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MG MGA - 10 vs 25 Spline Axles

I'm about to convert my disc wheels to wire .... I have all the parts needed to change over. I have two diffs a 10 spline and a 25 spline. I only have 10 spline W.W. half shafts.
I read in the archives that the 10 spline are more prone to break at the rear spline then the 25 spline because the splines are cut deeper then the 25s. Is this a big enough problem that I should find or purchase 25 spline half shafts..?
Thomas Koch

I don't think it is much of a problem or a frequent occurrence unless you are severely abusing the car on a a regular basis. I used my 1500 with 10-spine half shafts for SCCA Solo-II (autocross) regularly from 1991 to 2001. The car did as many as 25 competition dates per year, sometimes with a second driver, perhaps 2500 laps with jack rabbit start. It ran sticky race tires for several years, a competition clutch for 3 years, and the torque was hard on propshaft U-joints, but it never broke a halfshaft.

Then a few years later (at 331,000 mlles), after a long day of casual road rally, it broke a halfshaft two blocks from home, and I managed to nurse it home for repairs. I guess a fatigue crack finally caught up with it. I bought two used halfshafts at the time, still have the second one for a spare. The car is currently at 392,000 miles, still used regularly, but no more race tires.
Barney Gaylord

My dad managed to break a 10 spline shaft back in the 60's, but again, this is a car that had been raced before he bought it. He said he'd just left his parts supplier and had to walk the 2 blocks back to buy a new shaft. I assume they either had them with the hubs pre-installed, or were able to press his old hub onto the new axle for him.

I've got no plans to replace them with the later units, but that might have something to do with having 2 complete sets of spare shafts on hand.
Del Rawlins

Funny, but the only shafts I have broken have been on the street, not on the track, even when I was running a welded diff on the race car. I wouldn't worry about the axles. People get paranoid - look at the guys that 'upgrade' to MGB front uprights for 'safety'.
Bill Spohn

This thread was discussed between 01/04/2012 and 11/04/2012

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