Wheel Bearing Failure at Roebling T1
06-27-2009, 07:17 AM
#1
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
Wheel Bearing Failure at Roebling T1
I have seen it here before but it happened to us in the 99 FRC.
Yesterday, at Roebling, the left front wheel bearing stud ring separated from the rest of the bearing. The weld failed holding it to the rest of the hub. It happened at turn in at Turn 1 - ~95MPH. Jake was able to take it off smoothly off track with no major damage to him, his student or the car. It did eat up the caliper, wheel and caliper bracket a good bit.
There was absolutely no indication of this problem - the bearing itself is still tight - and it had been on the car for about 26 months. It is clearly a fatigue/bad weld problem.
I was out of hub assemblies (rotors and hubs are a C5 staple) and so was all the supply stores in Savannah. This was a real probelm since the car would not roll. However, Fred (O5C6GAC) had a used one at his house and Khoi (ZO6cool) had all the tools at the track to replace it.
The people at track events are the best
.
Yesterday, at Roebling, the left front wheel bearing stud ring separated from the rest of the bearing. The weld failed holding it to the rest of the hub. It happened at turn in at Turn 1 - ~95MPH. Jake was able to take it off smoothly off track with no major damage to him, his student or the car. It did eat up the caliper, wheel and caliper bracket a good bit.
There was absolutely no indication of this problem - the bearing itself is still tight - and it had been on the car for about 26 months. It is clearly a fatigue/bad weld problem.
I was out of hub assemblies (rotors and hubs are a C5 staple) and so was all the supply stores in Savannah. This was a real probelm since the car would not roll. However, Fred (O5C6GAC) had a used one at his house and Khoi (ZO6cool) had all the tools at the track to replace it.
The people at track events are the best
.
06-27-2009, 09:08 AM
#5
Drifting
Member Since: Oct 2005
Location: Georgia
Posts: 1,302
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I have seen it here before but it happened to us in the 99 FRC.
Yesterday, at Roebling, the left front wheel bearing stud ring separated from the rest of the bearing. The weld failed holding it to the rest of the hub. It happened at turn in at Turn 1 - ~95MPH. Jake was able to take it off smoothly off track with no major damage to him, his student or the car. It did eat up the caliper, wheel and caliper bracket a good bit.
There was absolutely no indication of this problem - the bearing itself is still tight - and it had been on the car for about 26 months. It is clearly a fatigue/bad weld problem.
I was out of hub assemblies (rotors and hubs are a C5 staple) and so was all the supply stores in Savannah. This was a real probelm since the car would not roll. However, Fred (O5C6GAC) had a used one at his house and Khoi (ZO6cool) had all the tools at the track to replace it.
The people at track events are the best.
Yesterday, at Roebling, the left front wheel bearing stud ring separated from the rest of the bearing. The weld failed holding it to the rest of the hub. It happened at turn in at Turn 1 - ~95MPH. Jake was able to take it off smoothly off track with no major damage to him, his student or the car. It did eat up the caliper, wheel and caliper bracket a good bit.
There was absolutely no indication of this problem - the bearing itself is still tight - and it had been on the car for about 26 months. It is clearly a fatigue/bad weld problem.
I was out of hub assemblies (rotors and hubs are a C5 staple) and so was all the supply stores in Savannah. This was a real probelm since the car would not roll. However, Fred (O5C6GAC) had a used one at his house and Khoi (ZO6cool) had all the tools at the track to replace it.
The people at track events are the best
.
).
Last edited by Z06cool; 06-27-2009 at 10:47 AM.
06-27-2009, 10:10 AM
#8
Melting Slicks
06-27-2009, 11:28 AM
#9
Le Mans Master
Damn Jeff. Glad everyone is ok. I don't claim to be an expert at any of this stuff, but I think Roebling is the car killer in the southeast. Other than being easy on brakes, the long sweeping turns stress steering components more than other tracks in the southeast and the loooong straight has claimed many LS engines recently. I'd really like to run there again, but I know everytime I head there that it's gonna cost me more than the average track weekend.
06-27-2009, 12:01 PM
#10
Premium Supporting Vendor
varkwso - thanks for sharing and glad the car and both people in it faired okay.
__________________
C66 Racing #66 NASA ST2, SCCA T2
AMSOIL Dealer (Forum Vendor)
AMSOIL Ordering Information (Retail sales using reference #1206638 benefit the forum.)
AMSOIL Preferred Customer Program (Members buy at Wholesale - a savings of about 25%)
AMSOIL Catalog
C66 Racing #66 NASA ST2, SCCA T2
AMSOIL Dealer (Forum Vendor)
AMSOIL Ordering Information (Retail sales using reference #1206638 benefit the forum.)
AMSOIL Preferred Customer Program (Members buy at Wholesale - a savings of about 25%)
AMSOIL Catalog
06-27-2009, 02:56 PM
#11
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
ZO6cool - if you cannot make a pass stick maybe you should not take it
....since that was only about 20 minutes from when it failed it does make me a little nervous...Yes - this is the kind of thing that makes you lose sleep....I managed to keep calm when I heard Jake was off at T1 (they said he was OK so I was only concerned about the pocketbook at that time).
This failure could only be located by NDE due to the contruction of the part. I would need some engineering data before I would pay over twice as much for the SKF. I would be happy to do some long term testing - we put more (hard) days on a track car then most...
06-27-2009, 03:35 PM
#12
Drifting
Member Since: Oct 2005
Location: Georgia
Posts: 1,302
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
All the sand and track debris on the outside edge all the way around did make it interesting to find some grip but hey it was good "COMP school practise" right...
Seriously though, glad Jake and student were okay.
06-27-2009, 04:09 PM
#13
Le Mans Master
Member Since: Feb 2000
Location: Bedford NH
Posts: 5,708
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Cruise-In II Veteran
We have the SKF's as well, $379.99. You really should get our bearing bolt kit that replaces the Torx head fasteners with grade 12.9 12 points with Nordlocks. They are now extra long for use with spindle ducts. You will never suffer the fasteners backing out again, with no "Locktite" (a conflict in terms if there ever was one, especially at these temps).
http://hardbarusa.com/hardbar/produc...roducts_id=136
http://hardbarusa.com/hardbar/produc...roducts_id=115
http://hardbarusa.com/hardbar/produc...roducts_id=136
http://hardbarusa.com/hardbar/produc...roducts_id=115
06-27-2009, 07:00 PM
#14
Race Director
Member Since: Oct 2000
Location: Deal's Gap 2004 NCM Motorsports track supporter
Posts: 13,915
Received 1,103 Likes
on
717 Posts
Too close for comfort! Glad all is OK. Of course, this time the airbags are still all neatly folded away.....unlike RA, ole buddy.......
Jake, you da man....
Jake, you da man....
06-28-2009, 01:24 PM
#15
Premium Supporting Vendor
Thanks for the info Gary and glad to see your site up and running again. All my SCCA literature is in my trailer which is already over in VA - do you know if the SKF bearings are T1 legal? 
06-28-2009, 01:30 PM
#16
Melting Slicks
06-28-2009, 04:41 PM
#17
Le Mans Master
Member Since: Feb 2000
Location: Bedford NH
Posts: 5,708
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Cruise-In II Veteran
Only time will tell on ultimate durability, but they do have considerably higher stiffness that does reduce brake piston kickback. With the OE bearings, I have heard the pads scrape while turning in the paddock.
Last edited by ghoffman; 06-28-2009 at 04:48 PM.
06-28-2009, 07:37 PM
#20
Burning Brakes
I have a set of the SKFs to go into the T1 car before we go racing again in September. Oli has such a hub problem he even destroys them on his trailer!
