A trick around here for "we tight" competitors is to use a wire wheel
banjo on 1/2 elliptic cars and use cut-off wire wheel half shafts. these are
much stronger than standard axles and are cheap.
An added advantage is that you can run 5" wheels, R rated tyres and
not have to pump out the guards on square wheel arch cars. You do have to
use a 3/8" spacer.
Of course, unless you modify the axle housing to use the towers off
a 1/4 elliptic car, this won't help the flounder.
Maybe you should think about alternate suppliers of high strength axles?
If you can handle the freight costs, I can strongly recommend a local
guy here in Melbourne Australia. Almost everyone here uses his axles
and they break very rarely. this is even for the 150HP killer motors being
run by 3 competitors (billet crank, trick main brace/caps, Carillo rods,
1440+cc, 138 cfm heads, 9500 redline). If they can cope with these motors
driven by hard drivers, then they should cope with WST's 948!
One of them is my sometimes navigator Peter Brice he has been using
the same set of axles for at least 3 years now!!!
A final note is that if you are using a welded diff and R rated tyres,
there is really nothing that will save you. The high strength ones will
last much longer than anything else, but they'll still break. The guys
mentioned above use a quaife LSD and these are definitely gentler
on the half shafts.
Mike
----- Original Message -----
From: Wm. Severin Thompson <wsthompson@thicko.com>
To: <farberjf@us.ibm.com>
Cc: Team Thicko Mail List <team-thicko@autox.team.net>
Sent: Thursday, 8 July 1999 3:14
Subject: Re: Sprite hubs and axles
> Joel,
>
> I don't think that'll fly in vintage racing... I expect that a
modification like
> that would place me in the "cheatin' dog" category.
>
> WST
>
> farberjf@us.ibm.com wrote:
>
> > Well it took a bit of fitting.
> >
> > Since the pumpkin was longer we shortened the driveshaft.
> > we went to a torsen LSD while we were at it.........
> > May want to upgrade to larger rear drums ---we did.
> > we uprated the shocks ---
> > we transplanted mounting brackets for rear links we run.
> > Elapsed time ---2 weeks to make the next event.
> >
> > all can be done and when you are finished reliability goes up 200%.
> > we had 6 DNFs over a five year period before, none for rear end reasons
since.
> >
> > -----Joel
> >
> > "Wm. Severin Thompson" <wsthompson@thicko.com> on 07/07/99 07:15:27 AM
> >
> > To: Joel Farber/Santa Teresa/IBM@IBMUS
> > cc:
> > Subject: Re: Sprite hubs and axles
> >
> > Joel,
> >
> > What kind of modifications are necessary to fit them?
> >
> > WST
> >
> > farberjf@us.ibm.com wrote:
> >
> > > Ok --- I used to run these in competition.
> > > They were expensive and always leaked despite constant new seals. I
broke 2
> > > sets. I broke 2 axles.
> > > After 3 years of trying alternatives several of us all put the MGB
axles in
> > and
> > > all the problems went away.....
> > > Yes they weigh 40 pounds more ----but handle the power........
> > >
> > > dont waste time on double bearing hubs.............been there done
that
> > > (not what the folks that sell these expensive parts will tell you)
> > > ----my 2 cents
> > >
> > > -----Joel
> > >
> > > "Wm. Severin Thompson" <wsthompson@thicko.com> on 07/06/99 03:18:34 PM
> > >
> > > Please respond to "Wm. Severin Thompson" <wsthompson@thicko.com>
> > >
> > > To: "spridgets@Autox.Team.Net" <spridgets@autox.team.net>, Team
Thicko Mail
> > > List <team-thicko@autox.team.net>, vintage race list
> > > <vintage-race@autox.team.net>
> > > cc:
> > > Subject: Sprite hubs and axles
> > >
> > > To all,
> > >
> > > Anyone have a set of Spridget double bearing hubs and competition
axles
> > > laying around that you want to sell? Used is OK.
> > >
> > > WST
> > > Flounder
> > > Team Thicko
>
>
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