Stub Axle

Lawrie, for what it's worth, if it worries you just replace them. If you have done the right thing in the past on the rough then that's ok. I think what has been the real issue here is that owners don't actually see or feel what does the damage. It could have been a pothole or two the tow vehicle didn't hit or a curb you cut fine in a town. Just my view.

Cheers.

I have been using HEMA navigators for some time now. I originally (2005) used a car computer running OziExplorer and then switched to a HEMA HN5 as the car computer proved to be unreliable in rough terrain. I have had a HEMA HN6 for a number of years now and I am very happy with it. (Almost identical to HN7 in functionality)

The HEMA GPSs all run OziExplorer and to take full advantage of this powerful application, you should purchase OziExplorer for your PC. This will allow you to plan trips on a large screen to create waypoints, routes and tracks which are then easily transferred to your HN6 or HN7. This is not complicated at all.

The HEMA GPSs have both Street and Off Road GPS applications. The Street app (iGO) is also good in my opinion.

HEMA are excellent with their service, I have had them send me a replacement unit to Kalgoolie on one occasion.

Send me a PM if you want more information.

Regards

Rob

Hi Lawrie, we have a 20 2001 van which we've lived in full time for the last 10 years and have been on the worst of them
Always been very particular about tyre pressures etc. but have still broken 2 axles
One (rear left)was reversing into a park site in Jabiru, the axle had been half broken for some time.
2nd one was Oct. last year , 80k west of Longreach after the Plenty in a bad way,(bulldust holes over the bonnet of the Troopy)
Front right this time on bitumen luckily as it slid down the road on the spring end til I stopped it as it hit the dirt and didn't do any damage.
Again the axle had been cracked halfway for some time.
It would be an entirely different matter on dirt, Things could get very wobbly I think.
Maybe the chains idea is worth considering even if if would limit wheel travel but only in very extreme cases.
I check for cracks with that head crack spray when I do the bearings (10-15000k)
and I'm going to carry a spare axle stub now so as a last resort I could have it welded on the arm anywhere in the bush that has a reasonable welder.
I believe it's just metal fatigue like our 3.5 ton hayman reese 50mm square tow bar tongue which broke outside Winton just before the axle.
It too had had been half broken for some time. (probably the same bulldust holes)
The hr box is only 3 mm wall thickness. Mine is now 8mm

Hi Tracks n About,

Put in a search - owners forum - for "Broken Axle" covering the date 19.10.2014 the post number is 9609

Hi
I saw your post about stub axles but have refrained from posting so far for fear of being tarred and feathered by the general membership. As my views are a little different from most.
Firstly, broken stub axles on bushtrackers are far from rare. We have personally witnessed a number, even though we haven't had our van very long. The fact you have reached a high mileage without any breakages would indicate you have indeed operated the van in a very responsible manner.
The cause of the breakages relates back to the high frequency vibration generated by the short heavy spring without any form of damping on the Simplicity Suspension. This vibration is essentially a massive amount of energy thrashing around under the van. Unrestrained energy in any form will always take the path of least resistance. Some of the energy goes up into the van via the pivot blocks and some back down to the ground via the tyres. The stub axles are simply the weakest link in the chain of constant metal fatiguing vibration. I think you will find that unless there has been some sort of massive impact which simply shears the whole thing the vast majority will have tell tale signs of metal fatigue which are very visible in the form of dark areas, sometimes with rust in them and the last bit to break has a shiny crystalline surface. Classic metal fatigue. In your situtation I think you would be well advised to replace all four stub axles. At your mileage there is inevitably significant fatigue already occured and it's just a matter of time, probably a short time, before they break. Sorry to be the bearer of bad and expensive news. BT now offer 3 types of suspension - leaf, coil & air. The leaf in my opinion is the least suitable and most damaging of the 3 choices. The leaf suits the manufacturer as there is no owner input and is virtually bullet proof for the warranty period and some years after. To describe it as the best off road suspension is simply to deny the laws of physics known for 400 years.
If anybody wishes to gain a better knowledge of what happens when a suspension is undamped, reading Collyn Rivers articles in the Caravan & Motorhome (CMCA) books section, under articles. The article in question is called "Why wheels fall off". The article is principly about the title but gives good information on the effects of undamped suspension.
In my working life I was professionally involved in vibration testing of heavy equipment and have a smidgen of knowledge about the effects of vibration. For all you members that have been sold the standard suspension, believing it was the best, please don't beat me to death.
Honest, I didn't do it!!!
Mike