Think its time to buy a lottery ticket...

[kc0stp]

So went racing over the weekend and after a hard fought battle got first both days (probably traded position a dozen times in 21 laps Sat, 3-6 Sun) have the front brakes go out on the cooldown lap so when I go to stop for impound I cant... I get back home and while backing into the driveway loose all steering get out for some quick diagnostics and find my freshly installed gearbox leaking and the top bolt broken clean off with the other 2 having backed all the way out (no idea which came first) . Managed to get truck/trailer back into the driveway but bent the 2.5ton floor jack in the process. So I ended up having 2 mechanical failures (1 on each vehicle) but both at the ideal time or close to it. Wouldve been much worse if the truck came apart going down the highway @65-70mph or the racecar mid race vs end. Ill tear into the truck later as Im worn out but hoping I can replace the bolts and retap the gearbox (figuring I can get whats left of the 1 bolt out). 99% sure the racecar just amounts to lack of pad material as I used up a lot more then expected thanks to the close race(s).

 

[79jasper]

This the 84 RX7?
I've had some scary moments in my mom's old Mazda protégé.
The brakes were just too small.
We lost that car to a cow.

On the truck, who installed the gearbox?
Sounds like someone over tightened the bolts. Grade 8 time?

 

[lindstromjd]

I thought that when bad things happen to you, it was time to grab a helmet and head for the basement? It's when GOOD things happen that you want to go buy a lotto ticket.

 

[kc0stp]

That's the depressing part they were grade 8 bolts (and Ive got no one to blame for install besides me) and while they were bad things they happened at a good time (last braking zone of last lap vs mid race coming off the straight) the only bad timing on the brakes was I misjudged stopping distance for tech and rear ended a competitor (slowly). I wont say the brakes are to small as I can generally lock them up at will but they aren't exactly big either

 

[79jasper]

Ah I see. The front pads on that protégé could nearly fit in the palm of my hand.

I wander if you have something else worn somewhere causing harmonics/vibrations, which in turn broke the bolt.

 

[jaluhn83]

I'd guess the 2 backed off first and then the last one snapped. Just have to figure out why they loosened up.

Maybe use loctite next time?

This is also why I prefer grade 5 bolts - 8s have higher absolute strength, but they're also relatively brittle and typically break. Grade 5's are tougher and more likely to bend or stretch.

I think it was just plain a bad weekend for stuff period - my daily driver (98 volvo v70) ate a fuel pump sat morning and turned into a pain in the rear mess trying to get that figured out then had a high pressure water pipe next to the house come apart on me sunday. The car was a real pain - I've had it ~5 years and 60+k miles with not a lick of trouble - was going to let a friend borrow it to go to LA sat so we took it to the carwash and went to get breakfast, then came back and it started and immediately died. Naturally I thought it was related to the wash so I'm poking and scratching my head and all, finally got a ride home, came back with truck and tools and figured out it was a bad fuel pump but that it'd work if you thumped it with a hammer. Decided to try driving it home (~10 miles) since it seemed fine... got about 3 miles and then got stuck again. Then went to junkyard sun thinking they had 20+ similar cars surely I could get a good used pump and get car working till I got a new one. Nope! Dumb **(&(* junkyard folks cut the fuel tanks out when they put the cars out instead of just poking a hole in the bottom to drain.

 

[79jasper]

WOW!! That is a real mess. I've had days like that too. Can almost make a person wanna go insane.

Loktite does sound like a good idea.

 

[hesutton]

I agree with you. You seemed to have a very lucky weekend. Winning the races has got to the highlight of the weekend. But, getting home without any of those other problems causing major damage or a wreck is a real blessing. Yes, is sucks that stuff is broken and needs to be fixed, no doubt, but......................... anyone of those problems certainly could have ended in disaster.

Lucky indeed.


Heath