Steve X16XE
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Registered: 31st Dec 06
Location: Barnsley, South Yorkshire
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The drivers side of the steering race had snapped. I thought thats going to be normal if he twatted the curb at 40+ mph. BUT the wheel isn't damaged.
What does everyone make of this?
My thinking is that it snapped 1st causing the crash. Hense the wheel not damaged.
[Edited on 26-12-2007 by Steve X16XE]
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Colin
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Registered: 4th Apr 02
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I thought the crash was caused by a HGV going into him...or was that something else 
Could have happened prior...it is possible, would that change anything though?
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tom_simes
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Registered: 12th Jan 05
Location: Undy, Newport Drives: Skoda Octavia vRS estate
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He spun out, then the lorry hit him Colin.
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Steve X16XE
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Registered: 31st Dec 06
Location: Barnsley, South Yorkshire
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Driving down a straight road, just after overtaking some one he spins off and the rear drivers side wheel hits the curb spins him 180 and now he's on the other side of the road facing the path. Split second later the lorry hits his rear pass side spinning him 180 again and now onto the path.
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Scotty C
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Registered: 6th Nov 05
Location: Kidderminster Drives: 1.6 16v Sport
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quote:
Originally posted by Colin
I thought the crash was caused by a HGV going into him...or was that something else
Could have happened prior...it is possible, would that change anything though?
Steve thinks my steering rack randomly broke whilst I was driving, hence me getting twated by a 40 tonner..
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Ian
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Registered: 28th Aug 99
Location: Liverpool
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Was the other wheel damaged?
Not sure of the force involved but there could be load exhibited on that part through damage to the other side although I would imagine the tyre would break traction before the part failed.
Also - has it been struck by intrusion in to the arch/bay?
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Colin
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Registered: 4th Apr 02
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Hmmm would point towards some kind of failure if you just spun out on a straight road. Im quessing you never heard anything before the impact as id guess there would be a bit of a bang if the rack just randomly snapped
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Ian
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Registered: 28th Aug 99
Location: Liverpool
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Don't forget, the wheel and tyre has mass and would have been moving about a lot. That will stress the part.
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Steve X16XE
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Registered: 31st Dec 06
Location: Barnsley, South Yorkshire
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quote:
Originally posted by Ian
Was the other wheel damaged?
Not sure of the force involved but there could be load exhibited on that part through damage to the other side although I would imagine the tyre would break traction before the part failed.
Also - has it been struck by intrusion in to the arch/bay?
Other wheel? Front one?
Nothing (that i can see) could have entered the arch, just hit that and make it's way out without hitting anything else.
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Scotty C
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Registered: 6th Nov 05
Location: Kidderminster Drives: 1.6 16v Sport
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I can't remember upto half a hour before the crash...
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Steve X16XE
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Registered: 31st Dec 06
Location: Barnsley, South Yorkshire
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quote:
Originally posted by Colin
Im quessing you never heard anything before the impact as id guess there would be a bit of a bang if the rack just randomly snapped
I was in front in my car and Monster (scott) can't remember anything 30mins before the crash.
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Steve X16XE
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Location: Barnsley, South Yorkshire
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quote:
Originally posted by Ian
Don't forget, the wheel and tyre has mass and would have been moving about a lot. That will stress the part.
but even if the wheel was bouncing arround, i'd have thought that it'd take a wack to damage the rack.
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Ian
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Registered: 28th Aug 99
Location: Liverpool
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You would think so, yes.
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ed
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Registered: 10th Sep 03
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It wouldn't take much force to make the track rod fail at that position in comparison to to the ammount of force required to impact the tyre through all itis pressure and cause damage to the wheel. Also, the wheel and tyre could still be damaged, but the damage could be microscopic failures within the materials due to intense pressures and forces.
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ainsley_brader
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Registered: 24th Mar 02
Location: Tattershall, Lincolnshire
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did he spin out or veer off to one side?
HAd it had any recent suspension work done tracking etc?
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Ian
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Registered: 28th Aug 99
Location: Liverpool
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quote:
Originally posted by ed
the damage could be microscopic failures within the materials due
You would expect to see damage if it had been struck though.
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ed
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Registered: 10th Sep 03
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For it to fail at that point on it's own you would expect it to be due to fatigue rather than being due work carried out at a guess.
[Edited on 26-12-2007 by ed]
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Steve X16XE
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Location: Barnsley, South Yorkshire
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quote:
Originally posted by ed
the damage could be microscopic failures within the materials due
You'll get microscopic damages hitting pothols round here. Are they going to be enough to cause that?
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Ian
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Registered: 28th Aug 99
Location: Liverpool
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Yeah, suppose you could strike the tyre and snap a rod which was already weakened due to fatigue.
You would need the skid marks to see whether the rod failed before or after.
[Edited on 26-12-2007 by Ian]
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tom_simes
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From an engineering point of view, I agree with Ed - it looks more like a fatigue failure than impact damage.
That could suggest it was the rack snapping that caused the accident - however, that still poses the question of how it actually broke, as I can't imagine the fatigue getting so bad for it to break like that.
It would seem to me that the fatigue was the main cause for the breakage, but it still needed somekind of impact (which could be as simple as hitting a large pothole, but not large enough to damage the wheel) to finally fracture the rack.
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ed
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Registered: 10th Sep 03
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On the track rod end at that point I would suspect that fatigue would be your main problem. You have a threaded point which is a stress raiser and an intersection between two components. Plus if you have larger heavier wheels on the car then you are putting more pressure than intended through the compoents. Even upgrading the brakes could increase fatigue at that point...
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Steve X16XE
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Registered: 31st Dec 06
Location: Barnsley, South Yorkshire
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So the cause is down to a multiple things.
8 year old rack, stiffer lower suspention, the angle at witch it's at. Higher than it was drsigned for.
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ed
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Registered: 10th Sep 03
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Or just simple bad luck. It's impossible to tell really without doing a whole host of tests. All that matters is Monster is ok 
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Steve X16XE
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Location: Barnsley, South Yorkshire
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quote:
Originally posted by ed
All that matters is Monster is ok
Amen to that 
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Mike GSi
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Registered: 3rd Jan 07
Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Drives:Astra VXR
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i know someone that hit a curb on the NSF wheel, he was on full lock right, he obviously bent the NSF wheel under the car but the steering rack snapped on the opposite side (OSF Track rod end) doesnt make any sense but i guess the rack snaped at its weekest point, the OSF/R didnt hit or come into contact with anything......this may be what happened
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