timtiger Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Hello.New member here from Oz.I have just acquired a 1963 Mk 1 Spitfire that is fitted with what (I think) is an SAH Tite-a turn (rotoflex) rear end. I bought it in Townsville in the far north of Australia and drove it about 1,000 kms South before the drivers side rear axle sheared in the middle of nowhere (a place called Bundaberg in Queensland). Apparently the previous owner had the wheel bearings replaced and the job was botched causing the axle to fail. The car is still in the bush and I am trying to get it the last 2,500 kms home to Melbourne.So, can anyone help me with parts or contacts that would have an axle from this SAH kit? I can get one made but it would be simpler to get an off the shelf part, repair the car where it is and drive it the rest of the way home.many thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junkuser Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 That's a bit harsh on Bundaberg! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gt6s Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 You will be lucky if you can find one of those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Moore Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Hi Tim,I don't know anything about the SAH kit. If it used the original Triumph hubs and axles, they're available ex-UK and probably in Australia too. Unfortunately when the wheel bearings fail in a swing arm supsension (as yours would have originally had) the axle halfshaft is also damaged - the needle rollers run on the shaft itself rather than a bearing cage. These bearings are hard to replace without the correct hub puller - you just end up damaging the hub, as may have happened here.Greg Tunstall Mechanical in Brisbane may be able to help. If the SAH axle is unique he may have enough original Spitfire parts to convert it to standard, and if it uses factory hubs and bearings he may have them on the shelf. You might want to consider relocating the car to Brisbane from Bundaberg for him to work on, if you're not able to get back to Bundaberg.Congrats on getting a Trumpy and attempting an Aussie road trip, too. I brought my Herald up from Brisbane to Moranbah (2 hours inland of Mackay) last year. It all went off flawlessly, so this year we may head up to Cooktown.Cheers,NickPS yes, a bit harsh on Bundaberg, but don't drink the rum. Just see what it's done to the locals! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junkuser Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Even saying Townsville "is in the far North of Australia" is a Melbournian view of Australia.Seem to think anywhere beyond the suburbs of Melboure is The Outback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greeks Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Most people in Brissy reckon Townsville is in Far North Queensland though ;DMy in-laws live in Bundaberg ... I got married there and let's be honest it is in the middle of nowhere by most people's standards ... and it's not that easy to be harsh on the locals, either, the best thing about the place is the road out ;)I agree there's virtually bugger all chance that you can find anyone with an SAH axle in Oz, but I know there is a Spitfire owner who works in one of the scrapyards on the edge of town - it's on the main highway into town near the airport - 'Bundy Wreckers'. I suppose there's the possibility that he could help with original parts? Otherwise I agree with Nick that your best bet is going to be GTM in Cleveland, Brisbane. At least that's only 450km away :-/I'm pretty sure that most people reckon the tight a turn is lethal anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gt6s Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Greeks wrote: I'm pretty sure that most people reckon the tight a turn is lethal anyway.It's a piece of crap take it off and fit a swing spring or even convert to rotoflex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slimboyfat Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Gt6s wrote:It's a piece of crap take it off and fit a swing spring or even convert to rotoflex.Eloquent and to the point.I have a set here in our black museum, should come with a government health warning. To be honest most SAH stuff should be viewed in this manner, except those part's that Triumph themselves had direct involvement with (very little). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gt6s Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Slimboyfat wrote:Eloquent and to the point.FN finishing school showing through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Gt6s wrote:It's a piece of crap take it off and fit a swing spring or even convert to rotoflex.This is the complete truth I'm afraid - I owned a pair briefly and engineering quality was appalling. Downright dangerous in my opinion.As advised above, best course would be to source a pair of standard axles from a Spitfire or even a Herald. Provided you get the trailing arms as well they should be a direct swap - just watch the UJ flange size as early Spit like yours should have small flanges on the diff whereas the Spit Mk4 and 1500 have larger ones. Easy enough to swap though. Using a swing spring would improve the handling considerably. Alternatively you could fit the rotoflex set-up from a GT6 or Vitesse Mk2, which is the SAH thing done properly, but harder to find and more work.Good luck with your recovery....Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herald948 Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 I'd never heard of this Tite-a-Turn setup before. Amazingly, a quick Google search revealed this thread on another Forum:http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/vintage-cars-classics-india/45508-need-help-standard-herald.html !If anyone knows of any pictures or other info, I admit to being curious about the setup (although I have no desire to obtain one). ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT6Craig Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Quote: The car is still in the bushAn actual bush? Id be pretty worried leaving my car in the middle of nowhere! Cant you just go and tow it back? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paudman Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 I've got a pair of the Tite-a-Turn wishbones here in the UK, open to offers...May put them on eBay if I feel really optimistic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paudman Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 This is a photo of a complete setup, I have other views and angles if you require reference shotsColin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timtiger Posted April 6, 2009 Author Share Posted April 6, 2009 Thank you all for the replies.Re the geography. I am actually a Queenslander forced against my will and better judgement to work and live (if you can call it that) in Melbourne. I grew up on a small Island off the coast of Brisbane but my father was born in Bundaberg. Bundaberg is a rather nice town but when your Sprite is 2,200KM from home, it is in the "middle of nowhere". No offence to Bundaberg intended but the comments above about the effects of the local rum are completely correct. The car is not really "in the bush" but in a classic car garage in Bundaberg. They seem to know what they are doing but are not Triumph experts.I am unsure about the disparaging comments about the SAH kit. I have owned old cars before and was a long time and happy owner of a '77 Stag. I found my Sprite handled very well and was fast and comfortable. No dramas in hard cornering and I have no complaints at all - apart from the axle shearing. I am not to perturbed about this as the car has had the SAH kit most of it's life and the odometer has been around the clock at least one and a half times. Giving service from around 30 years can't be seen as unreliable. I note the comments about fitting a rotoflex rear. The SAH kit is a rotoflex system as you can see from the photo kindly posted above. I am a novice at this and not well informed but it seems that SAH made a kit that was a forerunner for the GT6 rotoflex system. Maybe inferior but it seems a lot better than the original system fitted.The status of the car is that the axle and hub has been removed and sent to Greg Tunstall in Brisbane. The plan is to cut the SAH axle and TIG on an axle end from a Dolomite. These are easily available here and apparently less rare and cheaper than a Spitfire axle. Hopefully this will get the car on the road again. As it stands I want to look at getting a better set up at the rear. I am not after total originality but want reliability and reasonable handling. There is a local guy working on a lobo (low angle CV) joint. Maybe this will be the go but I am very keen to get the car back in running order.Thank you all for the help and advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard B Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 706 wrote:I am unsure about the disparaging comments about the SAH kit. I would not take the disparaging comments to much to heart. It is an interesting piece of motoring history. As I understand it there are design flaws to it, but I can appreciate the use/reuse of Triumph components (especially the front upper wishbones as a rear lower wishbone).I think the CV conversion is the way to go nowdays, but my hat off to you if you can recondition this setup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 It's a fair point, also we must remember that although "SAH back axle" conjours up all sorts of images and assumptions, this kit has been running on the otherside of the world on this car for quite a few years - it may not be "standard" SAH anymore and could well have been developed and modified into something we might not recognise.It's fair to say that the "standard" SAH tite-a-turn has a poor reputation here in the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junkuser Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 Glad to hear the car is safe and you are making progress.(You could, at least, have thrown in a few "Eh"s in your original post to let us know where you were from.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Moore Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 junkuser wrote:You could, at least, have thrown in a few "Eh"s in your original post to let us know where you were from.Oi! He's not Canadian, y'know? Aussies have a fair dinkum beaut lingo, none of that poofta rubbish. Bit hard to crack sometimes, but. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junkuser Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Do you know many Queenslanders Nick?Their lingo sure ain't anything but masculine (for the males that is).I'm from the middle ground, between Vic and Qld, so can have a go at either --- and expect plenty in return. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timtiger Posted April 7, 2009 Author Share Posted April 7, 2009 Yeah no. I am a canetoad from Straddy alright. Geeze I'm toungueing for a coldy from the Point Lookout beer garden and that! Just need to step over the technicoloured yawns and not get picked by a bogan or picked up by a bogan sheila. Is that better 'strine' (a very abridged way to say Australian).And off topic. I was in Canada late last year and was struck by how similar Canadians and Australians are in attitude. They have the French thing and bears and that wet stuff that falls out of the sky. We have snakes and usually no water but recently too much in some places. Our origins and thoughts about the world seems very similar.Back on topic. So I am trying to get my axle repaired to get the car back on the road. I have looked up the Canley Classics kit. I would appreciate any opinions on this set up. Is it easy to fit? What other parts are needed? Is it reliable for a daily and long distance car?Many thanks for all of the help and advice. Goodonya, ya pack o' bonza blokes and maybe sheilas.P.S. I tried to post a picture of the car but computer says "no". File size is 170KB. I think it is the company IT setup that is the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greeks Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 junkuser wrote:I'm from the middle ground, between Vic and Qld, so can have a go at either --- and expect plenty in return.That's an understatement! From my experience everyone in Qld is down on NSW and everyone in VIC is down on NSW ;DTim ... much better strine :) Though if you really are looking for good beer you'd be glad to be away from Qld at least ;D Some choice pubs in Melbourne, and much less of the horrible big halls they have in Brissy.Axle conversions? Oh yeah ... everyone's raving about the CV conversions - get on it :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greeks Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Nick_Moore wrote:Bit hard to crack sometimes, but.I always though that was kiwi, bro? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junkuser Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Pure envy Greeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Moore Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 I can still speak Kiwi best, but am surrounded by Queenslanders, a lot of whom have never left the state. Some have never even been as far south as Brisbane, they just don't see the point. Mind you, it's a state 2.5 times the size of Texas so there's plenty to see 'at home'. NSW emigrees are referred to as 'Mexicans' having moved up north over the border.Speaking New Zealandish remains a useful skill, as 5 out of 8 of our geologists are Kiwis. Churs Bro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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