Mankee Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 As above! Somehow, the N/S stub axle let go on the Revett Straight at Snetterton, leaving me with not much steering, which was interesting. Managed to haul it off-line onto the grass but I was stuck slap bang in the middle of the straight, so had to trek to the nearest circuit staff, who was in a digger digging a ditch. I started to get a bit of vibration under braking, so checked the bearings at lunch and nipped them up a little. Went out for a session, wobble cured, came in, kicked some tyres, went back out and a few laps in, I heard a snap and it all got a bit hairy! They are the older style hubs with skinny stub axles. If they are original, they will be about 18 years old! I was running slicks and it was a hot day today. Could anything else have contributed to it letting go? Oh, I recently change wingstays too, so the rear nut came off, but these were torqued back up correctly. I've put up a wanted ad in case anyone has a new hub upgrade kit kicking around. But some kind soul has already emailed me with an alternative company to try, which I will definitely do. Anyway, some pictures. This broke: http://images9.fotki.com/v174/photos/4/42688/3770145/photo1-vi.jpg Causing one of these (excuse the ropey helmet hair): http://images14.fotki.com/v777/photos/4/42688/3770145/photo1-vi.jpg And a trip with Mark and Jamie in their shiny new recovery truck: http://images16.fotki.com/v378/photos/4/42688/3770145/photo-vi.jpg Bum. At least it didn't rip the whole wheel, upright etc. off like that infamous picture of a marshal at Brands carrying a corner of a car back to its owner after a trip through the gravel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2GBR Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 Heck scarry stuff glad all worked out safe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zetec Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 Holy carp! Glad your ok mate, your old calipers are bedding in nicely!! 🥰 I have working brakes ! 🥰 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mankee Posted May 15, 2014 Author Share Posted May 15, 2014 Hi Gerry. No harm done thankfully! Needless to say, I can't spend on scales as I need to get the car fixed for a Bedford day next month. Did you get my mail about the scales by the way? Hi Craig. Glad to hear the calipers are doing a good job for you. Brakes are quite useful sometimes! I think I might have scraped one of my front Hi Specs, judging from the marks on the inside of the wheel. I have no idea how the whole assembly didn't actually fly off to be honest. Just piled it all back into the garage for another day. According to the data log, I was doing 96.6mph when it let go. Which makes sense as I just shifted into 4th at that point, nailed it and then heard the SNAP as the front suspension lifted. Probably. 🙆🏻 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2GBR Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 pm sent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadership Team SLR No.77 Posted May 15, 2014 Leadership Team Share Posted May 15, 2014 Quoting Mankee: I was running slicks and it was a hot day today ...... Mankee, have you fitted a dry sump yet? Stu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomB Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 Eek! I guess that's why the upgraded ones exist! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Whitley Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 I had the same happen to me - on the M3! Fortunately it was the threaded part that broke so there was nothing untoward after the ****ing big bang until I turned off at the next exit (about half a mile) and found myself with a lot of understeer My theory is that nipping up the bearings left the stub axle with no margin when things got warm and just like the physics experiment I remember from school, something has to give. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mankee Posted May 16, 2014 Author Share Posted May 16, 2014 Still not got a dry sump yet, Stu! But I had very few instances of surge yesterday, even though I was going harder. No changes to the engine's lubrication system at all apart from putting more oil in. Maybe I need to recalibrate a dipstick to suit my needs better? Tony, I think your theory sounds plausible. As I said, I nipped up the bearings at lunch. The wheels still span freely, but the heat from lamping the thing around the circuit might have caused the failure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiddy1 Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 would be interested in the alternative supply for an upgrade as the caterham ones have been out of stock for a good six months Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revilla Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 Glad you're OK, that could have been so much nastier! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul McKenzie Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 Quoting tiddy1: would be interested in the alternative supply for an upgrade as the caterham ones have been out of stock for a good six months Simon here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blade_runner Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 Scary stuff Mankee! Glad you're ok! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrightpayne Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 I was looking at their nice brake kits recently and wondered what the difference was between the herald and vitesse version? Seems to have two stub axel versions too. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mankee Posted May 27, 2014 Author Share Posted May 27, 2014 Quoting tiddy1: would be interested in the alternative supply for an upgrade as the caterham ones have been out of stock for a good six months Simon I've now got an upgrade kit on the way to me, but when I rang Redline before Bank Holiday, Mick was able to make up a kit from stock there and then. So I'd give them a call and snap it up before someone else does! I need to give him a call as well actually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mankee Posted June 3, 2014 Author Share Posted June 3, 2014 Fitted my upgraded hubs and stub axles today. They look pretty beefy compared to the old bits! Here's what the breakage looks like: here here here Pretty scary! 😳 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Gregory Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 Interesting photos. What is the difference in diameter at the break between the old & new stub axle? I would have expected the weakest point (maximum bending moment) to be where the stub axle enters the upright. Unless they are using a different material and/or hardening process. It looks to me that the main difference is the size of the outer bearing which has been changed to be the same size as the inner to simpify manufacturing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Q Catcher Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 Out of interest, what is the torque setting for the nut on the inboard end of the stub axle? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mankee Posted June 5, 2014 Author Share Posted June 5, 2014 Off the top of my head, 81nm. I'll check the assembly guide/my notes in a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ECR Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 Yes, that's what I have (60-65 FtLb) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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