For the last 25 years of road racing here in the US, I always used double
bearing hubs and never had a failure such as you had with your car. The
first hubs that I remember came from Joe Huffaker's shop in the early to mid
seventies. I first ran a competition Spridget in 1974, and while retired as
an active driver I continue to assist friends with their cars today. Due to
our desire for some pretty tight tolerances we now have a shop make our own
hubs
I think your problem is merely a spring placement issue. Try these two
suggestions:
1. If the offending spring is the upper spring, try using the spring from
the opposite side. The offset may allow you enough clearance with the hubs.
2. If you can't find the right combination of spring placement, drill a new
attachment hole in the brake shoes that will allow the clearance.
As you have already found the springs cannot contact the hubs. Once that
clearance is there, they are pretty reliable.
Tom Speed
Retired Spridget Racer
'76 MG Midget (Project car for my son)
Vintage Stock Car
http://home.carolina.rr.com/bspeed
-----Original Message-----
From owner-spridgets at autox.team.net
[mailto:owner-spridgets@autox.team.net]On Behalf Of Mike & Kerry Gigante
Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2000 12:32 AM
To: Spridgets
Cc: Thickos
Subject: Double Bearing hubs for Spridgets - anyone using them?
I recently fitted a set of DB hubs I bought from Mini Mania back in
'96 (I know - I'm so slack).
I fitted them to my new racecar just before Bathurst last year. At the 2nd
meeting
with these hubs on, I had a total brake failure at about 120 mph at the 1st
turn at
Sandown - *very* hairy ride which ended up about a yard and a half from an
armco barrier that it self is about 100 yds from the track.
Well I now know what happened. The shoe return springs were ground down by
the hubs causing the shue to wear out very assymetrically and rapidly. The
piston
them popped out of the wheel cylinder and presto - no brakes (early master
cylinder).
I have played around with the hubs and springs and tried all the
combinations that
seemed likely but cannot avoid a slight rubbing b/n the hubs and the
springs. As I
am heading off for a closed road special stage rally this weekend, (one with
lots of
trees and cliffs close to the roads), I have removed the hubs and gone back
to originals
until I find a solution.
Maybe I'm missing something, but these things seem dangerous to me. If there
is a
way around it, I'd appreciate hearing from you. If you reckon I'm mistaken
for some
reason, tell me why and I'll respond with an affirmative or a negaative!
Yes, I am sure that is what happened - a quick glance at the other side
showed that it
was destined to fail not far down the line.
If you do have the hubs, maybe youshould check those springs and let us know
whether the same is happening to yours.
Yes, I am aware that the top springs are handed.
Mike
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