ok guys after snapping my left shaft on sunday, i got my mate to re weld it again, and i couldnt believe what happened today, in the local car park at lunch today, went to the bank to get some cash out, took off in first normally then doonk felt like it popped outa gear again , aka snap shaft, ended up ringing a mate from work to tow me back to work, like 200m away, snapped where he welded it yesterday, he dowled the shafts in the centre and angle grinded a v all around the shaft and yeah.. time for new shafts..

my question can anyone recomend someone who makes STRONG shafts? i dont want to cut and respline std suzi shafts as the suzi part of the shaft snapped on sunday.. not where the first weld was so i dont want them breaking again.. and a rough price if possible??

im going to ring you jc tonight or tomorow regarding the guy whos doing yours..

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GTi Turbo'd mini, abused daily

sounds like you got shafted that has to be my worst joke here. bad to hear.

You often won't have much luck welding shafts. They don't hold. do you run the suzuki shafts? then have a look at the thckness of the sierra etc shafts, they might be a bit more solid. and if your licky mak only need to get machined on the mini end. Just an idea??

sorry about the dodgey joke

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-doing a Degree in Mechanical Engineering,
and a few conversions:
13B Extend in a 1600
4EFTE in a mini ute (all slowly)

I'll ask Tricky tonight Benny. He's found a bloke for us in Geebung apparently.

I don't see any problem in turning down the gti (or normal swift) shaft.

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But he's thriving and striving and hugging the turns.

What is wrong with good old Brittish steel? ie Mini

Blue

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Keep shiny side up

i heard a quote for billet ones 800 i think strong

Yeah i got quoted $800 by this AutoShaft mob in Richmond, Vic. They reckoned they were gonna source some of this titanium alloy or something from italy, stuff they use in Formula 1. I think i'm gonna try good old steel to start with. Shouldn't be too hard to make up my own.

Drop MINSTAR a line - there is a place in Mitchell here in Canberra that did his shafts. Apparently they are quite reasonable too.

Hooroo

Rob Forsyth
Miniot!!

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Rob Forsyth
Miniot!!

Material to use is EN39b........or case hardening steel............make them billet form or in the normalised or unhardened state, cut both mini and (suzuki) splines at the same time, then have the shafts carburised or hardened...and appropiate post treatments.......
Cutting down a suzuki shaft or honda or whatever is not a good way to go.......oftern, you are machining away the hard skin of the shaft, which is where the strength is. They are easier to machine but I'm not aware or any procedure or if its possible to normalise a shaft then re harden with a carburising tool steel. Cutting down the shaft will result in a stress riser or point of localised failure where the hard skin and soft skin will fail from tortional stress........
Welding is not an option as as found its not reliable and not legal here in NZ, even with vehilce cert. Welding case hardened axles will spell disaster.....

And FYI splines for axles such as honda ones, which are triangular section, and even original mini, are mass produced by rolling the axle between die wheels, or creating a parallel knurl....then hardened up.......This results in the skin of the material being forced into shape and therefore stronger right from the get-go......with cutting, you are removing material and not working up the skin of the steel.......

When I was researching making my own, I was advised by one of the axle fab shops that a certain grade of stainless steel can be used, but this just meant a massive cash outlay to buy the stainless and special heat treating processes to bring the strength up... so i gave it away and went with EN39b......

Cheers

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If you idiot proof the world, only idiots there shall be!!!!!

I got my Starlet shafts turned down and splined by M&A engineering. I was under the impression that tempered steel was tempered all the way through during tempering process? Either way I have done some pretty hard launches on the starlet shafts and as many will probably indicate and this is my opinion too that you are more likely to smoke the tires before you come even close to snapping the shafts (speaking only of the Starlet shafts which seem pretty chunky). Welded shafts are also illegal in OZ. $500 for turning and splining and they requested the rolling car before proceeding...

My 2c.

Cheers

Matt

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225hp atw on 14psi. 1/4 Mile no idea. Take one 1971 Mini Clubman, one Starlet GT Halfcut, Simmer over a warm MIG Welder, and Voila Minstar! www.mpdesign.id.au