NHTSA Engineering Analysis EA87016

SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER:ROCKWELL AND FRUEHAUF ORIGINALLYREPORTED AXLE CRACKING PROBLEMS WHEN UTILIZING THE SUBJECT SUSPENSION.APPLICABLE FINAL STAGE MANUFACTURERS WERE NOTIFIED AND EIGHT CONDUCTEDSAFETY RECALLS.AS A RESULT OF THE ABOVE CIRCUMSTANCES, EATON NOTIFIEDTHEIR CUSTOMERS THAT THEY HAD DISCONTINUED THE APPROVAL AND SALE OF CERTAINTRAILER AXLES IN LIQUID AND DRY BULK APPLICATIONS WHEN UTILIZING NEWAY'SRC-122 RUBBER SUSPENSION.SINCE THEIR AXLE IS SIMILAR TO ROCKWELLS, EATONWAS CONCERNED THAT THEY WOULD BEGAN TO SUSTAIN FAILURES.THEY RECOMMENDEDTHE THE AXLES BE TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE IMMEDIATELY, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD NOREPORTS OF ANY AXLES CRACKING OR FAILING.THE SUBJECT AXLES HAVE BEENUSED WITH THE NEWAY SUSPENSION SINCE DECEMBER 1982.ANALYSIS:EATON'S RECOMMENDATION TO REMOVE THE SUBJECT AXLES FROM SERVICEWAS PRECAUTIONARY.AFTER 5 YEARS OF POSSIBLE SERVICE, EATON REPORTED NOWARRANTY CLAIMS, NO FAILURES, AND NO COMPLAINTS.STATUS:THIS INVESTIGATION WAS CLOSED ON AUGUST 19, 1987, AS NO SAFETYRELATED DEFECT WAS DETECTED.====