Different rear arms on avante/egress/vanquish etc?

[fristajlo]

So I disassembled my avante 2001 to clean all parts in order to restore it. The rear arms, K1/K2, felt really flexible. Kind of rubbery. Thought they were cracked somewhere around the hole where the driveshaft goes, but no. They look unharmed. Compared them with arms from a vanquish which were a lot more rigid. Still flexible but a lot less so. Were there different materials used or is it age and environment that has changed the material(s)? Anyone else who noticed this?

[Percymon]

Age will have a part to play, also where spares have been stored but probably as big a factor as any is where they were made. gearcase type parts for the Avante / Egress series seems to be much harder/brittle than the vintage stuff, even with some very rough mould marks/rectification (Avante rear gearcase top cover for instance). The front gearcase sides are similarly hard/brittle.

Against that when i built my Vajra kit I actaully broke on of the front plastic hubs when fitting the steering linkage - it just sheared off, soft as butter .

I think many parts have been produced outside Japan, and as a resylt perhaps are not ' first in quality'

[fristajlo]

True, Percymon.

I guess the composition of the material in a plastic part changes over time for many reasons. In this case both of these cars have been used quite intensely in the past. Don't know if they had any parts replaced. Looks all original. It just made me wonder how they should have felt when new. My guess is that the really soft ones are affected in some way over the years. Don't feel quite right. On the other hand, isn't it more common for older plastic to go more brittle over time rather than the other way around?

[kontemax]

The K1/K2 parts ARE flexibile.

This is why they don't break.

If you use harder plastic it must reallyreally hard or it will be only brittle and prone to breakages.

Use your Avante 2001 rear arms without problems. They are also the reinforced ones.

Max