[Healeys] Differential Housing

[Michael Salter]

During the Targa Newfoundland this year we were put out for 2 days as a
result of a bent axle casing. The roads of Newfoundland can be brutal on
suspension. The casing I use on AHX12 is a BN1 (spiral bevel) type. This
type of axle casing has an abrupt change of section about 12 inches in from
each hub and this, it would seem, is the weakest area because that is where
it bent. 
It is interesting that the 100S, although everything else is the same, does
not use a casing with this change of section, I guess I now know why.
Interestingly in Gander, Newfoundland, while the axle casing was lying on
the ground beside the car, a chap came up and started taking lots of
pictures of it. It turns out that his company manufactures axle casings and
is presently developing a "new" manufacturing technique for them using a
single sheet of material requiring one weld, rather than 2 halves welded
together as is the standard North American process today. The amazing thing
is that that is how the BN1 axle casing is manufactured!!!
I guess there is some truth to "There is nothing new under the sun".

Michael Salter
100S (1955)
3000 Mk111(1965)
100 (1953)
AHX12 (1953)
Bugeye (1961)
http://www.netbug.net/blogmichael/