Around here you can find 2nd hand axles for about A$60 or about US$35-40
I assume you have steel wheels and not wires....
The shafts most commonly break at the flange (ripping the center
out of the flange). This is due primarily to cornering loads. This is a
5-10 minute repair,
1) remove wheel, and brake drum
2) undo 3 phillips head or allen head countersunk bolts and pull off the
broken flange.
3) using vise grips or similar extract the broken shaft. If you are unlucky
you may have to remove the good half shaft on the other side and push the
broken shaft through with a broom handle or similar
4) replace with working half shaft and assembly is reverse of dissassembly
If on the other hand the half shaft has broken at the splines at the
differential,
then you really have to remove the diff. You therefore have to remove both
wheels, drums, half shafts (actually just pull the good one out 6-8 inches)
so the the diff can be removed.
Note that when you replace a half shaft, you should only use a half shaft
from the same side of the car. If they aren't in the car, you can tell by
the
wear pattern on the splines. The worn edge (deformed, shiny) is the driven
side. You can figure it from there.
Hope that helps
Mike
p.s. I'd use new gaskets and o-rings. They are cheap. If you use them,
pre-soak the gasket in gear oil. You can get by with just silastic - the
choice is yours.
-----Original Message-----
From: Packy Coleman <deadboy@hooked.net>
To: Spridget list <spridgets@autox.team.net>
Date: Friday, 23 April 1999 13:22
Subject: Busted axle shaft?!!
><fontfamily><param>Geneva</param>I tried to post this earlier today but
>It never showed up. I guess I can't post anything from work. It must
>have something to do with my e-mail address there. Anyway...
>
>
>So this past Sunday I'm pretty sure that my own Sprite decided to break
>an axle just as I was beginning to enjoy the warm sunny weather.
>
>I've never had this problem so I've got a few questions I figured you
>all could help me answer.
>
>
>First off, the symptoms: drive shaft turns, but sadly the rear wheels
>don't. (man, that's a depressing sight!) There's no grinding or
>thumping noise in the rear end when either the engine is engaged or the
>car is rolled forward or backwards. Am I safe in assuming that I have
>a busted axle shaft?
>
>
>Second: Assuming that it is a busted axle shaft, what's the best way
>to go about the repair? Should I remove both shafts first, then remove
>the whole axle so I can get inside it to open it up and clean out any
>random bits of busted axle shaft?
>
>
>Third: Is this going to be real expensive? A quick check of some
>catalogs and parts flyers indicate a cost of about $250 per axle.
>Should I replace them in pairs, or can I just do one? Also I seem to
>recall some earlier discussion regarding the quality of the shafts sold
>by the larger distributors. Is there a problem I should know about, or
>do I just have an over active imagination?
>
>
>Thanks in advance for any help on this one. I'm in entirely new
>territory here when it comes to the rear end of this car.
>
>
>If nothing else, I think I'm going to have a busy weekend!
>
>
>Packy
>
>
>1967 Sprite (known fondly during moments of mechanical concern on the
>road as Miss Traci.)</fontfamily>
>
>
>
>
>
>===========================================================================
===
>
>
>"The more a British sports car malfunctions, breaks, and/or falls
>apart, the more endearing it becomes to the owner."
>
>
>
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