Volvo Owners Club Forum - View Single Post - 123GT--handbrake cable after rear end swap

Vintagewrench · May 15th, 2021, 13:23

Derek, you are correct about the swap not being needed for regular use. However one of the most important reasons to do this swap for racing, rally or hi-performance use is safety and extra strength that comes from the use of bigger diameter, safer, one-piece flanged axles and wheel bearings used on 1800E/ES and 140 series vehicles. Re-drilling the axle flanges to the earlier 5 x 4.5" bolt pattern eliminates having mis-matched wheels and can often be done by drive axle specialists at a reasonable cost.

The original tapered and keyed axles can and do break under hard use, and racing, with the resulting loss of a wheel and tire and the brakes (wheel cylinder pistons can pop out or leak). Breakage is usually followed by a crash or often a roll over caused by the axle housing minus a wheel and brake drum digging into the track or earth.

Back in the day racers were forced to replace the early axles after 5 or 10 races and and usually had them crack tested in-between races. A number of cars were damaged or wrecked and drivers injured due to broken tapered and keyed axles.

One other benefit is axle, bearing, and brake repairs and service takes much less time because of not having to deal with the axle nut, and a puller to get the hub and drum off.

Volvo actually had the disc brake axle homologated with the FIA in 1969 for the Amazon so it could be used in completion.

May 15th, 2021, 13:23	#6
Vintagewrench Member Last Online: Nov 11th, 2023 13:34 Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Brattleboro, VT	Derek, you are correct about the swap not being needed for regular use. However one of the most important reasons to do this swap for racing, rally or hi-performance use is safety and extra strength that comes from the use of bigger diameter, safer, one-piece flanged axles and wheel bearings used on 1800E/ES and 140 series vehicles. Re-drilling the axle flanges to the earlier 5 x 4.5" bolt pattern eliminates having mis-matched wheels and can often be done by drive axle specialists at a reasonable cost. The original tapered and keyed axles can and do break under hard use, and racing, with the resulting loss of a wheel and tire and the brakes (wheel cylinder pistons can pop out or leak). Breakage is usually followed by a crash or often a roll over caused by the axle housing minus a wheel and brake drum digging into the track or earth. Back in the day racers were forced to replace the early axles after 5 or 10 races and and usually had them crack tested in-between races. A number of cars were damaged or wrecked and drivers injured due to broken tapered and keyed axles. One other benefit is axle, bearing, and brake repairs and service takes much less time because of not having to deal with the axle nut, and a puller to get the hub and drum off. Volvo actually had the disc brake axle homologated with the FIA in 1969 for the Amazon so it could be used in completion. Last edited by Vintagewrench; May 15th, 2021 at 13:43.