Aluminum flywheel and extra dowels

Bill Hincher · Post by **Bill Hincher** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 8:43 pm

I don't know if its needed Kane, if you look at the flywheel, there is a shoulder around the outer circumfernce of the crankshaft on the back side of the flywheel , that is whats used for keeping the flywheel true, the pin is just a locator for balance wieghts, seems kinda unlikely that the pin would hold any hosepower, but its the first time I looked at it and I am sure he has more information then I do on the subject

I read all your stuff kane

Bill Hincher · Post by **Bill Hincher** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 6:06 am

FINALLY! now I remember, it was on trucks with ' walker beams' that I saw flywheel/crankshaft failure

' walker beams' are a 4wl drive araingement that had all 4 wheels attached to a centrally located suspension spring used in over the road tractors ( semi's)

when the truck went around corners and hit a bump, one of the drive wheels would bounce up off the pavement for just a milisecond, after that happened the tire would return to the pavement and try to stop the driveshafts from turning. the inertia of the rotating drivelive would try to overcome the stopped tire , creating a big jolt to the driveline. the weakest link in the chain is the clutch/flywheel/crankshaft, in this case it was crankshaft failure.

If you were racing a 4wheel drive vehicle and your tires were constantly bouncing on and off the track, you should consider stronger flywheel attachments BUT when you finally make the flywheel solid, you may braek crankshafts

Robert Venable · Post by **Robert Venable** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 12:44 am

Sounds like you might need to consider a damper spring on your clutch or fly wheel-- hell both. Or you could do like BMW is doing and install "Guibo" joints to connect the trans to the driveshaft and driveshaft to the diff. This would absorb some of the shock.

Whats a "Guibo"? It's pretty much a rubber disc that serves as the u-joints {remeber-- we have IRS so there is not movement of the diff other than threw the bushings}.

Post by **DJpowerHaus** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 10:22 am

Starions had a torque tube between the diff and the driveshaft. It helped to absorb some of the shock.

Bill Hincher · Post by **Bill Hincher** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 10:39 am

the shock load is in the tires, ever go down a dirt road and notice the pot holes are evenly spaced so you vibrate down the road like you are hydroplaning? Thats because they are evenly spaced, from the combustion strokes of the engine, every time the piston is pushed downward from cumbustion ( explosions) there is a jerk in the smooth rotation of the crankshaft and it digs a little pot hole with the tire.
In dirt track racing that was the big debate between 4 stroke engines and 2 stroke engines, depending on the track and tire design, the 4 stroke was supposed to be at the advantage because you have more 'time' during the revolution of the tire to ' collect' traction because the engine only fired every 4th revolution instead of every second revolution
ever notice high performance airplane engines have odd numbered staggared cylinder arraingements? thats because the prop wants to move in a smooth rotation, but the pistons jerk when combustion takes place, so they broke crankshafts because of the twist.
get rid of the 16 inch wheels and drop back down t the 15 inch wheels and let the tire sidewall do its job, that way the tire absorbs more shock and the car will handle better