Why splines wear
W. R. Gibbons (gibbons(at)northpole.med.uvm.edu)
Fri, 21 Jun 1996 15:38:54 -0400 (EDT)
OK, I have been thinking about this. (The unspoken conclusion is that
what follows is a gem, if I have been thinking about it.) No matter how
tight the hub is, torque is transmitted from the brakes and engine through
a series of inclined planes (the splines) in contact. There will be a
component of force radially, tending to expand the wheel hub. If there is
a slight expansion of the wheel hub, which seems likely, the two inclined
planes will slip a bit relative to each other, causing wear.
Having the hub very tight should minimize wear, by preventing sideways
slippage and by helping to transmit torque from the axle to the wheel.
Probably doesn't eliminate it completely, thought.
Ray Gibbons Dept. of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics
Univ. of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT
gibbons(at)northpole.med.uvm.edu (802) 656-8910