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Re: wheel hubs on the "wrong" side

To: David Pennington <racerx23@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: wheel hubs on the "wrong" side
From: "Andrew B. Lundgren" <lundgren@byu.net>
Date: Thu, 28 Dec 2000 10:32:59 -0700 (MST)
If you change yours to the other side, make sure another lister has frequent 
contact with you so we know what happened if you stop posting suddenly.  :)

On Thu, 28 Dec 2000, David Pennington wrote:

> 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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