The failure mechanism is by twisting or torsion (not tension or
compression or fatigue). When a break is helical you have a brittle
material. When the break is a "clean" break (like as if it had been
cut with a hacksaw) you have a ductile material. "Regular" steel will
twist around about 5 times before breaking with the clean break. Cast
iron will twist a few degrees (5 degrees or less???) before breaking
with the helical break. You can replicate the brittle break by
twisting a piece of chalk in your hands. The break will be helical.
(Do they still use chalk in school or is everything PowerPoint?) It
sounds like the problem with the axles may be in the quality control
related to the hardening of the axles - some are brittle, some are
ductile, some are just right!
At 10:08 PM 6/4/2007, Frank Clarici wrote:
>Andy Webster wrote:
>
> > So, can I assume from thisthat the 'good" shafts are much better,
> and can take a beating...or more specifically, take the odd burnout
> without failure?
>
>The old ones twisted when they failed. the later ones just snap off
>clean. But they are a whole lot easier to get the stub out when they
>break clean. Try beating a twisted hunk of axle out of diff.
>And I have snapped a few on the first burn out.
>--
>Frank Clarici
>Toms River, NJ
Tim Collins
1966 AH Sprite
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