Found: Wanted after Normandy 2014: front axle for a Ford F30 LAAT

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Andy,

It was a pleasure meeting you too - and thanks for dropping off the collets.

Those pics you showed were quite frightening! Glad you got out without a scratch. Will keep an eye open for you, but I'm sure there's someone in the UK with a spare axle or two.

Would be interested to learn why the axle snapped. Maybe there is a maintenance lesson or two in it for the rest of us?

Hanno

[Andy Mitchell]

Hi Hanno,

Once I have her back home I will work out the problem and yes it may be down to maintenance, but I think that the CV Joint has disintegrated. We will see !

[Andy Mitchell]

Hi Folks, I just thought I would update ref my F30 prolem in Normandy.
Now that W & P is over I have had the chance to strip the axle down and it turns out that the axle casing was CRACKED between the ball joint and the diff.
You can see on close inspection that it had been cracked for for probably years judging by the rust marks.
Totally invisible under the paint etc.
One of those things I suppose with a 70 + year old truck and no real history.
It will be back in action soon and in Holland in September for XXX Corps.