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

[JDeRyke at aol.com]

In a message dated 3/22/07 6:27:30 AM, kenn_green at yahoo.com writes:

<< 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? >>

I think what you're talking about is a 'torsion bar effect', and 
Porsche-style halfshafts do twist in use. But the torque that twists them eventually gets 
back to the tranny gears. The tranny-in-gear/trailer "problem" isn't usually a 
problem, by the way. I've personally had to drag various disabled vehicles 
around in trailers or vans and I always left them in gear simply because living 
in hilly country taught me a non-running machine should ALWAYS be in gear, 
with the e-brake on if it had one, and the steered wheel(s) pointed at the curb. 
None of my trailered cars or motorcycles ever had gear failure after being 
dragged home for repairs. Maybe if the thing was left in 5th gear (the smallest, 
weakest gear), and trailered cross-continent in an unsprung trailer.... FWIW- 
J DeRyke<BR><BR><BR>**************************************<BR> AOL now offers 
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