This is only my opinion of course and with it comes our experience with the
race car.
The reason I say the only way to lose an axle is that the 'C' clips are set
in the grove in the end of the axle that protrudes thru the side spider
gears and are pushed back into the recess of these side gears so the clip
cannot come out. The axles are held against the clips and consequently the
side gears by the center pin. In order for the axle to lose a 'C' clip it
would have to move in enough for the 'C' clip to fall out and there is only
about .010" clearance between the end of the axle and the center pin. The
'C' clip is about 3/16" thick. So I doubt this could happen. Some vehicles
have the axle bearing pressed onto the axle and are retained by the 'C'
clip eliminator that is a stock part like the Dodge Dart. But I had one go
bad on me and the axle came out of the bearing and thusly exited the car
thru the wheel well. I was coming down a long hill. Luckily I heard it and
saw it thru the side door rear view mirror, and was able to slow down to a
stop. The brakes went out as the shoes no longer contacted the drum and
pushed out the rubber seals. The master then lost all its fluid and the
only thing I could do was ride it out. Fortunately for my 1 yr. old son and
I that a long straightaway lay ahead and it was slightly up hill. We
coasted to a stop about a mile from home. It did damage the wheel well a
little.
So an axle with a 'C' clip eliminator can still exit your vehicle but one
with the 'C' clips will remain intact unless the axle breaks. Now if you
break a axle that has an eliminator, it may stay in the vehicle or it may
exit but I'm sure that if the axle came with it would do a lot less damage
until it exited all the way then it would wobble along side the vehicle and
bash it up pretty good. A wheel that just broke the axle would hopefully
remain inside the wheel well and being that the car is now lower would
retain it and you could possibly just coast to a stop. Or it could get
caught on the rear well opening and throw the vehicle up possibly making
the driver lose control and crash. In any case I'm sure there would be
some damage.
Any way where did you get the Moser 'C' clip Eliminators? I also got the
negative attitude about the 'C' clip eliminators but would like to reserve
the opinion as to whether I need or want them to myself. I respect other
peoples opinion but I like to gather the info and ponder this info and form
my own opinions. Thanks for listening.
Roger Gleason
51-3100 AD Huckster
"R. Welch"
<rwelch@ionet To: <Roger.Gleason@uconn.edu>
.net> cc: "Old Trucks List"
<oletrucks@autox.team.net>
04/09/01 Subject: Re: [oletrucks] rearends
for 454,
11:56 AM trannys, gear ratios
As I indicated, I got the c-clip eliminator kit from Moser Engineering.
Looked up my invoice and they cost $140, not $100, sorry bad memory, plus
the cost to have someone press on the bearing for you. Yes, the axle
housing tube outboard of the flange needs to be trimmed a little but a
sawsall or hacksaw is all that is required. Before I did the installation
quite a few people I spoke with thought the c-clip kit was a waste of time
and money - but I spoke with two people that did lose axles. Both were on
classics and both of them incurred damage to their body. The same people
that told me they were a waste of time on a street car also said that with
rear discs, the caliper would hold the tire/axle on even if the axle
failed.
Well, one of the guys who had a failure had a disc brake rearend and he
said
the tire and axle wobbled so badly it broke the caliper bracket before he
realized there was a problem. "Why do you think that breaking an axle at
the
bearing surface is the only way to lose an axle?"
As you mentioned, the c-clip kit solves the axle shaft bearing wear
problem,
which is the most likely reason to lose the axle. Most people spend
anywhere from $5-20,000 on their cars, use grade 8 bolts in places that are
completely unnecessary, modernize their brakes with dual master cylinders,
etc., etc. $140 is cheap insurance. Its a personal decision.
----- Original Message -----
From: <Roger.Gleason@uconn.edu>
To: "Robert Welch" <rwelch@ionet.net>
Cc: "Old Trucks List" <oletrucks@autox.team.net>;
<owner-oletrucks@autox.team.net>
Sent: Monday, April 09, 2001 8:11 AM
Subject: Re: [oletrucks] rearends for 454, trannys, gear ratios
> Where do you get the 'C' clip eliminators for $100.
> I heard they are very expensive and only come with the axle for $350 to
> $500.
> You also have to modify the end of the axle housing tubes to install
them.
> Your not going to lose an axle because a 'C' clip fell out but will lose
> one if the axle breaks. But, axles don't break during normal use. Of
course
> if you abuse them due to installing a 454 and driving them hard you
should
> invest in racing axles anyway. Racing axles do wear faster in the bearing
> area than stock as they are not as hard but will break less. The rearend
> should always be sized to the HP output of the engine. The 'C' clip
> eliminator also eliminates the axle bearing that uses the outer axle
shaft
> surface as a bearing race. This is where the wear happens.
>
> Roger Gleason
> 51-3100 AD Huckster
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> "Robert Welch"
> <rwelch@ionet.net> To: "Old Trucks List"
> Sent by:
<oletrucks@autox.team.net>
> owner-oletrucks@auto cc:
> x.team.net Subject: Re:
[oletrucks] rearends for 454,
> trannys, gear ratios
>
> 04/05/01 09:46 AM
> Please respond to
> "Robert Welch"
>
>
>
>
>
>
> One way to solve the axle bearing problem is to install a c-clip
eliminator
> kit. The odds of losing a rear axle are small (given that there are
> millions of these rearends on the road - how many have you seen come
out?)
> but it does happen occasionally. To me, the thought of having to fix the
> fender/bed or whatever gets ruined on my Cameo by losing the axle is
reason
> enough to spend the $100 for c-clip eliminators, plus solving the bearing
> problem. For those of you that may have converted your rear brakes to
> discs
> using GM hardware, the c-clip kit from Moser works fine - all of the
other
> vendors say theirs won't work with discs and a 10-bolt.
>
> Bob Welch
> Bartlesville, OK
> '56 Cameo
> '55 Belair
> '54 5-window AD
> '56 Panel
> oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
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