[DeTomaso] Horror Stories....Re: Trailering Tiedown Points

[Ken Green]

      While we're on the topic of torque transmitted through the half shafts, I have a question.  The hollow shaft, like the stock Pantera shafts, should be stronger for the same weight because the metal is displaced outward from the axis of rotation, so you'd think that's what race cars would use, but that does not seem to be the case.  It looks like most or at least many serious race cars use smaller solid half shafts.
   
        What I'm wondering is if the smaller solid shafts actually can live with greater torque because they can twist and not break?  Would that also imply that a smaller solid shaft would provide at least some damping when a car left parked in gear is nudged one way or the other?
   
  Ken

JDeRyke at aol.com wrote:
  In a message dated 3/20/07 10:28:49 PM, peter-kovacs at sbcglobal.net writes:

<< In that conversation he told me to park it (on the street or in the 
trailer)with the parking brake on but not in gear because of inherent weakness in 
the design. I was also confused how it could withstand a pounding on the track 
but not a bump in the parking lot. >>

If it was only a single bump, there would be no problem. But in towing- 
especially long distances- with the car in gear, every bump, minor speed change or 
brake-touch by the driver will cause inertia on a car in a trailer to smack 
the tranny gear thats engaged from the 'power side' to the 'coast side' of the 
very same tooth, just as if one was hammering on that one tooth. While driving, 
each tooth gets power applied to it for only a millisecond, then the power 
goes to the next tooth, spreading the force and limiting the time applied. Big 
difference here. If you must tow, I suggest using a real e-brake, set on hard 
and leave the tranny in neutral. Of course, the best suggestion is to drive the 
Pantera and sell the trailer to a Chevy fan. 
I used to say the ZF is the strongest part of a Pantera and could take 
upwards of 800 horses, but Greg Esakoff has modified that view a bit.... FWIW- J 
DeRyke


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