[Fot] Early Spitfire Splined Axle

[Rocky Entriken]

Oops -- typo on Duane's e-mail -- correct is dbailey_wmi at yahoo.com

His business is West Michigan Imports

--Rocky

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rocky Entriken" <rocky at spitfire4.com>
To: <list at mackenzie.aero>; <fot at autox.team.net>
Cc: <list at mackenzie.aero>
Sent: Tuesday, May 26, 2009 12:48 AM
Subject: Re: [Fot] Early Spitfire Splined Axle


> Yep, that's a bit of a different setup. I'm guessing it's some kind of 
> early "competition" axle setup. I say early because the comp axles I've 
> had in my Mk. 1 Spit (one set acquired about 1975, replaced about 10 years 
> ago) have always been solid units at the outer end that stab through the 
> hub from outside to inside.
>
> Then at the inside end of the axle, mine are indeed splined to a flange 
> that connects outer axle to inner axle.
>
> Not sure where you'd find a modern competition axle setup, but my friend 
> Duane Bailey might know. He's a Spitfire racer in Michigan, runs a Britcar 
> business including competition work (he builds my engines, etc.). 
> dbailey_wmy at yahoo.com or 616-878-5774.
>
> --Rocky Entriken
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: <list at mackenzie.aero>
> To: <fot at autox.team.net>
> Cc: <list at mackenzie.aero>
> Sent: Monday, May 25, 2009 9:50 PM
> Subject: [Fot] Early Spitfire Splined Axle
>
>
>>I have a question about my Spit for the group; I hope somebody can
>> help me out.
>>
>> For those who don?t know the story, I own a very early Spitfire4
>> (FC921) that I autocross.  Although I don?t have the full history of
>> the car or its logbooks I understand that it was an SCCA racer at some
>> point before being campaigned as an  autocross car into the 80s.  I
>> bought it as a barn-find 3 years ago and got it race ready in early
>> 2008.
>>
>> When I started working on this car I inspected most of the parts and
>> re-installed them.  One of the first projects was addressing the rear
>> suspension which was collapsed due a missing diff.  I recall pulling
>> the brake drums, removing the shoes/springs and everything else and
>> putting it all back together after re-sealing the brake cylinders. I
>> don?t recall pulling the drive flanges or thinking they or the drive
>> shafts were anything out of the ordinary.  One feature that did catch
>> my eye is that the wheel studs.  They were 7/16 diameter and about 2.5
>> inches long.  I assumed that it was built this way so spacers could be
>> used to adjust track as required.
>>
>> Last week I was getting the car ready for a club autocross when I
>> discovered a broken wheel stud on the left rear.  [I ended up dusting
>> off my street 1500 and having a great day  of racing but that?s
>> another story- http://tinyurl.com/qkjnpn ]
>>
>> I went to pull off the drive flange yesterday to get at the studs and
>> was surprised to find the flange and axle were splined, not the usual
>> tapered shaft with keyway.
>>
>> Photo:  http://tinyurl.com/spitspline
>>
>> My question are:
>>
>> Has anybody else seen this set-up?
>> Who made this?
>> Where are the shafts from?
>>
>> Any help will be appreciated.
>>
>> Robert MacKenzie
>> Austin, TX
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