I suspect that the safety washer issue has more to do with ease of
inspection and liability issues than it does with actually making the
vehicles any safer. The description of the safety washers in the
chassis shop catalog and elsewhere clearly indicates that they are
nothing more than cadmium plated mild steel so strength is definately
not the issue. By requiring "factory" safety washers, the safety judges
are freed from the burden and risk associated with determining which
home-made safety washers are the proper thickness and the proper
diameter for the rod end with which they are installed.
I had a rod end ball pop out of its race while driving on the practice
track at midwest once. The rod end was serving as a lower ball joint
and it was in signle shear, but thanks to the safety washer, the lower
a-arm did not seperate from the kingpin. I think the rod end was a
7/16" bore x 1/2" thread high misalignment aurora bearing piece. Our
suspension was shock limited and we were not exceeding the misalignment
angle of the rod end within the travel of the suspension. It may have
been improperly crimped during manufacturing but whaterver the reason, I
guess it goes to show that these failures are in fact possible
Perrin, James (J.M.) wrote:
>Anybody know the reasoning behind not allowing regular washers for single
>shear applications as long as the washer is thick enough per the rules and
>large enough diameter (last year it was as long as the washer is larger than
>the diameter of the ball it was OK). I've seen way more rod ends fail at the
>shaft than a ball race failure where the washer would have helped keep things
>together. I heard that a judge took apart a studed rod end by hand once, but
>I would really like to see that with a 5/8 rod end or even a 3/8.
>
>
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: owner-mini-baja@autox.team.net
>[mailto:owner-mini-baja@autox.team.net]On Behalf Of Kaley Shellhammer
>Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2005 12:42 PM
>To: mini-baja@autox.team.net
>Subject: 2005 Baja Top Issues
>
>
>I am sending the attached document around to this listing in hopes to
>reach most if not all of the participating student teams. This document
>is from our National Safety Inspectors. Please read!
>
>If you are not able to view the document attached you may also find it
>on the forums at
>http://forums.sae.org/access/dispatch.cgi/minibaja_pf/showFolder/100001/def/def/b571
>line item # 126
>
>-Kaley
>
>
>Kaley Shellhammer
>Collegiate Program Coordinator
>SAE International
>Education Relations Dept
>400 Commonwealth Drive
>Warrendale, PA 15096
>
>Telephone: 724-772-8533
>Email: shellham@sae.org
>
>Visit the Collegiate Design Series Program on SAE website at
>www.sae.org/students/student.htm
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