Today
I learned a couple good lessons about post event teardown and system checks. I got the car out today with plans to take the wheels off and start install on my Steeda UCA with spherical link. Also have to change front and rear rotors, rear pads and overall check the car out prior to 10/24 event. When jacking the drivers side I noticed the front wheel wasn't lifting off the ground, WTF? Turns out the top strut nut came off and the entire strut dropped out of the tower! Threads on the strut shaft were worn, ruining the strut. I have a spare after blowing the seal in my first pair so I got that out and began the swap. When removing the MM camber plate nuts I noticed they were real tight, I had taken the car to my tire shop for alignment and apparently they could care less about 23 ft/lbs torque spec I gave them. Got it off and took the plates out to mount up the replacement strut, no real issue. Went to remove the nuts on the passenger side to take the strut tower brace off and found that thy stripped the studs completely on this side, now I am pissed and have to order replacement parts from Maximum Motorsports. I now suspect that the tech they assigned did not know how to adjust the plates even though I went over it with the Boss and the other tech and he loosened the strut nut and couldn't get that torqued properly and then over compensated by torquing the 8mm studs on the camber plates to 75 ft/lbs.
Not really happy and have proven to myself once again that I should trust one mechanic with my life and that is me.
Morals of this story are watch anyone who is servicing your car if you track it, and check all suspension bolts and nuts and ball joints etc. prior to EVERY track event.
I suspect the strut came loose on the Sunday at Summit Point when my lap times were suddenly off by 4 seconds and I was terribly loose on corner exit. Thought it was the tires, luckily I didn't lose the car or worse.
Steve
I learned a couple good lessons about post event teardown and system checks. I got the car out today with plans to take the wheels off and start install on my Steeda UCA with spherical link. Also have to change front and rear rotors, rear pads and overall check the car out prior to 10/24 event. When jacking the drivers side I noticed the front wheel wasn't lifting off the ground, WTF? Turns out the top strut nut came off and the entire strut dropped out of the tower! Threads on the strut shaft were worn, ruining the strut. I have a spare after blowing the seal in my first pair so I got that out and began the swap. When removing the MM camber plate nuts I noticed they were real tight, I had taken the car to my tire shop for alignment and apparently they could care less about 23 ft/lbs torque spec I gave them. Got it off and took the plates out to mount up the replacement strut, no real issue. Went to remove the nuts on the passenger side to take the strut tower brace off and found that thy stripped the studs completely on this side, now I am pissed and have to order replacement parts from Maximum Motorsports. I now suspect that the tech they assigned did not know how to adjust the plates even though I went over it with the Boss and the other tech and he loosened the strut nut and couldn't get that torqued properly and then over compensated by torquing the 8mm studs on the camber plates to 75 ft/lbs.
Not really happy and have proven to myself once again that I should trust one mechanic with my life and that is me.
Morals of this story are watch anyone who is servicing your car if you track it, and check all suspension bolts and nuts and ball joints etc. prior to EVERY track event.
I suspect the strut came loose on the Sunday at Summit Point when my lap times were suddenly off by 4 seconds and I was terribly loose on corner exit. Thought it was the tires, luckily I didn't lose the car or worse.
Steve