Message text written by Pete & Aprille Chadwell
>Why is it, exactly, that tapered shafts which fit into tapered bores
are such a royal pain the a** to disassemble? Cases in point: TR6
rear inner axle shafts/drive flanges, TR6 outer stub axle/hub, TR6
front stub axle/vertical link, upper ball joints, tie rod ends and
the list goes on.
<
Pete,
The first thing to consider is that these cars (or any other, for that
matter) are designed to be assembled, not disassembled in the most cost
effective manner. Concequently, any difficulty in taking these things
apart is only a testement to how well they will stay together over their
expected service life.
Second, these cars have all well exceeded their expected service life.
But the real reason they use tapered shafts is to ensure a joint with zero
looseness. You don't want your tie rod ends or stub axles waggling about
as you drive. This would be detrimental to good handling and would
accelerate wear. They could get zero play out of a straight shaft/hole
configuration but this involves either an interference fit (requiring a
press to assemble and a bigger one to disassemble) or very precise
machining (which is expensive). The taper chosen is one that will ensure a
tight, secure joint that is easy to assemble and reluctant to come apart -
which is just what you would want if you were a vehicle manufacturer. This
same taper is used in machine tools. Many drill chucks are pressed onto
the driving shafts with this method. The interlock is secure and capable
of considerable torque with no play what-so-ever which is important in
precision machining.
So the reason you are having difficulty disassembling the car is because
the first priority of the designer is to have a car that assembles easily.
The second one is to have a car that stays together. Disassembly is way
down the list.
Press on, lad.
Dave
/// triumphs@autox.team.net mailing list
/// To unsubscribe send a plain text message to majordomo@autox.team.net
/// with nothing in it but
///
/// unsubscribe triumphs
///
/// or try http://www.team.net/cgi-bin/majorcool
|