rene4406 posted:panteradoug posted:
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150 sounds like a guess? Got the formula?
I obviously did'nt do any calculation, it is just because 150 ft.lb is roughly the maximum capacity of my dynanometric key.
When I was a student in the early 70's, our teachers told us that about 80% of the parts were not calculated but estimated empirically! Among the 20% calculated, many were by hand because personal computers did not exist, there were only large computers which were expensive, relatively slow and were used only for the calculations of the main and complicated parts.
Yes. That's what I mean by "modelling".
For instance, if you were designing a building, every time you come to bath room as a component, you don't need to redesign it. You have a saved, already proven design that you can insert as a unit.
The front suspension of the Pantera, if you compare it to that of the '65 Mustang, you could clearly notice that the spindle size, bearing size, lug studs, all of these components have already been calculated for the Mustang and just need to be plugged in?
This is what I mean about the rear uprights. They resemble the Ford GT40. In that sense I think this is what Dillara did. He didn't reinvent the wheel. He selected components already of know and desirable quantities.
You can still do that today, not needing to recalculate the loads on a 1/2" grade 8 wheel stud. Just plug them in to the design. How many do you need, 4, 5, 6, 8?
As an aside, long ago here, I asked if race Panteras used the stock production front spindle diameter and wheel bearing. The reason was, that noticing that the Pantera front spindle was "modeled" after the '65 Mustang, when Ford introduced the "wide oval" tires for the '70 model year, they immediately started to have front spindle and bearing failures.
Their solution was to increase the diameter of the spindle and made running changes to put those into production. The main Mustang racing at the moment was Trans Am.
Shelby was no longer involved and the main racing engineering element of Ford became Kar Kraft. They immediately adopted those larger spindles into the Mustang front racing design.
When I asked that question here of the Pantera racers and if there was a Group 4 front spindle, (a larger diameter spindle then stock) the reaction here from the Pantera racers was, "what you talkin' about Willis?" ( 
yes, Rocky, that Willis)
I should be used to this lack of communication between one side of the "Ford Community" to the other but honestly, it never ceases to amaze me?
The explanation of where the 400 comes from is interesting and comprehensive. It sort of illustrates to me, the strength of materials vs. the weakest link battle that most assemblies derive from.
I was just looking at the wrong component as the needy child for the loading but sort of had the idea.