Ken et al,
As a guy that worked in Detroit in Durability, Validation and Warranty for a few decades, I should like to offer some opinions here. (In the words of
Dave Lenzi, if you can't measure it, it is an opinion.) That is what this will be. It just has some experience behind it that few people have had the
opportunity to get.
First, Ken, you didn't stand a chance.
I know you are thinking you might have done something to mitigate the damage, but no. Damage like that can happen well inside a human's capability to
recognize it and react. (Lots of very personal experience here.)
The good thing is that is all happened so fast that the transmission and torque converter could most likely absorb the impact without damage.
My scenario has the ring gear tooth chip as a result and not a cause. Something got in the ring and pinion gear mesh. Whatever it was real tough but
has probably been reduced to metal grains. If it has not, it is a big very flat chip of metal. It would not have to be big, but look for something
like a bearing cage that is missing a piece. You may never find it. This piece did three things that were not quite simultaneous:
It got into the mesh and locked up the ring and an pinion completely. Craig can tell you what the lash in the gear set is, but it is not much.
This jammed the ring over so hard that it cracked the housing.
When and while that happened the entire inertia of the coach was now on the drive axles. That was plenty to blow those semi-hard splines off. One
did probably break before the other. If I had parts in my hands, I could offer an opinion (there's that word again) as to which. But, it does not
matter as both were fatally wounded instantly. This is why the spider could not save one of them.
Now, the load was off the ring and pinion, then it could rotate to clear the jam that was the actual cause. After an entire event time of maybe a
quarter of a wheel rotation (based on disasters with instrumented vehicles) everything was done.
So, in the approximately 20 milliseconds that this all took place, you would have has no chance to sort out the separation of the events.
Fortunately, you and Elaine were not injured and the coach is at home and can be repaired.
Will we see you in Elkhart?
Matt
--
Matt & Mary Colie - '73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan
OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Twixt A2 and Detroit
As a guy that worked in Detroit in Durability, Validation and Warranty for a few decades, I should like to offer some opinions here. (In the words of
Dave Lenzi, if you can't measure it, it is an opinion.) That is what this will be. It just has some experience behind it that few people have had the
opportunity to get.
First, Ken, you didn't stand a chance.
I know you are thinking you might have done something to mitigate the damage, but no. Damage like that can happen well inside a human's capability to
recognize it and react. (Lots of very personal experience here.)
The good thing is that is all happened so fast that the transmission and torque converter could most likely absorb the impact without damage.
My scenario has the ring gear tooth chip as a result and not a cause. Something got in the ring and pinion gear mesh. Whatever it was real tough but
has probably been reduced to metal grains. If it has not, it is a big very flat chip of metal. It would not have to be big, but look for something
like a bearing cage that is missing a piece. You may never find it. This piece did three things that were not quite simultaneous:
It got into the mesh and locked up the ring and an pinion completely. Craig can tell you what the lash in the gear set is, but it is not much.
This jammed the ring over so hard that it cracked the housing.
When and while that happened the entire inertia of the coach was now on the drive axles. That was plenty to blow those semi-hard splines off. One
did probably break before the other. If I had parts in my hands, I could offer an opinion (there's that word again) as to which. But, it does not
matter as both were fatally wounded instantly. This is why the spider could not save one of them.
Now, the load was off the ring and pinion, then it could rotate to clear the jam that was the actual cause. After an entire event time of maybe a
quarter of a wheel rotation (based on disasters with instrumented vehicles) everything was done.
So, in the approximately 20 milliseconds that this all took place, you would have has no chance to sort out the separation of the events.
Fortunately, you and Elaine were not injured and the coach is at home and can be repaired.
Will we see you in Elkhart?
Matt
--
Matt & Mary Colie - '73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan
OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Twixt A2 and Detroit
