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Date:         Sat, 12 Feb 2005 23:38:53 +1300
Reply-To:     Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject:      Re: Swapping '86 front end onto '82
In-Reply-To:  <420D800F.6040709@mchsi.com>
Content-type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=us-ascii

>What do you suppose the weight difference is?

I don't know for sure, but would expect the fabricated arm (wishbone) to be considerably lighter.

>I suspect that is not >much, but probably the fabbed steel part is a bit lighter. I am puzzled, >too, why the different years would handle differently.

Probably the difference in nonpowered & powered steering. It's not the handling that differs, it's the steering feel. The nonpowered steering probably has more feel, but is very heavy at low speeds. The power-assistance probably removes quite a bit of feel (I can't say here because I've only ever driven one T3, and it has nonpowered rack... but I did convert my nonpowered 89 Corolla to power, and noticed a definite loss of feel).

>And YES, I stand corrected, it is cast steel, not cast iron. Can anyone >tell me the difference?

Iron is basically the element iron, alloyed with a few nonmetallic additives; casting this for some reason produces an extremnely brittle metal. Steels are alloys of iron containing various other metals for added strength, malleability, hardness, corrosion-resistance or other desired properties. Nickel is good for corrosion-resistance; nickel-iron is basically stainless steel. Chromium with molybdenum is stronger than mild steel, but more prone to fatigue fractures, I believe.

It is possible that those arms are forged rather than cast, but who knows where to find out? -- Andrew Grebneff Dunedin New Zealand Fossil preparator <andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz> Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut

HUMANITY: THE ULTIMATE VON NEUMANN MACHINE


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