How NOT to slam your C5!
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 2,809
Likes: 0
From: Frisco TX
How NOT to slam your C5!
After leaving the races this weekend - I pulled off @ a convienient store for a drink and to meet a buddy before heading back home in I20 (bout a 2 hour trip).
When leaving, I had just started to reverse out of the parking spot and the lower A-Arm nut came off the lower arm and the passenger side front end pretty much collapsed to the ground. Or in this case onto the wheel.
I will leave it to your imagination as to how lucky I was to have had this happen @ 1 MPH rather than 100+ on the interstate!! Would have been a disaster most likely..
You will see in some of the pics the lower a-arm and nut sitting inside the wheel..
Couldn’t have been more lucky...
Thank you God for watching over me!
A TON of friends and racers stopped and helped me out.. I had NO tools for repair and with all the help - we put her back togther and was on our way.
Yes - I did go ahead and check the driver side before we continued and it was just as tight as it could be.. :eek:
I would HIGHLY suggest that you guys either put on a second nut - or drill out the stud and put a cotter-pin through the hole to keep this from happening
Best Regards,
BP
http://myhost.virtualgiant.com/bparker/A-Arm1.JPG
http://myhost.virtualgiant.com/bparker/A-Arm2.JPG
http://myhost.virtualgiant.com/bparker/A-Arm3.JPG
http://myhost.virtualgiant.com/bparker/A-Arm4.JPG
When leaving, I had just started to reverse out of the parking spot and the lower A-Arm nut came off the lower arm and the passenger side front end pretty much collapsed to the ground. Or in this case onto the wheel.
I will leave it to your imagination as to how lucky I was to have had this happen @ 1 MPH rather than 100+ on the interstate!! Would have been a disaster most likely..
You will see in some of the pics the lower a-arm and nut sitting inside the wheel..
Couldn’t have been more lucky...
Thank you God for watching over me!
A TON of friends and racers stopped and helped me out.. I had NO tools for repair and with all the help - we put her back togther and was on our way.
Yes - I did go ahead and check the driver side before we continued and it was just as tight as it could be.. :eek:
I would HIGHLY suggest that you guys either put on a second nut - or drill out the stud and put a cotter-pin through the hole to keep this from happening
Best Regards,
BP
http://myhost.virtualgiant.com/bparker/A-Arm1.JPG
http://myhost.virtualgiant.com/bparker/A-Arm2.JPG
http://myhost.virtualgiant.com/bparker/A-Arm3.JPG
http://myhost.virtualgiant.com/bparker/A-Arm4.JPG
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 3,879
Likes: 3
From: Hobart, WI
Re: How NOT to slam your C5! (bparker)
You were very unlucky to have that happen and stunningly lucky as to the circumstances. Looks like no collateral damage?
This is scary to think about! Has anyone else ever heard of this happening?
This is scary to think about! Has anyone else ever heard of this happening?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 2,809
Likes: 0
From: Frisco TX
Re: How NOT to slam your C5! (WildWolf)
Sorry - I forgot to include this info..
I had lowered the car further about 3 weeks ago - by cutting the bushings in the front and using longer studs in the rear.
I did tighten both front studs down equally - and one fell off the other one was still tight.. know knows.. :confused:
Also - imagine this - I have been driving around for about 2 1/2 weeks like this and in several highspeed senarios since I re-loered the Z :eek:
Whatta mind trip!
I had lowered the car further about 3 weeks ago - by cutting the bushings in the front and using longer studs in the rear.
I did tighten both front studs down equally - and one fell off the other one was still tight.. know knows.. :confused:
Also - imagine this - I have been driving around for about 2 1/2 weeks like this and in several highspeed senarios since I re-loered the Z :eek:
Whatta mind trip!
Former Vendor
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 5,607
Likes: 1
From: Houston TX
Re: How NOT to slam your C5! (bparker)
:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:
Very glad that you (and your car) are OK. :cheers: This will definitely make me think twice about messing the the car suspension.
-Tuan
Very glad that you (and your car) are OK. :cheers: This will definitely make me think twice about messing the the car suspension.
-Tuan
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 8,627
Likes: 1
From: Houston Texas
CI 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 Vet
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09
Re: How NOT to slam your C5! (bparker)
Wow! I looked at your pics. You WERE lucky.
Me too. About a month ago, I blew off my driver's side rear caliper and found the bolts were somewhat loose on all of them. It makes sense to go through our cars periodically checking EVERYTHING.
Also was tres cool that people stopped to help you. I had my friends Adman (Matthew) and Saxn8r (Corey) to help me limp along for 130 miles on almost no brakes to Dallas for repair.
Couldn't tell by the pics exactly but did you score the inside of the wheel?
Doug
Me too. About a month ago, I blew off my driver's side rear caliper and found the bolts were somewhat loose on all of them. It makes sense to go through our cars periodically checking EVERYTHING.
Also was tres cool that people stopped to help you. I had my friends Adman (Matthew) and Saxn8r (Corey) to help me limp along for 130 miles on almost no brakes to Dallas for repair.
Couldn't tell by the pics exactly but did you score the inside of the wheel?
Doug
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 2,380
Likes: 0
Re: How NOT to slam your C5! (bparker)
:eek: You left a few minutes before me, Brent. Don't know how I missed you. I'm very happy you were able to fix it on the spot and that it didn't happen on I20. Take care, buddy. :blueangel:
JC
JC
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 2,809
Likes: 0
From: Frisco TX
Re: How NOT to slam your C5! (Big Carrot)
You just need to put a little juice on your car to make it feel better. How bout tonight???? :D :D :D
Did ya move one already? let me know when you get finished!! :D
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 6,269
Likes: 1
From: Richmond Ca
Re: How NOT to slam your C5! (bparker)
Sorry - I forgot to include this info..
I had lowered the car further about 3 weeks ago - by cutting the bushings in the front and using longer studs in the rear.
I did tighten both front studs down equally - and one fell off the other one was still tight.. know knows.. :confused:
Also - imagine this - I have been driving around for about 2 1/2 weeks like this and in several highspeed senarios since I re-loered the Z :eek:
Whatta mind trip!
I had lowered the car further about 3 weeks ago - by cutting the bushings in the front and using longer studs in the rear.
I did tighten both front studs down equally - and one fell off the other one was still tight.. know knows.. :confused:
Also - imagine this - I have been driving around for about 2 1/2 weeks like this and in several highspeed senarios since I re-loered the Z :eek:
Whatta mind trip!
[Modified by wwashing, 3:05 PM 4/30/2002]
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 2,361
Likes: 0
From: Sugar Land, TX USA
Re: How NOT to slam your C5! (bparker)
I have heard of this once or twice before. Wish I knew what caused it.
Assuming each time the nut was torqued to spec? Both of mine have
been apart more than once but I check the nuts frequently now. No
problems here.
You are very fortunate. All I know to do is torque to spec. Maybe a real
Vette tech will jump in here and tell us what may be going on. :confused:
Assuming each time the nut was torqued to spec? Both of mine have
been apart more than once but I check the nuts frequently now. No
problems here.
You are very fortunate. All I know to do is torque to spec. Maybe a real
Vette tech will jump in here and tell us what may be going on. :confused:
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 5,653
Likes: 1
From: Lone Tree CO
Re: How NOT to slam your C5! (NewVetteLover)
YOINKS!! :eek: :eek:
That could have been really ugly!
You are a lucky man bro ... thanks for sharing. I bet there is at least one more person on this forum you may have just saved!! :cheers:
That could have been really ugly!
You are a lucky man bro ... thanks for sharing. I bet there is at least one more person on this forum you may have just saved!! :cheers:
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 2,809
Likes: 0
From: Frisco TX
Re: How NOT to slam your C5! (wwashing)
You must not have torqued that nut down. If you did and it backed off, it will do it again. Those nuts just don't unscrew themselves. If you are absolutely positive that you didn't forget to tighten that nut, then someone losened it for you. :eek:
In fact I had been joking with some friends about how the front end is only held together by a couple of bolts a few weeks ago after I lowered it.. so trust me I recognized the danger of not having it tight when I was putting everything back together.. but without using a torque wrench - I can not say how many lbs I had on the nut..
NoMercy, good point - hey I hope any of you whom read this that have lowered your cars to go check - it doesnt take that long and it could also save your rear end - and no not the cars rear end either! :D
