I am already doing that with 3D printed or HDPE parts.

These were made from HDPE.

Originally Posted by ghoffman

I am already doing that with 3D printed or HDPE parts.

I have been providing an attachment point on the end of my axles with a 6-32 tapped hole from the first run forward. Supporting the outside of the wheel pant is what this is intended for. Given, the plastic bracket will certainly do a better job but the axles do provide rudimentary support if utilized.

I know I am late to the party... I own all white rose wheels but 90% of my airplanes have wheel pants so as Vern stated I had no need for the bling of TI axels... I have been using Grade 8 1/4-20 Allen head bolts from McMaster as axels for years... in fact my extra that I got from Mr FlybyeSteve has had the same bolts for axles since I bought it from him probably 6-7 years ago... just a thought, Vern not trying to kill your sales just believe in KISS..

Vern I use your axles and wheels and tail wheels (Tiller Arm set up)
I am happy with all of the products.

Would offering a 5/16 diameter axle be an option for the larger aircraft??

Originally Posted by ghoffman

I am already doing that with 3D printed or HDPE parts.

Hey Hoff, where do ya get them?, .....how much?

Late to this thread but I have been using the 5 in wheels, axel and brake package on all my 40%'s for several year with no issue...…. until 2018.

Last year I switched my H9 Sukhoi over to a Graphtec CF gear. Had had the stock Aluminums on it for several hundred flights along with the WR axles, wheels and brakes. 3rd flight as I was about to land I noticed I had no wheel on one side... completed the one wheel landing with no issue and found same as the other photos completely sheared off and the flange that was still bolted to the LG. Scratched my head and wrote it off as a freak occurrence. Replaced the wheel, axel (axle was NIB never used) and brake with spares and 2 flights later.... same thing happened and saw it occur.

On climb out from take off travelling on about a 45deg line up about 150 feet out I saw it depart the LG and head out towards the trees.... finished my flight and another successful one wheel landing. Neither of the wheel axel brake packages had incurred anything but butterfly soft landings. They had performed flawlessly on the aluminum gear. My assumption was that the longer Graphtec gear was allowing or aiding some sort of harmonic that was just the golden BB that could cause the axel to snap with no landing load on it. Not willing to test fate again I replaced both with a dubro axel and wheel and no further problems.

Good news is I later searched the woods on the projected trajectory of the wheel I saw depart and actually found the new wheel!

Also recently disassembled my Overweight Pig of a Dalton/PAU ARF and found both WR axels bent... one noticeably and one very slightly.

Concerned but not trying to dog the product.... prior to last year I had 3 of these packages in service on 40% aircraft. Until the Sukhoi all had been of CF Gear. One plane... 5 years for me with several hundred flights and now after selling a friend has another hundred more on it.

I am puzzled......

Yes, very interesting scenario. I had the exact thing happen to me twice. The titanium axles broke
off right where the 1/4" dia. axle meets the hub. They came off while the plane was in flight.
This was discussed at length a while back on Verns support thread. You might want to revue it

Originally Posted by Flybye Steve

Yes, very interesting scenario. I had the exact thing happen to me twice. The titanium axles broke
off right where the 1/4" dia. axle meets the hub. They came off while the plane was in flight.
This was discussed at length a while back on Verns support thread. You might want to revue it

I read about that earlier in this thread. Actually prompted my comments as an axle shearing under no flight load had to be a result of more than one cause.... I assume a stress riser and then a harmonic vibration that could trigger the break. Same axle worked fine for years on an aluminum gear then bam! New axel back on the CF gear and within 2 flights Bam!

Is there another support thread I missed?

Originally Posted by bmclaughlin

...
Not willing to test fate again I replaced both with a dubro axel and wheel and no further problems.

Dubro makes an axle with the same diameter through the gear? I looked but only found axles with much smaller diameter (where the axle goes through the gear) than the WRE.

I had a ti axle sheer off after a mild bounce. Never again, and I was shocked to find that the
steel axles of the same diameter are close in weight and less $$...grade 8 bolts are bullet proof.

Yes, I understand that weight is always of concern on competition airplanes especially out on the extremities. The difference in weight between steel and Titanium is very small and I'm not sure it's really worth the cost and the risk.
When you think about it, if your using Aluminum hub wheels (I do), the difference in weight of the axle metals, pales in comparison to other much lighter wheels.
Just my two cents.