

Jack Yipwrote:

climb the tower again and drop it the other way down.

Most helpful post yet.

Mark Frumkinwrote:

I wonder how it really got bent? There is not enough mass to bend the axel on a drop of any distance!

Good question. It definitely fell between 200-300’ and landed on rock. It was used as protection in a crack then somehow fell out when the second was jugging. It came unclipped so perhaps something else weird happened...

Jcastleberrywrote:

I’m going to cut the axles. Then they will slide out.

Any pictures? The axles are fixed to the aluminum piece between the lobes that the stem connects to, so I'm having a hard time visualizing how you will remove them.

ETA: Well, I'm totally wrong! Still seems a bit sketch...

Colby Wanglerwrote:

Just buy a new one....

I did. Now I want to fix the old one.

slimwrote:

is it bent such that the lobe won't open/close without interference?  or, is it just bent to where the lobe looks funny (ie it is pretty close to the other lobe, or farther away from the next lobe than normal)? i have an old #4 that had a similar fate.  two of the lobes are really close together, but still functional.  i still use it as a backup piece and rarely use it (i have 8 #4's, so i don't need it that often).

The lobes will still open and close. The lobes are not bent. The axle or axles are bent.

If I were to place it in a parallel crack only the corners of the lobes would touch the rock.

I’ll post a photo later. I am curious what kind of steel the bolts I use to replace the axles should be? I guess I can measure the diameter of the axles and get a similar diameter bolt.

Jack Yipwrote:

climb the tower again and drop it the other way down.

I second this

So much blah blah blah.  Post a dang picture for chrissake!

I would measure the axles and try to use the same size allen style bolt with threads only at the very end(And use a fine-threaded fastener) , otherwise the strength will be less since the cross sectional area would be smaller.I have no idea if they use alloy steel on the axles, but you can source allen bolts in high strength alloy versions, to be sure. One problem would be the nut coming undone and the hole thing falling apart, since you might not be able to torque it up properly without interfering with the cam operation. Maybe locktite, or double nuts? Obviously there is a risk with diy protection, but it is an interesting repair.