front A-arm sheared off? - Page 2

RaceDeck · #21 (**permalink**) 10-09-2001, 10:07 AM

Oops! wrong pic onthat last one!

RaceDeck · #22 (**permalink**) 10-09-2001, 10:10 AM

you can see how the pavement ground down the A-arm

poorboy · #23 (**permalink**) 10-09-2001, 12:23 PM

Jorgen;
The a-arm shaftes are installed upside down!!! The flat side goes up agenst the crossmember and brackets. With the round side up it had a very small area of contack letting the shaft rock.

Poorboy

Steve R · #24 (**permalink**) 10-09-2001, 12:30 PM

Jorgen,
It is hard to tell for sure, but it looks as if the lower bushings froze enough to work harden the mount points with every suspension movement which finally led to the failure. Is the lower A arm shaft siezed to it's bushings? If they are, and the mount points flexed enought to lead to this failure, then I would say the mount points need to be re-engineered to have the strenth to deal with this scenerio. I will try to go look at my friend's F.I.A. he had the updated suspnsion installed. in any case please closely inspect the other side for cracks. good luck.
SR

Steve R · #25 (**permalink**) 10-09-2001, 12:35 PM

Wow,
Poorboy good obsevation! Do you have this type of setup on your car? That would explain a lot. I have nothing to directly compare it to untill I see my friend's car. Is Jorgen's supension modified in any way as far as you can tell?
SR

poorboy · #26 (**permalink**) 10-09-2001, 01:09 PM

Steve R;
Mine has the MGB front end. I have seen a lot of their front ends & have put a few of them togeather, which is why I'm fermilure with them. They had a couple that the bushings frose up and broke the bracket the same way before they started putting in grease fittings. Jorgen's looks like it has grease fittings. In trying to figure what happened I just noticed the machined side of the shaft was showing. The side that should be down is only spot faced for the bolt to seat on. From what I can see the arm don't look in to bad of shape, maybe just new bushings. The later front ends have the shafts drilled & tapped for a bolt & washer like the upper shaft instead of a cir-clip.

Poorboy

RaceDeck · #27 (**permalink**) 10-09-2001, 01:52 PM

Thanks for all the input.... I am not suprised that the previous owner had it installed incorrectly, When I purchased the car he was in a definate ca$h cRuNcH and needed out that day. I am guessing that he had the front end serviced by someone who was non qaulified and was cheap,,,,

I am going through every nut an bolt on it over the winter.

PoorBoy: Good eye on the "upsidedown" install A-arms

Steve R · #28 (**permalink**) 10-09-2001, 06:36 PM

Jorgen,
Thanks again for letting us take a look. I think anyone who has that setup should periodically inspect those areas for cracks. regardless of how the shafts are installed. I have yet to see my friend's car, but my guess is the welded portion is as delivered from Unique.
SR

RaceDeck · #29 (**permalink**) 10-09-2001, 07:53 PM

Well, I have talked with Maurice at Unique and Bob Evans about how this may have happened.

When I purchased the car it had a "creak" noise in the front supension and I inspected it and saw nothing. I then added the Zerk fittings to the A-arms and the noise went away..... So in hind-sight, I think that the previous owner may never had the greased the front end and they may have been frozen up and started to weaken the brackets.... it is obvious that the previous owner may have been a bit mechanically challanged and really did not know what to check and maintain....Which is ok now that I know what to look for...which is, anything he may have tried to do himself.

So I am going to re-do both sides and install all new bushings throughout. In addition to the rest of the items I have planned ( stroked 427,aluminum radiator, etc....

I truly feel that my Unique is great car that was built right, when it came from Unique.... it rides solid,,no shakes,no rattles and stays straight as an arrow...even at 130+mph.... I just need to go through and make sure that everything is checked and rechecked.... The Weaver family has been extremely helpful and has showed phenominal customer service ( and I did not even buy it from them!) I have been slowly updating and modifying everything on it and I feel that when the snow melts this winter, I will have a like new Cobra for the track & Street.

PoorBoy: the A-arms are flat on both sides... so I think they may have been frozen or bolts loose....or both! Thanks for your help!

Steve R · #30 (**permalink**) 10-10-2001, 07:38 PM

The Weavers come through again. They should be teaching a "how to run your business" class!
SR

pitstop · #31 (**permalink**) 10-10-2001, 09:37 PM

I happened to visit Unique today from Boston as part of my search for a Cobra. I was very impressed with the Weavers and the quality of the kit. Having read this thread I paid special attention to the front end which is very stout and well designed. I never mentioned this thread however Maurice Weaver actually brought it up in conversation which impressed me. It turns out that someone rebuilt RaceDecks front end before he owned it and mounted the A-arms wrong. Instead of a flat mounting to flat and round mounting to round they were incorrectly mounted flat to round which caused the shear. Maurice has offered to help fix the problem even though it does not relate to their design. I,m sure no harm was intended but we need to be careful with these posts when they affect something serious like safety and someones reputation.

Cobranut · #32 (**permalink**) 10-10-2001, 10:58 PM

Pitstop,

I see this is your first post. Welcome to CC and feel free to click around. There's a lot of good info (and a little bad)

here.

I agree, the Weavers build a top notch car and stand behind their product.

Later,

Steve R · #33 (**permalink**) 10-11-2001, 07:56 AM

Pitstop,
I am sure the Weavers would agree, the safety of their customers is the very first priority. Stuff like this needs to be aired out in public so individuals can learn what to look for. Lower "A" arms departing automobiles is in my limited experiance, extremely rare, whatever the overall condition of the moving parts.
SR
PS,
I went to school in the Boston area, what part of town are you from? Hows the "big dig" comming along?

BTW, welcome to the "house of love"

RaceDeck · #34 (**permalink**) 10-11-2001, 08:30 AM

PitStop:

Welcome to CC.. as you will see, this club discusses everything "COBRA". IF you go back through this thread you will see that I have said over and over again, that I feel the Unique product is outstanding and that I would by another without hesitation. I also mentioned that my 'updated' front-end was added after the car was built in 1990....

My Cobra is a 1990 and is extremely soilid, I both race it and drive it daily. Since I did not build it, I have relied on the vast knowledge of the CC memebers to ask anything form simple "Rookie" questions to advice on modifations and repairs.....

When you do get your COBRA, you will most likely post many questions in regards to what other have done to their COBRA's, what mods they have made, if they ever had the same problem, etc....

427sharpe · #35 (**permalink**) 10-11-2001, 11:19 AM

Sharp eyes to cathch the A arm error! BRAVO ZULU! To my faraway and tires eyes, those welds seem particularly nasty! You have a top notch welder lined up-might have him give an opinion! And maybe re-do a few on the suspension, just in case! STILL glad you weren't hurt!

pitstop · #36 (**permalink**) 10-11-2001, 08:27 PM

Race Deck, OOOPS! When I posted my message I didn't realize there was a second and third page to the thread as I was unfamiliar with this site. I thought the subject was left hanging when in fact the air was cleared way before I chipped in.