Are you a little overwhelmed by the thought of installing your new GMR PT-R rear hubs? Are you worried that this is something above you skill set? Do you think there is a special science to getting everything to line up? Well, there is… but The GMR has everything figured out for you. If the Snouts are not properly welded into the housing then it will be susceptible to premature axle / gear wear along with tire issues due to mis-alignment of the snouts. For the first time ever The GMR9-TX Tooling System for welding in rear hub snouts is available to the home/ professional fabricator.
The solution to this dilemma is the new GMR9-TX Tooling System. This tooling system was purpose CAD designed and CNC constructed to ensure perfect fitment and alignment each and every time. Take all the guess work out of your install and perform your install just like the professionals at The GMR.
The starting point to any rear end fixture is the center section, the main body that bolts everything together. Typically builders will use an empty center section case with bushings for the alignment bar. This is a good way to set the ends, but not the best. The GMR has taken it a step further by custom CAD designing a fake center section just for snout end placement.
This center section is constructed of 6061 aluminum that is 2 inches thick. It is then machined to provide a perfectly flat surface to bolt your GMR9 housing face-plate too.
On the backside, the main faceplate stud holes are recessed into the fixture piece so that you can set the entire unit flat on a bench / table.
To locate the alignment bar, GMR machines two incredibly sturdy and beefy alignment bar retainers that are 1.25 inches thick.
Each alignment bar retainer is designed to slightly press fit into the tooling system and four recessed cap head bolts hold it in place. By having the retainers slightly press fit into the fixture main plate it ensures that the retainers are located in the perfect spot, then the bolts simply hold the retainers perfectly against the main tooling plate.
After the precision machine process all the parts then receive the same high quality HARD anodize that the GMR PT-R Hubs have. This will strengthen the part and keep it nice for years of abuse to come.
The workhorse of The GMR9-TX system is the alignment bar, so naturally it must be quality beyond industry standards. The GMR starts off with a 90 inch piece of 4130 solid bar stock that has a diameter of 1.75 inches. This piece of very strong material is then ran through a process called “center-less grinding” to get it perfectly straight and tolerance to exactly a hair under 1.56 inches (the ID of the GMR snouts).
The process of “center-less grinding” is simply a large grinding wheel backed up to a regulating wheel, the material is then slowly worked down to the specified tolerance and diameter. This process is very effective at keeping the overall length perfectly straight.
The key to a prefect alignment bar is a tight tolerance diameter while maintaining perfect straightness. To further enhance the professional quality of the alignment bar we then take the 90 inch piece of grinded material and cut 10 inches off each side. This was we are using the most accurate section of the alignment bar, the center. The result is the industries most accurate and straight alignment bar, period.
If you are at all familiar with The GMR then you know that we do not stop at simple, or standard, but rather blow right by it! Well, this next piece to the GMR9-TX system completely blows the competition out of the water!
Even though GMR precision machines the insides of the snouts and “center-less grinds” the alignment bar we wanted something even more accurate. Included in your GMR9-TX system is a large end cap alignment tool. This cylinder is the key to the precision behind the GMR9-TX system. It works by adding another very accurate surface to locate the GMR snouts relative to the gear-set in the housing.
This end cap slides over the alignment bar and snout entirely. IT then locates the snout via the most accurate machined surface on the snout, the bearing surfaces. It contacts both bearing surfaces with a slight slip fit then grabs the alignments bar just to the outside of the snout.
This system of alignment is hands down the best and most accurate system in the industry, it should not be a surprise that The GMR offers this system to complement your GMR PT-R hubs.
You will also notice that on the outside of the ends caps there is a series of tapped holes, this is for additional machined fixtures for caliper mounts. Again, something above and beyond already in the works here at The GMR…
This system is available to purchase for either personal use or professional fabrication facility use. Investment structure will be posted soon, please contact Jason@thegmr.com is you have any questions.
