Re: Tom's Axles Q's...

[Tom Mandera <tsm1@domain.elided>]

Tom Harais wrote:
> 
> Tom:
> 
> I think your mixing up all sorts of suspension parts with what you really
> need: TRUSSES.
> 
> If you're going to go airborne and you want your diffs to hold up, they'll
> have to be trussed. Otherwise, a single jump and hard landing can bend the
> housing and break an axle, no problem

Good point, Tom.  As I mentioned, the Travelall axle I currently posess
has an axle truss already.. I'll remember to check it for additional
reinforcing and truss up the front axle when I get it, too.

FWIW, I was jumping a stock Scout II repeatedly and very harshly when
racing in Bozeman this summer.. the front bump stops got spit out, but
the axle emerged unscathed.. and it has endured many years of this
abuse. 

Of course, this is also why I'm not going to attempt to use the spare
Dana 30 front end I already have.. I'd break it pretty quickly.

But.. in addition to the truss, I *do* need some stiff lift springs.. to
keep the suspension from bottoming out against the bump stops so
harshly.. as we all know, the stock suspension has almost zero
up-travel.. which is what you're after when you're air borne.. and lots
of shocks to keep the rebound down.

Like I said.. no matter how hard n' fast you hit the jump, that nose
comes down first EVERY time.  ;-)  

The previous owner of the blue Scout said he bought two sets of
Add-a-leafs and doubled 'em up on the front suspension to keep from
bottoming out the suspension like I described.

-Tom