• TOPICS
    • Design
    • Manufacturing
    • Inspection
    • Heat Treating
    • Lubrication
    • Materials
    • The Gear Industry
    • Gears by Type
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Departments
    • Archives
    • Subscribe
    • Advertise
  • NEWSLETTER
    • Subscribe
  • VIDEO
    • Gear Technology TV
      • Ask the Expert Live
      • Revolutions
    • Industry Videos
  • BLOGS
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • NEWS and EVENTS
    • Product News
    • Industry News
    • Events
  • ADVERTISING
    • Brand Awareness
      • Print: Display Advertising
      • Online: Web Banners & Keyword Banners
      • Online: Native Advertising (Sponsored Content)
      • E-mail: Custom, White Papers & Webinars
      • E-mail: Newsletter Sponsored Content (Native Advertising)
    • Response & Lead Generation
      • Online: Sponsored Content (Native Advertising)
      • E-mail: Newsletters
      • E-mail: Newsletter Sponsored Content (Native Advertising)
      • E-mail: Custom, White Papers & Webinars
      • Online: Buyers Guide
    • Print Advertising
      • Print: Display Advertising
      • Print: MPT Expo Showstoppers
      • Print: Buyers Guide
      • Print: Manufacturing sMart
      • Print: Specifications
      • MPT Expo Show Guide Advertising
    • Online Advertising
      • Online: Web Banners & Keyword Banners
      • Online: Native Advertising (Sponsored Content)
      • Online: Buyers Guide
      • Online: Specifications
    • E-mail Advertising
      • E-mail: E-Newsletters
      • E-mail: Newsletter Sponsored Content (Native Advertising)
      • E-mail: AGMA Industry News
      • E-mail: Custom, White Papers & Webinars
      • E-mail: Specifications
    • Special Promotions
      • Print: MPT Expo Showstoppers
      • Print: Buyers Guide
      • Print: Manufacturing sMart
      • MPT Expo Show Guide Advertising
  • CONTACT US
  • AGMA
    • Membership
    • Events
    • Education
    • Emerging Technology
    • AGMA Media
    • Standards
Subscribe
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Home » Blogs » Gear Talk With Chuck » Long Lasting Gear Designs

Gear Talk With Chuck
Gear Talk With Chuck RSS FeedRSS

Inspection / Artifacts
Charles schultz
Chuck Schultz is a licensed engineer, Gear Technology Technical Editor, and Chief Engineer for Beyta Gear Service. He has written the "Gear Talk with Chuck" blog for Gear Technology since 2014.

Long Lasting Gear Designs

March 12, 2015
Charles D. Schultz
No Comments
[starbox]It is time to start preparing for the racing season so I have finally been spending some time in the garage. As a follow up to my last blog posting about designs staying in service for a long time, I offer the Model A Ford ring and pinion. First produced in 1927 for the 1928 Model A cars, this 9 x 34 spiral bevel set is still in production for use in midget race car quick change axles. That is 88 years and counting! Close behind is it successor, the ring and pinion set for the Ford Flathead V-8; used in current model quick change rear ends for street rods and sprint cars. The higher horsepower [60 at time of introduction in 1932] of the V-8 required a straddle mounted pinion or they might have just continued with the old “pumpkin” design. Considering that today’s midgets can have almost 400 horsepower and a sprint car double that, those gear engineers really did a fine job. Today’s material, heat treat, and manufacturing capabilities are responsible for that extra capacity but our friends at Gleason still “work” the same geometry system. What was a highly sophisticated design almost 90 years ago may not be anything special today but you have to admire things that keep working long after the design life has passed. It has been awhile since I read any news reports on the “infinity clock” being built with Silicon Valley money. A clock that will be self powered, run forever, and be working no matter what happens to us crazy humans. I rather suspect any future space visitors will be more interested in touring our old car museums than our feeble attempts at clock making. I mean no offense to the Infinity Clock team. Beings capable of interstellar travel are just more likely to find the artifacts of our journey from walking barefoot to interstate highway travel to be more informative of our progress as tool making apes than a clock.      

Recent Comments

Thank you for this - Happy Saint Patrick's...

Post a comment to this article

Report Abusive Comment

Free Gear Technology Subscriptions
Subscribe
Free Gear Technology Subscriptions
Subscribe
FEATURED VIDEO
  • Marposs
    Marposs OptoCloud EDU
December 15, 2022
RECOMMENDED
  • Precision Equals Performance at ZPE GripTec

    October 12, 2022
    gt0922_Page_28_Image_0003.jpg
  • State of the Powder Metal Industry

    October 12, 2022
    gt0922_Page_30_Image_0001.jpg
  • The Afterglow of Furnaces North America 2022

    October 12, 2022
    gt0922_Page_20_Image_0001.jpg
  • Reigniting the Educational Infrastructure

    December 5, 2022
    gt1122_Page_20_Image_0001.jpg
  • Profile: Continuing Education and Training with the AGMA

    December 5, 2022
    gt1122_Page_26_Image_0001.jpg
  • Reigniting the Educational Infrastructure

    December 5, 2022
    gt1122_Page_20_Image_0001.jpg
  • Profile: Continuing Education and Training with the AGMA

    December 5, 2022
    gt1122_Page_26_Image_0001.jpg
  • Precision Equals Performance at ZPE GripTec

    October 12, 2022
    gt0922_Page_28_Image_0003.jpg
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • Contribute
  • AGMA
Powered byAGMA
Copyright © 2023 Gear Technology
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact