[Vwdiesel] HELP - WHEEL FELL OFF !!!

[James Hansen]

VERY GOOD Mr. Baird.
You move on to the bonus round...

But, I still maintain that the tranny should come apart and be 
inspected, or be replaced with a used one.  What mischief the busted 
circlip and shaft chunk were up to is up for grabs.  There could very 
well be a chipped gear tooth that will only show up after it's all 
"fixed" and all your baby.  I know the shaft punctured the case, but 
what it did prior to being ejected is an unknown.  It HAS to come apart 
to be welded properly anyway. Right? or are they going to fill the 
transmission interior with weld spatter too, and expect the softer 
aluminum spatter will just squish out of the way of the gear teeth?
It has to be CLEAN to weld aluminum, not oily on one side, gravel and 
oil on the other, but clean, washed, cleaned with solvent, and brushed 
with a stainless steel wire brush.  To accomplish this, you kind of have 
to tear it down and run it through a dishwasher type parts washer.

Rolf, I would feel okay about splitting the cost of the axle.
The rest is their baby.
You paid for work once, that was done in a grossly negligent fashion. 
The fact that you aren't asking for that money to be returned plus 
damages and employing the local ambulance chaser to sue their ass off is 
ample indication of goodwill on your part. (you would have a strong case 
incidentally- you have incurred further loss of income, and expenses as 
a result, suffered tremendous stress, emotional trauma from the second 
incident, etc, etc)
If they are taking care of the rest... as in ALL of it, then yeah, I 
would be okay with half the shaft cost, were it my deal.  The very idea 
that they are asking for more money from you, and aren't just fixing it 
and returning it with an embarassed apology seems a bit much.  I know if 
I did the work I wouldn't be able to ask for more cash.  Not and look in 
the mirror in the morning.

  I do favor the opinion that the shaft was at least cracked initially, 
and separated after the second incident. Removal at any point after the 
first incident would have most likely have shown a crack- the shafts are 
pretty tough, and I can't see enough force generated in shear to break 
the end bit off the second time if it wasn't fractured from the first 
encounter, in the circlip groove where the edge of the groove is 
machined square out of necessity, but provides a nice place for a crack 
to start from.  You would have had to pay for the shaft in the first 
place if they had found it, but as said, you would think that goodwill 
and conscience would prevent them from charging you more.

-James

LBaird119 at aol.com wrote:
>  Oh, Oh (waving arm in air) I know, I know!  Duh!
>   Since there is NOW a hole in the tranny case, caused 
> by the busted piece, it obviously happened on the SECOND 
> failure because if it'd happened on the first one the gear oil 
> would've been running out as they filled it and they'd most 
> likely have caught that!  One would sure hope!
>      Loren
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