PA Motorsport upgraded stub axles?

[Richard48Y]

Found these by accident, http://www.pamotorsport.com/for_sale/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&view=productdetails&virtuemart_product_id=279&virtuemart_category_id=36&Itemid=109
Trying to retain the original Europa engineering within reason.
Anyone have experience with them?
I have asked for a price and availability.
Also assume S1 and S2 would be the same.

[jbcollier]

Yup, S1 and S2 the same.

[S2Zetec54]

I bought a set expecting my loctite solution to be short term so haven’t fitted them yet, mine are sided with left and right hand threads

[cazman]

What do they cost?

Beside the left hand thread on one side, the design looks the same. If so, the loctite should still be required?

[SwiftDB4]

Looking at the picture the journal for the outer bearing looks wider than stock. On stock axles the outer bearing rides partly on the splines- not good.
S2Zetec54 - can you confirm if the PA axles have a wider bearing journal?

[S2Zetec54]

He machined the stub axles to accept the 30mm ID bearing on both inner and outer for me. Peter Alexander Is a very nice chap…very accommodating. Always planned to go and visit him.

They were between £650 and £700 back in 2021 from memory

…any help? I wasn't going to loctite them as they should be self tightening or that was my plane .i seem to remember it would need some mighty torque and therefore some well designed specially designed spacers. Current plan is to fit these when I fit Richard’s rear disc kit

Just had an outstanding day at Llandow Race Circuit thrashing around the circuit….boy did she behave well…very pleased with the day

[Richard48Y]

Standard stubs are £324 each.
So £700 for a pair would not be bad at all, but I suppose you meant each. 
Hoping the vendor will reply soon.

[S2Zetec54]

No for the pair

.....3 years ago, he's often out testing and racing....and being the start of
the season he might be busy

[314159td]

Any luck getting in contact Richard?
Just ripped out my S1's trailing arms and have discovered some impressively worn splines, had the reinforced Triumph puller out and everything but the hub just fell right off the axle. I'll probably need both the axles and hubs.

Looks like Banks has the hubs and shafts for £1k GBP (1 car set)...if he would reply to emails at some point.
I recall seeing some solution kit on eBay as well, but all dead links now.

I'd rather not deal with going too far from the book on these; pretty sure modifying the original parts is completely out of the question. Not enough material left in the hub.   

 

[Richard48Y]

I never did get a reply
Maybe we need to organize a group buy.
Selling several sets all at once might get him something expensive he is looking for?

[314159td]

I was also toying with the idea of making new shafts and hubs to ~original spec, with obvious modifications like shortening the splines and using 30mm bore bearings on both ends, but also using better material and hardening the splines. Maybe a different spline profile if deemed necessary, but otherwise drop-in for the Europa. They really should be replaced as a pair anyway.
It may turn out that a fundamentally different layout of the components is necessary (moving the splines to the yoke side, as seen in some unobtanium designs), but I wouldn't go so far as changing the u-joint size or otherwise messing with the fundamental Europa suspension design. 

We have a fairly similar part at work that should serve as decent price comparison (no u-joint yokes though), going to find out what those cost for the small initial batch. If the cost is ~$800 per car at qty 6-10 I'll likely put in the effort to do that. 

If anybody is reading this in a few months, please bug me to update. I'll get to a y/n decision on feasibility and make a fresh post.

[jbcollier]

Lotus Supplies sells the Banks stuff now.  There are a number of aftermarket rear axle options out there already.

[BDA]

Emailing Richard is a waste of time. If you want to contact him, call him on the phone. But if you want to purchase something, as JB says, go to the Lotus Supplies website (https://www.lotus-supplies.com/parts/) and order it.

[314159td]

I've also had terrible luck with getting email replies from Lotus Supplies, but will attempt once more.

The similar part at work was $500 ea for qty 4; a bit worse than the pricing for standard replacement parts. I think if I did a medium run (10 car sets) it'd just be competing side-to-side on price with the other vendors, so it would need to be an appreciably improved design to bother.

For your viewing pleasure, perhaps some of the most blown out splines that haven't yet rounded out or been replaced. Right axle threads have some necking from overtightening, probably would have killed me if I didn't bother to check.

[Richard48Y]

Outer axles being a weak link are why I wanted to get the upgrade posted above.
I've put off assembling my rear hubs waiting for a response.