<VV> Corvair half shafts...

[jryall@juno.com]

I hope this is the answer you are looking for:  The Corvair half shafts
not only transmit torque loads, they also serve as upper suspension links
(compressive loads).  Jaguar and Corvette used the same design and their
half shafts were of similar size.  Porsche and VW use CV joints which do
not carry suspension loads.  As to the inertia problem, it is possible
for a large diameter thin wall tube to match the inertia of a smaller
solid rod.  I don't know if that's the case here or not.  Half shaft size
selection may have been dictated by other constraints, such as 'Hey
fellas, we got a bunch of tubing here, let's use it up'.  Maybe the
machinery was built to fabricate Corvette half shafts, so ours were made
the same size for ease of manufacture.  Does anybody out there have a mid
'60s Corvette to measure the half shafts to see if they are the same size
as a Corvair?

John Ryall
On Sat, 30 Oct 2004 08:21:11 -0500 cash case <cash.case@sbcglobal.net>
writes:
> Anyone have any idea why the Corvair half shafts were as big as they 
> are? Why didn't they use a single small solid shaft like what is use 
> now and in Bugs and Porches back then. Wouldn't a smaller shaft 
> spin easier or am I just a physics retard?
> 
> [demime 0.98e removed an attachment of type image/jpeg which had a 
> name of cash face.jpg]
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