[Mart]

I took my 41 pickup to a classic car meeting yesterday afternoon. On the way home, I was pulling away from a junction, when suddenly I wasn't. There was an almighty Bang! and no drive in any gear.

I looked to see if I had sheared a key and it wasn't that.

Luckily my friend was with me in another car so he went home to get a tow rope and his other car.

Years ago I snapped the output shaft in the gearbox in Old Rusty and I had assumed that had happened again.

He towed me home on the rope, about 8 miles all along windy roads, lots of junctions, hills and roundabouts. I was braking to keep the rope taut when necessary.

I took the top off the gearbox and found nothing wrong.

I just started to remove the rear end and found that one of the axle shafts was broken. The hub was able to pull out about 9" before something stopped it coming out any further.

What I can't understand (this is the dumb luck bit) is how can I be towed 8 miles home around bends etc without the axle floating out and me losing brakes?

I can't believe how lucky I have been.

Another friend has reported a similar tale where he also did not lose the wheel.

When I broke down I was in a sort of panic survival mode and the thought of a broken axle shaft never occurred to me.

Now I need to see what availability there is of a replacement shaft in the UK.

Wish me luck.

Mart.