Walt, thanks for the note. I have related my experience, the LF wheel came off
during hard braking. I've spoken to one other person recently who had the same
thing happen, on his LR wheel. I doubt if these are the only two instances. I
KNOW the manufacturers (at least MG) put LH hubs on the RH side and VV, but I
still haven't heard WHY they do this. "Because they all do it" isn't much of
an answer, is it? And what's this about towing a WW equipped car backwards?
This happens all the time. Towing it backwards (on the front wheels) would
only TIGHTEN correctly fitted (stock) hubs if by some chance the splines
failed. Please let me know if there is some mechanical explanation for your
thinking.
I am beginning to wonder if they did it because they always did it, and were
afraid to change it because that would be admitting the old way was flawed,
for reasons I have already explained.
thanks again,
Dave P
70 MGB
----- Original Message -----
From: Walt Goddard
To: David Pennington ; mgs@autox.team.net
Sent: Thursday, December 28, 2000 11:29 AM
Subject: Re: wheel hubs on the "wrong" side
Just think of all the auto manufacturers that put RH on the left and
LH on the right. With the millions they put into research and the
liability issues they face, the probability that those should be
reversed is rather slim. Let alone the fact that the original setups
on millions of autos around the world have never (at least I have
never seen/heard/read) resulted in the spinner coming off. Just don't
tow them backwards!!!!
Walt Goddard
waltcpa@sierra.net
----- Original Message -----
From: David Pennington <racerx23@earthlink.net>
To: <mgs@autox.team.net>
Sent: Thursday, December 28, 2000 6:54 AM
Subject: Re: wheel hubs on the "wrong" side
> OK, now this is why the issue is perplexing me. I agree the force of
braking
> is far greater than accelleration (at least until I can afford that
$3K
> supercharger <g>). But the way I figure it is this: If, during
braking, the
> spline fails on the LH side, and the hub has a LH thread (IOW a RH
hub), the
> wheel will actually tighten the hub nut / spinner. The reason my LF
wheel came
> off on my old 71 years ago was because the braking forces overcame
the splines
> (which weren't in good shape BTW) and the spinner was unscrewed by
the wheel.
> The spinner might have been *loosened* by vibration, braking, etc,
but it spun
> off completely once the splines failed. If a RH hub was fitted, I
believe it
> would tighten the spinner if the wheel spun, rather unscrew it. This
might
> cause other problems, but at least the wheel would stay on. If I am
right, the
> wheel hubs should be LH thread on the LH side, and RH on the RH
side. Of
> course this is "bass-akwards", so there's a real probability I am
missing
> something here. Now that I can afford to keep all the splines in
fairly good
> order, the point is nearly moot, but this is an intellectual
curiosity issue.
>
> thanks again,
>
> Dave Pennington
> Dallas TX
> 70 MGB
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Bob Howard
> To: racerx23@earthlink.net
> Cc: mgs@autox.team.net
> Sent: Thursday, December 28, 2000 9:12 AM
> Subject: Re: wheel hubs on the "wrong" side
>
>
> David,
> If you can get a consensus on any topic, I think that this one
will be
> it. Using the hubs on the other side is asking for trouble. It's
not
> the burning out acceleration that loosens a hub, it's the braking
forces
> and the usual road vibrations.
> Brakes are at least 2x and more frequently 3x the strength of
the
> engine. A way to think of this is 0-60 takes 1/8 mile and 14
seconds or
> so. 60-0 takes about 300 feet and 2 seconds. This point was
emphasised
> during the "runaway Audi" phenomenon a few years ago. Car&Driver
took an
> Audi and held it at 60mph. Jamming down the brakes and the
throttle
> fully, the car still took only about 75 feet longer to stop. So,
in that
> case, the strength of the brakes was engine HP + inertia (M x V2).
> Bob
>
>
> On Thu, 28 Dec 2000 08:11:06 -0500 "David Pennington"
> <racerx23@earthlink.net> writes:
> > hello all,
> > I am contemplating the (wire) wheel drive hub on the left side
of my
> > car,
> > which looks rather sad (its been spun by the previous owner at
some
> > point). I
> > had a wheel spin long ago on the left front, it even went off
> > completely to
> > my chagrin. Anyway, due to their RH thread, the left sides will
> > unscrew if
> > they spin during braking, which is the only time I anticipate
giving
> > them
> > great loads of torque (as my crazy youth is long past, I do not
get
> > pleasure
> > from doing "burnouts" and such nonsense). Anyway, is there
anyone
> > who's put
> > right side hubs on the left side, or if this was discussed
sometime,
> > please
> > relay the consensus if there is one. I truly appreciate this
forum
> > and its
> > many contributors.
> >
> > thanks again in advance,
> >
> > Dave P
> > 70 MGB
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