'29 DA rear hub

I'm redoing my last wheel and have it all apart. I noticed a thin crack where the keyway (rear hub) is on the back of the hub lengthwise w/ the axle...it's more hairline nearer the wood spokes, but flares out a hair more towards the end on the drum side. I had bought a spare wheel just for the rim several years ago...fortunately it is one with a rear drum assembly, but it is very rusty where the axle goes through. My question is can I reuse the original hub and get it repaired somehow or should I use the rusty one?...not sure how to clean the inside of the rusty one to where it's smooth enough for the axle. Any help is much appreciated!

A split like that can be caused by some ignorant person putting it on the taper with grease. The hub can "walk" up the taper with use.

You can weld it (or have it welded), but it is not a trivial weld. It will have to be ground to form a V along the split then built up with weld to fill the V. The inside will probably need machining too to ensure the weld is smooth and the taper is not deformed. The welder must be properly qualified and do very good work to do welds with no slag inclusions. This is because the weld is in tension and a really good weld (a set of them on top of each other really) is needed.

It might be easier and cheaper to clean up the spare. Perhaps wet-and-dry (wet) on an axle taper to smooth it inside and lots of patience?

How rusty? You could use molasses and water, 3 to 1 ratio. Or vinegar.

Thanks! I may have been the ignorant person back in the 70's when I first redid the wheel....I may have gotten some bearing grease on the taper and not wiped off....that's what the split looks like too...as though it rode up the taper and the tightness of the wood spokes held the crack back to hairline at that point in the hub.......the rusty one I am cleaning up and it may be in better shape than I thought.

Many think it's OK to lube a taper. It is NOT, always assemble clean and dry.

I got the grease and rust off of my spare hub and it too has hairline cracks on both sides of the keyway. Does anyone have a spare I could buy?

Does anyone have one of these rear hubs for a '29 DA? Photos 1 & 2 show the hubs I have (one is a spare) and both show cracks along keyway. You can see there is a bevel on the front face and allows for 8 bolts thru spokes. I have Tom Myers looking at his stock and also 30DodgePanel I will PM you. Anyway, hope someone here may have an uncracked spare. Thanks.

Bob, now that I see it apart that is easy. take both of them to a machine shop. Have them tig weld the cracks shut and broach new keyways in about 90 degrees away from the old ones. It's not that hard to do and shouldn't cost you a lot of $$.

Thanks! I'll take them to a machine shop this week w/ this info.