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Why you should inspect your Racecar. It could save you

dvw

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We broke a trans cooler last weekend. It was mounted between the subframe connector and the drive shaft. Under the the drivers seat. Fortunately this kept all the fluid between the frame rails. But was even dripping off the deck lid and tail lights. When cleaning the underside I washed the wheels and took a look at the recently installed 5/8 studs. The picture is the spokes of the rear wheel at the hub next to the stud washer. Every spoke on both wheels is similar. Ran this car for close to 800 passes. Converted to 5/8" studs this Winter. Never guessed the old 1/2" studs were stronger than the wheels.
Doug

cracked Amercan 200S.jpg
 
Glad you caught that. It does make you sit back and think of what might have been. Stay safe!
 
You've earned your Find the Weakest Link badge for the week.
 
I’m a poster boy for this. Nut & bolt (check for tightness) your car all the time. Every nut and bolt. Torque wheels before every race. Focus especially where you put new parts on. Torque convertor bolts too! You will be surprised what you find. IMHO that is.
 
I’m a poster boy for this. Nut & bolt (check for tightness) your car all the time. Every nut and bolt. Torque wheels before every race. Focus especially where you put new parts on. Torque convertor bolts too! You will be surprised what you find. IMHO that is.
Preach on brother!

I just had to rebuild my 4 speed, due to ripping the teeth off 4th gear. Too many poor/missed shifts.

Root cause was the shifter mount loosening up over time. Mount holes got oblonged. I beefed it up and switched to studs for fasteners.

IMG_20220625_142558221.jpg
 
We broke a trans cooler last weekend. It was mounted between the subframe connector and the drive shaft. Under the the drivers seat. Fortunately this kept all the fluid between the frame rails. But was even dripping off the deck lid and tail lights. When cleaning the underside I washed the wheels and took a look at the recently installed 5/8 studs. The picture is the spokes of the rear wheel at the hub next to the stud washer. Every spoke on both wheels is similar. Ran this car for close to 800 passes. Converted to 5/8" studs this Winter. Never guessed the old 1/2" studs were stronger than the wheels.
Doug

View attachment 1307017
Hate to think about a wheel coming apart.
I think GTX John had a broken axle that almost did him in.
 
Heard a noise in front. It was a cracked T-Thrust. Went back to steel wheels and original hubcaps. I like pushing corners, alloy wheels do not.
 
We broke a trans cooler last weekend. It was mounted between the subframe connector and the drive shaft. Under the the drivers seat. Fortunately this kept all the fluid between the frame rails. But was even dripping off the deck lid and tail lights. When cleaning the underside I washed the wheels and took a look at the recently installed 5/8 studs. The picture is the spokes of the rear wheel at the hub next to the stud washer. Every spoke on both wheels is similar. Ran this car for close to 800 passes. Converted to 5/8" studs this Winter. Never guessed the old 1/2" studs were stronger than the wheels.
Doug

View attachment 1307017
I was planning on hitting every nut and bolt I could think of before heading to 42 next weekend. You just validated my plan LOL.
How old were those Torque thrust?
 
I don't get the rear wheel photo.....Are you running rear wire spoke wheels ??
 
I don't get the rear wheel photo.....Are you running rear wire spoke wheels ??

No, that's just how it appears at first. The whole brownish part on the left is the spoke. The shadow makes it look like a thin spoke.
 
A Very fortunate Discovery. Sometimes we are luckier than we think !! The mind reels of what could easily happen if that cooler didn't need attention......
 
My daughter's BF had them all Crack on his D100 race truck. Same same.

Scary stuff
 
Yes !! I've always felt safer with beed screwed steelies of some sort on powered axles (usually rear).... Lightweight allow fronts have worked perfectly so far...
 
Dang Doug, that's freaking scary right there! Very thankful nothing happened.
I gotta think you were meant to find those in time...
 
That failure would have done some major damage to your beautiful car. Very lucky you found it when you did.....
 
We broke a trans cooler last weekend. It was mounted between the subframe connector and the drive shaft. Under the the drivers seat. Fortunately this kept all the fluid between the frame rails. But was even dripping off the deck lid and tail lights. When cleaning the underside I washed the wheels and took a look at the recently installed 5/8 studs. The picture is the spokes of the rear wheel at the hub next to the stud washer. Every spoke on both wheels is similar. Ran this car for close to 800 passes. Converted to 5/8" studs this Winter. Never guessed the old 1/2" studs were stronger than the wheels.
Doug

View attachment 1307017
Your car would look super thuggish with a set of blacked out center lines or Welds anyway. stay solid. car is too fast.
 
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