Tom, I've tinkered with the idea of machining the axle shaft down 1/8" or possibly a little more and fabricating a sleeve to press-fit on, then machining and grinding the OD of the sleeve back to OEM diameter. Some alloy like oil hardening drill rod, for instance, could be machined for a close fit, then heated and expanded for installation purposes with a torch, and shrink-fitted and hardened at the same time by quenching in an oil bath. No heating of the axle would be required. Once the sleeve was in place a tool post grinder in a lathe would be needed to establish the finish diameter. That process would also replace the seal surface with smooth metal the right diameter.
The cost would be considerable unless someone had his own machining equipment, however.
Jerry
