Peter Cobbold Posted July 2, 2014 Report Share Posted July 2, 2014 (edited) OK I accept hanging it off a crane is not a good test. The issue is not outright breakage but fatigue fracture. If the cornering loads distort that strip of steel repeatedly then it will at some point fracture. And I dont think I'm being unreasonable in raising that, because: It is all to easy to look at those brackets and envisage the trailing arm merely rotating about the pivot-bolt with suspension spring compression. But the cornering loads are not like that. The outer bracket bolt is forced out and rearwards by the outer trailing arm bush. A few mm-wide strip of steel has to repeatedly resist that force, with the force focussed at the bolt. I think the bolt will tend to twist the strip of steel in each hard corner since the strip is only anchored at each end of the slot. There's a high point load between the bolt and the strip - a concentration of force. As Neil says round bolts go in round holes. That way the bolt load is taken around 180degree of the bolt shank. A bolt pressing on a flat surface is not - to my mind- correct. http://www.intechopen.com/source/html/39744/media/image10.png Its not something to panic about, as a failure at one end of a bracket still leaves three attachment points. Rather is a potential point of failure that needs checking every so often - particularly by high-miler, hard-cornering drivers ! Peter Edited July 2, 2014 by Peter Cobbold Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Nick Hedges Posted July 2, 2014 Report Share Posted July 2, 2014 I would imagine on a standard chassis there are many weak points (diff mounts, front suspension mounts ect) not to mention poor previous repairs carried out over the years and ageing metal but none of that stops us driving our cars. If of the hundreds of units that have been fitted and used there have been no reports of one failing then personally i see no issues. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Peter Cobbold Posted July 2, 2014 Report Share Posted July 2, 2014 (edited) Time will tell. Peter Edited July 2, 2014 by Peter Cobbold Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tom Boyd Posted July 2, 2014 Report Share Posted July 2, 2014 I know of cars that are competing in events like rally of the tests and Le jog etc with them fitted. No issues Tom Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Peter Cobbold Posted July 2, 2014 Report Share Posted July 2, 2014 Yet. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest ntc Posted July 2, 2014 Report Share Posted July 2, 2014 Yet. As I said I have seen one fail an mot by a good tester,put that mod down on your insurance cover? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Nick Hedges Posted July 2, 2014 Report Share Posted July 2, 2014 Time is what causes most of the problems with our cars and us come to that! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Peter Cobbold Posted July 2, 2014 Report Share Posted July 2, 2014 Nick, +1 on that. Peter But what is 'time' ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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