Lower wishbone plate thickness??
Discussion
Wishbones have cleaned up a treat..but does anyone know the original plate thickness? Or could someone mic. a relativly new one. Mine are uniformly 2.5mm. Now if they where originally 1/8" or 3mm them I shall bite the bullet and get new ones. Quoted £90.00 +vat each from Peninsular.
Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Steve
Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Steve
I've got a relatively new one sat in the garage, naked, waiting for paint. 3 years old, was just starting to get surface rust on leading edge, chemically stripped back to metal (POR strip) and prepped for painting (Metal Ready). Its a top one though, does that matter?
The wishbone is naked, not me. Don't want to put anyone off their supper.
I got a pair of brand new front lower wishbones delivered last week. They're waiting to be fitted.
Vernier caliper says 3.62mm or 0.142inches.
Okay, they're powder coated - but coating doesn't appear any thicker than a coat of paint.
And before you ask, no I won't scrape it off to give you a bare metal measurement.
Vernier caliper says 3.62mm or 0.142inches.
Okay, they're powder coated - but coating doesn't appear any thicker than a coat of paint.
And before you ask, no I won't scrape it off to give you a bare metal measurement.
Edited by sparkythecat on Wednesday 7th February 23:01
That's what I thought. Thanks very much for your time. Looks like I'm off to get some new ones then. I can't risk it, as the front lower takes a great deal of stress. It doesn't bare thinking about if one bent at speed. Terrible water trap in the Vee though, lots of waxoil going in there.
It's a good idea to change them. Mine had a slight dent in where somebody jacked had the car up under the lower wishbone and some surface rust. Add to that a trip round the carussel (sp?) at the Nurburgring and it buckled.
The resultant sudden steering change car forced the car from the lower concrete bowl, luckily ending up on the tarmac upper part and so I was able to carry on, albeit with the steering wheel not quite pointing straight ahead.
I got the tracking adjusted and drove it home, taking corners a bit steadier than before.
Four new wishbones went on soon after.
Dan
The resultant sudden steering change car forced the car from the lower concrete bowl, luckily ending up on the tarmac upper part and so I was able to carry on, albeit with the steering wheel not quite pointing straight ahead.
I got the tracking adjusted and drove it home, taking corners a bit steadier than before.
Four new wishbones went on soon after.
Dan
Dan M said:
It's a good idea to change them. Mine had a slight dent in where somebody jacked had the car up under the lower wishbone and some surface rust. Add to that a trip round the carussel (sp?) at the Nurburgring and it buckled.
How bad was the damage? It's alarming if they are so close to the limit that a bit of banking can break them. I'd have hoped they were good for several G in all directions.
Dan M said:
Mine had a slight dent in where somebody jacked had the car up under the lower wishbone and some surface rust. Add to that a trip round the carussel at the Nurburgring and it buckled.
I would like to have seen the state of that wishbone after you had replaced it. That doesnt seem very much force to cause such failure!!!
A good reminder not to jack on the wishbones I think. Put a crease in the wishbone and you have created a point of failure, and massively weakened its structure. Like chopping someone in the back if the knee.
The indentation to clear the steering arm has an internal web brace for that very reason.
Didn't someone create some tubular wishbones for these cars once? Peninsula?
The indentation to clear the steering arm has an internal web brace for that very reason.
Didn't someone create some tubular wishbones for these cars once? Peninsula?
They have been replaced now and being reassembled over the weekend, however as its all apart considering the Steve Heath drop links. What difference would I expect?
Whilst up in the air I have cleaned off one side of the chassis (Off side). Nearside left to do. Worrying isn't it chipping away, hoping not to much comes off. The Offside was fine , but I expect the nearsiide top be worse though.
Whilst up in the air I have cleaned off one side of the chassis (Off side). Nearside left to do. Worrying isn't it chipping away, hoping not to much comes off. The Offside was fine , but I expect the nearsiide top be worse though.
I have a photo of the bent wishbone somewhere, will post it up. I dodn't measure the material thickness but with teh surface rust and the kink it would have been weakened a lot.
Peter, I am sure you've done more than the 6 laps of the ring that I did, to describe Karussel as "a bit of banking" is an understatement! The failure was at a point where the concrete sections join, so the high lateral loading was accompanied by a jolt.
I think at the time someone said that it is good the wishbones are somewhat sacrificial, if you slide off the road and hit a curb you don't want the front siderail to be ripped apart, better to have the wishbones buckle. Having said that, a healthy wishbone will have much more strength.
The replacements I bought were powder coated but the coating was non-existent at the sharp metal edges so I painted and waxoyled them.
Dan
Peter, I am sure you've done more than the 6 laps of the ring that I did, to describe Karussel as "a bit of banking" is an understatement! The failure was at a point where the concrete sections join, so the high lateral loading was accompanied by a jolt.
I think at the time someone said that it is good the wishbones are somewhat sacrificial, if you slide off the road and hit a curb you don't want the front siderail to be ripped apart, better to have the wishbones buckle. Having said that, a healthy wishbone will have much more strength.
The replacements I bought were powder coated but the coating was non-existent at the sharp metal edges so I painted and waxoyled them.
Dan
I finally found the photos of the bent wishbone and have uploaded them here:
www.photobox.co.uk/album/5033784
Dan
www.photobox.co.uk/album/5033784
Dan
Gassing Station | Chimaera | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff