Jack,
I am unfamiliar with what was used on the front of AC's and Listers. Is it
something common, similar in concept to the Alford & Aldor upright/ spindle
that was used on Standard 10's and adopted into Spitfires and Lotus and damn
near every small formula and sports racer from UK from the late 50 to 1970.
I'm sure it is not that particular part but is this perhaps the larger TR
parts or something off a Ford or large Austin? If memory serves me, the AC
used a transverse leaf spring at each end. Are these Fiat Topolina parts like
Cooper used?
Roger
>>> <JWoesvra@aol.com> 11/28/00 07:34AM >>>
In a message dated 11/24/00 10:57:17 AM Pacific Standard Time, JWoesvra
writes:
This whole thing started when I posted this message that came to me. I was
hoping that some of you would comment on it. I have no idea whether there is
anything to it, but I think it is an interesting subject, and hence worthy of
review. Some how we got into a fuss again about who knows what "true vintage
racing" is.
Jack Woehrle
<< My ex boss here in the USA (now retired) says the British had high
tensile steel forgings that they either insisted on thru-hardening or
lacked a good process of case hardening to retain a tough, malleable
core. Apparently when they've reached fatigue they break instead of bend.
This was known here at the time he was involved with importation
of engineless ACs for Shelby, which is why Phil Remington there
specified US replacements for that car's spindles. All cars receiving
their engines over here had this done, sort of a preemptive recall
campaign. There was enough visual difference in the parts that some
concours people have raised authenticity issues over the substitution.
I think he said the originals were shipped back so probably only
several carsets made the round trip for the whole of the production
run! I think Brian Lister dealt with a similar spindle problem.
But, and this is dead serious --there is a potential epidemic of
failure parts awaiting us, I fear.. There should be some test lab
which can section apart any unfailed test part and then with Tinius
Olsen tester verify if that is a potential root cause of potential
failure in the whole class of parts -- the answer being to then
commission a new run of CNC parts. The alternative to CNC
is to CAST replacements out of 17-3 Stainless casting alloy.
That material, once simply heated to 1100 deg F. and air
quenched is said to combine both 180,000 psi yield with
good elongation (ductility) properties. I am NOT the expert
but can furnish two people to amplify this if desired -- the one
I mentioned, and another a metallurgist specializing in stainless.
Larry Gallo >>
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