Its a matter of dollars and cents now, so I'm thinking about welding the axle tube , adding A girdle and I"v seen recommendation to replace bearing cap studs but can't find the reason it is suggested specifically. Any Responce would be appreciated.

 

Welding the axle tubes is not trivial. It requires disassembling the whole thing, heating the cast-iron up at least brown-hot, PERFECTLY straightening the tubes (since you only get one chance at it... weld em in sideways, and it's permanently GARBAGE), and THEN welding them.

That said, it's a good idea: I've had axles where the tubes were so loose in the pumpkin I could move em by hand, and more than one other that made strange clicking or clunking noises when reversing direction, from the tubes rotating in the ends of the pumpkin. Practically EVERY ONE leaks around the plug welds, which are always cracked.

I wouldn't bother with the studs.

The girdle type of cover is very good. The reason for it is that putting load on the gears tends to make the housing spread out. That type of cover reinforces it and keeps the gears better aligned. The kind that has the little screw-in things that brace the caps also reinforces those, rendering studs unnecessary redundant and pointless.

 

Thank you much appreciated , if you have any other thoughts pass them on.