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[05omegav6]

AS ABOVE.

IF YOU HAVE ALREADY DONE SO THEN REPLACE THE WISHBONES IMMEDIATELY.

FAILURE TO DO SO COULD WELL RESULT IN DEATH.

Just in case you think that I am being melodramatic... Mine were checked a when I last changed the pads, so six weeks ago? and were perfectly fine. Just had a wishbone snap at speed, and was unbelievably lucky as the car is still upright and otherwise intact and more importantly, no one else was involved.

Make no mistake though, it took the WHOLE road to stop.

As the old saying goes... A picture paints a thousand words...



 

[JamesV6CDX]

Soil the bed!!!!!!!

Glad you are ok though mate

[05omegav6]

For the record, these had been fitted for about 18 months and 6k

[GastronomicKleptomaniac]

You haven't been driving like a certain admin have you?

Seriously though, glad you're OK...

[05omegav6]

Moi?

Thanks for the thoughts, entirely self inflicted though

It was a considered risk, the shock being just how suddenly they failed. No warning, car driving fine, then bang. Had justed driven through Adversane, if anyone knows this part of the world. Fortunately absolutely no traffic at 5 am.

[Broomies Mate]

Glad you are alright 'Arris.

I had a failure of a Bilstein B4 shocker (NSF) on an Omega.  I took pictures of it with the intent of sharing here.  There was a clear break, but 40% of the fracture was rusty and obviously a manufacturing defect.  Sadly, before I had chance to upload the images from my phone, it went tits up and I lost all the photos.

We live and learn - Thankfully!

[YZ250]

Glad you are ok Al. 

It would appear that the stress is too much for the rear bush to be changed as they go at the weakest point.    Although a poly'd front bush is controlling more of a radial movement I still have concerns as to where the transmitted shock ends up. 

[Jimbob]

Are you aware of anyone else having done this?

Was there someone else. Maybe razzo?

What was fitted there?  Where they the homemade ones?

Just trying to get a picture of how widespread this could be.

[Broomies Mate]

That 'bone looks to be in very good condition (no surface rust as usual) so it must be a relatively new component.  What Wishbone was it?

[05omegav6]

Bushes were Powerflex Black Series ones for Sierra outer control arms, sliced horizontally to allow a bit of slip, rather than home spun.

Wishbones were Firstline but had been on for 20k. These were replaced by Atp ones. Once the Atp ones wore out, the Firstline ones were re bushed and fitted with polys and new ball joints.

As to the take up of these bushes, they were suggested to a few people on an advisory basis, ie that they were experimental and that I would be monitoring mine closely, more so after Razzos failure.

Clearly these bushes are also not upto scratch, unless the arms can be strengthened someway, which will potentially push the loading elsewhere.

Hence making a this post as clear as possible in order to ensure that no one suffers the same failure.

[Marks DTM Calib]

No surprise.

If you consider the loads, the rear bush has to allow the suspension to compress and a stiff part will mean the steel will have to flex considerably, the result is a fatigue failure at the weakest point (in this case the weld).

The front bush is very different, you could argue that the loadings are less as the poly is more likely to allow the wishbone end to rotate more than the press fit rubber variant.

[Gaffers]

Glad you are ok.  Shopping for new trousers today I bet

Are we sure it's due to the bushes and not a manufacturing defect on the bones?

[Bojan]

Can you please take some more picture of the breaking point when the whishbone is dismantled from the car?
I'm interested to see how the break looks like?

[Sir Tigger KC]

Scary stuff  and I'm glad you're OK Al! 

[Entwood]

Glad you are OK Al .. some "used" trousers for sale I guess ... scary stuff....