[Uncle Bob]

I always find these "discussions" interesting. But personal views, no matter our tradition of respecting your "right" to express them, are not very informative other than reflecting on the speaker's beliefs. As for whether it's a "good" idea, that's up to the marketplace. There were probably some naysayers when Brookville introduced their Model A or Deuce roadster bodies.........but based on reality, reflected by market response, Brookville wins that "argument". Likewise for ASC or other manufacturer rails, crossmembers, and so on. It will be the same for these axles. If Slover read the market correctly he'll be rewarded and the buyers will be happy. If he misread the market these will fade away. They're not for everyone, but that's not the point. As folks who value our hobby we should be tickled to death by any signs of prolonged life. We should keep in mind that we are a minority (albeit not one that tugs on the heartstrings of special privelege) and would be better served by sticking together as we will certainly be the ever more frequent target of the eco-nazis (remember, they HATE everything we stand for).

As for the ductile iron axles, those who have a kneejerk negative response about inflexibility should probably learn the definition of the word ductile (partly defined above). As for the examples of the few that have fractured, my recollection is they have all been chromed which can have a negative effect on ductility when done incorrectly (hydrogen embrittlement). If there are some that are not chromed and fractured it would be nice to know about them and if there had been any forensic analysis for the actual cause of the breakage.