9 replies to this topic

[Ricky2772]

Today I was driving the speedy to the dealer, so to try again to fix the trasm. leak..... driving as usual at about 140km/h (maybe more) on a straight 2-lane carriageway.....all of a sudden...lound BRRRANG!!!, car swerving all over the other lane (luckily no one was coming opposite! ) , 2 frantic opposite locks required to avoid spinning, all along with some horrible scraping noise, and big blue smoke from behind.... stop in the middle of the road, blinkers, triangle.... rear right wheel is halfway off its location, wobbling around...it scraped on the inner lining, that caused the blue smoke.... towed in after 1 hr wait, the mechanics at opel were seeing the speedy rolling off the truck with the wheel totally detached, to the point that they had to stop the download fearing that the wheel would brake loose, and use some sort of a trolley to move it around..... the boss immediately started innuendos about the lowered set-up, altering the working angle of the trasm. arms, exp, the short one....so I immediately cut his crap off, pointing out that the short arm was on the other side, and that the problem was at the hub level, where 2 retaining bolts splitted open! I also remind him that this is the wheel/susp. side they replaced in august, after my Ring adventure...so now he's looking at the bolts silently.... <_< fuc% him, I almost killed myself and he's trying to play warranty scams on me.... so I foresee a long stop....perfect timing at least, I was going to hybernate it anyway.....

[Sicey]

Scary post Ricky! Sounds like your lucky to get out in 1 piece, hope you find out what caused this, was it some sort of metal fatigue on the bolts? When you say retaining bolts, do you actually mean the wheel nuts? John.

[BogBrush]

Oooerr that seems a little scary Hopefully this is only related to your car so hopefully there wont be a recall.

[Ricky2772]

When you say retaining bolts, do you actually mean the wheel nuts?

I guess it was fatigue on the bolts, unless they lost their torque...

the bolts where from the hub/rear disc complex, the rim was not involved.

[stevevx220]

Hopefully this is only related to your car so hopefully there wont be a recall] Bogbrush, that sounnds a little insensitive! Steve V

[Ricky2772]

Bogbrush, that sounnds a little insensitive!

Steve V

...at first it felt like good 'ole british humour....

[BogBrush]

Sorry didn't mean to be insensitive. I'm just hoping that this is a one off problem. It sounds that a batch of bolts were not up to standard. This could then cause a recall for those cars that used these bolts. I hope you can get your car back on the road with minimal fuss.

Edited by BogBrush, 03 January 2003 - 10:03 AM.

[Thorney]

I had the same happen to me on a modified TTR. Front wheel came loose which forced the caliper onto the disk, this boiled the brake fluid instantly meaning the brakes failed - all this at 120mph aproaching a hairpin at Hullavington airfield Not sure which was funnier; my passengers face when I shouted 'oh ****, no brakes' or the marshall as we shot past him Anyhoo, my point is that the cause was down to the wheel bolts 'stretching' which combined with extra heat from track day allowed them to come loose very fast. Had you tracked the car lately? Cos tracking does put a lot more stress and hence heat through the wheel and hence can cause the wheel to come loose. I always check the wheels after each session. Mind you, I agree its a bit suspicious that this is the side they repaired

[Ricky2772]

I have now a hunch on what must have happened.... at the time of the Ring accident, they only replaced the bent toe-arm, it was the "only" visible damage, other than the bent rim.... (front wheel had the same 2 hub bolts cracked open, having kissed the armco all steered out) ....what must have happened is that a lot of stress was created and stored inside the rear hub retaining bolts.....at the time trhey did not split, but weaken up.......and the last 2 track sessions must have weakened the bolt's alloy further up..... yesterday was the first time I was driving it after last track day.....amazingly, it waited to brake down at home, while I was peacefully cruising few miles away from the dealer..............consider that on the 200-miles trip back home from the track-day, I pushed it several times at 230km/h...... brrrrrrr.....