Axle snapped off - Trike

Of course it weighs on my mind that if the Right one broke then what is the condition of the left one ???????
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The previous owner of this trike was a " little heavier" than me. [ umm maybe around the 115 kg ]
He did mention that he rode over kerbs - something that I have avoided
although 5 times have stopped and crawled down over a Kerb. You know slowly dropping each wheel down , one wheel at a time - I am talking very carefully here.
I do ride in very dark conditions in the morning and have hit paving joints with steps like 3/4 inch high at high speeds.
Maybe the combination of all these took their toll.

 

Glenn - I think you are right. The fact that it was still hanging on by a small sliver of metal does suggest that it was not shear that broke it. I think I will dig out the physics book and calculate how much tension cornering on a trike puts on the axle bolts. About how fast and at what radius would you say you can corner on that thing?

 

20 inch front wheels. diameter.
22 kg [ 48.5 LBS] mass of trike , 85 kg [ 187.39lbs] mass of rider
corner 34 km/h [ 21.1 mph] , 4m [ 13.12 feet] radius [ thats a roundabout]
I think the weight distribution is 60 / 40 % More on front wheels
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Please do some calcs Larry.

 

The engineer at work forwarded the suggestion that " the thread cuts at the highest stress point - was probably deliberately made to create a weak spot. "
" the idea being that it gives the axle some where to snap should the force on it be too large " , Thus saving the frame. If you like , a failsafe designed to save damaging the frame.
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This may or may not be True but I would rather have the stronger axle. A premature snapping of the axle is too Dangerous. I shudder to think what may have happened if the axle let go whilst I was going 60 km/h [ 42 miles] down a hill.

 

i have a Performer jl70 that uses the same front axles as you have on you trike. i have just recentlty changed to the ice trikes 36h hubs so i can easily take my wheels off without having to take the brakes off, as a result i have 2 wheels with good axels i'm willing to part with. let me know and i will get everything weighed (i'm in florida)

 

Thank you Nick , but I would rather make the second axle to suit the one already modified - so they are both the same.
I certainly would have jumped at the option a few weeks ago.
Cheers, Glenn.