A little problem I had.

donsrods · December 09, 2007, 11:08:36 AM

I caught a little heat for not posting this here, but I have been accused in the past of being a post ho, so I didn't want to put this on too many forums. However, here it is.

On Friday I did some work on my Kids blue T bucket that we just got running. I tightened up the steering box play and dialed in a couple more degrees of caster into it. When I took it for a test ride after that I got about a mile or two from the shop, driving along at about 35 in the slow lane I sped up a little to go to the left lanes to make a U turn to go back home. Suddenly there was a loud POP and I had no steering. Traffic was very heavy all around, but thankfully the car went to the right and I got it stopped in the extreme right side emergency/turning lane. I pushed it into a closed tire store and when I looked underneath the brand new chrome steering arm had snapped in half.

I called Dan and he came and we got another arm and some tools from the shop and fixed it right there and drove it home. There was no damage to the car or me, but thoughts of Megan's wreck sure did enter my mind and that this could have been very bad indeed.

I called Speedway yesterday and the rep in Customer Service was extremely helpful, concerned, and apologetic. They buy these from Total Performance, and I am in no way mad at either company. I think this was just one of those things that happen, and have dealt with Speedway for over 20 years. Their service has always been the best, and they are acting that same way in this instance. They are issuing a call tag for the part as they want to look at it. As you can see in the picture below, it is a clean break and the discoloration leads me to believe it was fractured to start with, especially since it broke on the big end.

I was surprised to see it made of cast steel because I have an original Corvair arm on my own T and it looks forged. I heated and bent mine and it acted like a steel piece rather than a cast item. We are going to buy my Son an original Corvair arm off of Ebay and use it. I won't let him put one of these chromed cast ones back on the car.

So that is the deal. Sorry if I slighted anyone by not posting it here, but I just didn't want to be posting it all over the net. Someone did put it on the HAMB without my knowledge, but I am ok with that.

Here are some pictures of the arm. I don't know how to stack pictures, so I'll do a couple of posts. (I've tried stacking them and it doesn't work for me)

BTW, this arm is only two weeks old.

Don

donsrods · December 09, 2007, 11:12:19 AM

And, an end shot of the break.

Don

Ohio Blue Tip · December 09, 2007, 12:57:39 PM

Looks like a classic case of hydrogen embrittlement from the plating.

wayne petty · December 09, 2007, 01:13:08 PM

i also agree...

structural parts before they are chromed need to be baked at 900F for almost 24 hours just before they are chromed

be sure to send this link with the returned part..

http://www.themonty.com/ they are the newsletter for the heat treating industry... and can put the companys in touch with proper heat treating companys who can properly prepare the parts for chroming so it won't happen again..

enjenjo · December 09, 2007, 01:42:26 PM

Quote from: "Ohio Blue Tip"Looks like a classic case of hydrogen embrittlement from the plating.

Which is why I don't like chromed steering parts. With todays near chrome appearance powder coating, that would be the way to go. If you need shiney, step up to the stainless parts.

No reflection on any one here.

Leon · December 09, 2007, 01:44:56 PM

I had an arm from Total Performance fail on my T back in May of '96. We had to go home and get the trailer to get the car home. Luckily I didn't hit anything. The replacement piece lasted till I sold the car, and I assume is still on it.

donsrods · December 09, 2007, 02:16:44 PM

Quote from: "Leon"I had an arm from Total Performance fail on my T back in May of '96. We had to go home and get the trailer to get the car home. Luckily I didn't hit anything. The replacement piece lasted till I sold the car, and I assume is still on it.

Wow, did you really? What happened exactly, did it crack like ours?

Don

Ohio Blue Tip · December 09, 2007, 04:48:21 PM

I agree with Frank, chromed parts should not be used in critical areas unless you know they were properly done, I don't believe most available parts have been correctly treated, because when I have asked the questions I usually get blank stares. Just my 2cents worth.

unklian · December 09, 2007, 05:07:41 PM

My understanding is the parts need to be baked within so many
hours of being plated,to get rid of Hydrogen Embrittlement.
If you wait too long,it's too late,baking doesn't give any improvement.
There is a Mil Spec for doing this.

Hydrogen Embrittlement isn't supposed to be a problem on mild steel parts.

I hope the broken parts will be analyzed, by someone qualified in that field,
to find out exactly what the problem is.

UGLY OLDS · December 09, 2007, 05:52:10 PM

WOW...You are sure fortunate that happened where it did & not elsewhere...Makes me feel better about using "Rustoleum coating" on my chassis parts...Frank has a point..Maybe stainless is better....

One of my close friends had a Total T & had steering issues a few years back...He had a nearly vertical steering column & hit a large bump by a bridge on the interstate..The car went airborne at 65mph & the "coupler" at the bottom of the column "unplugged" from the steering box shaft....He also was able to get it stopped without damage...You gotta have someone watchin over ya.....

Leon · December 10, 2007, 12:30:39 AM

Quote from: "donsrods"

Wow, did you really? What happened exactly, did it crack like ours?

Don

Mine failed at the splines, I was doing about 70 when I hit an off-ramp, started to lay on the brakes and all of a sudden it snapped around. It did nearly a 360 and when I drove off I had to turn the wheel quite a bit so I stopped to check it and found the arm had snapped the splines. They looked like your arm did, they cracked off instead of the metal looking smooth. I wedged it tight with the nut so I could get the car off the freeway ramp.

donsrods · December 10, 2007, 01:27:51 AM

Boy Leon, that had to be really scarey! Something like that is never expected to happen and these darned little cars leave us so unprotected anyways. Glad you got through that ok too.

Now that I have had time to think about the splines, they never should have routed out so easily for me or for you. I bet if you tried to wipe the splines out of a stock Corvair arm you couldn't do it. I know I worked on those flat spots for a long time cutting them into teeth.......that bugger is hard steel.

BTW, I saw your very kind post on the other forum regarding our cars. All I can say is thank you for doing that. It is appreciated.

Don

Uncle Bob · December 10, 2007, 09:44:09 AM

Well Pops, I guess this would be another reminder to be thankful for the engine failure enroute to Daytona. Don may not have been as fortunate had you been on the interstate much further from home. Dodged another bullet there bud.

donsrods · December 10, 2007, 10:23:24 AM

Bob, that same thought crossed my mind and really scared me. The way it happened worked out perfectly considering all the worse things that could have happened. Can't imagine if he had been driving at 65-70 and it snapped like that.

It was almost like it was planned to happen the way it did. First of all, I was driving, secondly I had just removed the steering box in my T that day and had the steering arm from it laying loose in the shop (Flaming River gave me a new box at Daytona because mine lost all it's grease on the way up there) and thirdly, Dan was home and I was able to get him to come rescue me. The entire affair took all of an hour to fix and get the car back to the shop.

That is why I am not too upset about the problem. Nothing was hurt and better yet, no ONE was hurt. We were very lucky.

Don

ChevyGirlRox · December 10, 2007, 02:41:24 PM

I am glad you were able to get stopped ok and no one was hurt. I can't believe that it just snapped off like that. Be sure to give Mickey a call at Total Performace and tell him about it as well. He would want to know.
I can't believe that people have had steering box problems from Total Performance. The bucket (RIP 8.6.2006) was the easiest car to drive ever.