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RE: Old wives tale?

To: "'.'" <gln@worldpath.net>, <6pack@autox.team.net>
Subject: RE: Old wives tale?
From: "Mike Munson" <fasttrs@mindspring.com>
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2002 19:06:10 -0400
35,

When they decide to finish breaking it doesn't matter what speed you're
at. Chances are you won't have a problem unless you have racing type
stresses on them, i.e. wide sticky race tires, extreme cornering forces,
suspension bottoming out on the bump stops because of shortened springs,
widened rear track through wider more offset wheels and/or wheel
spacers.

I've only heard of a couple of street cars having the problem. 

The cracks are usually located just behind the flange so you can't
inspect them without disassembling the whole assembly.

Mike Munson 

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-6pack@autox.team.net [mailto:owner-6pack@autox.team.net] On
Behalf Of .
Sent: Monday, June 24, 2002 11:02 PM
To: 6pack@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: Old wives tale?

> Ok guys, you've got me a bit freaked out!! So your telling me that at
> anytime , let's say when I'm blasting down the highway at 90 mph , one
of
my
> rear wheels might decide to take a walk... I had my rear hubs rebuilt
last
> year by a local British shop that's been around for years, is there
some
> kind of annual inspection I could do to keep this from happening. What
> should I look for, cracks are a bit hard to see !  It seems like I
heard
of
> this happening to a couple of guys on the list . Please advise!!!
>
> Doing 35 mph in New Hampshire

----- Original Message -----
From: Mike Munson <fasttrs@mindspring.com>
To: 'Robert M. Lang' <lang@isis.mit.edu>; 6pack list
<6pack@autox.team.net>
Sent: Monday, June 24, 2002 11:37 AM
Subject: RE: Old wives tale?


> Legend has it that all the axles are broken at the factory when the
> keyways are pressed in. It is just a matter of time before they finish
> breaking!! Lowered cars that do not have the bump stops removed from
the
> trailing arms are candidates for earlier failure. When the bump stop
> bottoms out the spring is no longer the suspension spring; The AXLE
is!
> Get the picture?
>
> That is why racers spend the big bucks on the Corvair axle upgrade. It
> is a lot cheaper than body repair and Dr. bills! (Or funeral costs.)
>
> Mike Munson
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-6pack@autox.team.net [mailto:owner-6pack@autox.team.net]
On
> Behalf Of Robert M. Lang
> Sent: Monday, June 24, 2002 11:19 AM
> To: Sally or Dick Taylor
> Cc: 6pack@autox.team.net
> Subject: Re: Old wives tale?
>
> Hi,
>
> I've seen two actual cases of TR6 hubs coming off.
>
> The first one (VTR '97) was due to the studs holding the hub carrier
to
> the trailing arm pulling out of the trailing arm. The entire wheel,
> hub/outer axle went bounding into an adjacent parking lot with
resulting
> minor physical damage to a car and (thankfully) no bodily injury...
> although that was purely luck.
>
> The other I saw after the fact. The axle stub cracked off at the point
> where the key is "staked" to the axle. The entire outer hub parted
> company
> (along with the wheel attached) from the car.
>
> Once the axle's integrity is compromised, it is entirely possible for
> the
> wheel to depart the car.
>
> Note - the outer axle design for the TR6 rear hub is exactly the same
as
> the TR3/TR4 solid axle setup. It's a taper joint with key. If the
outer
> axle fails, there's nothing holding it on the car...
>
> The fix for TR6 is to upgrade to something a bit more substantial. I
use
> Corviar axles, others use all sorts of "solutions" (including 240Z
axles
> and others). The TR3/4 "solution is to convert to a "semi-floating
axle"
> or to replace the entire rear axle assembly with a narrowed Ford 8"
> setup.
> The Ford is a full-floating axle, the wheel won't depart from the car
> unless the lugs shear off (or you forgot to tighten them!) or you have
> other damage that far exceeds the seriouness of the departing wheel.
>
> regards,
> rml
>
------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ------
> Bob Lang              Room N42-140Q            |  This space for rent
> Consultant            MIT unix-vms-help        |
> Voice:617-253-7438    FAX: 617-258-9535        |
>
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