Horrible Mechanical Failures: could get another 100 miles out of it with some zipties

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > Horrible Mechanical Failures: could get another 100 miles out of it with some zipties

«‹›4 »

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

http://www.nagtroc.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=36946

Why won't Nissan give me a new engine? I only put on a few minor modifications and remapped the ECU and put a rod through the block. Those bastards!

quote:

can anyone share any experience with the engine? any thoughts what could have happened? is there is any other cases with broken cylinders blocks???? i cant believe that the AP software upgrade could have blow off the engine.. these engines should support more than 70hp of upgraded power IMO

im in love with the gtr but i HATE nissan

# ¿ Feb 1, 2010 21:48

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ Jan 26, 2021 00:21

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

Nocheez posted:

The best part is him admitting to running the wrong octane setting (he got the AKI and RON confused since he has a USDM car).

That's possible but not readily apparent from the thread, as according to the AP website, there is no 97 AKI map, only a 97 RON.

# ¿ Feb 1, 2010 23:08

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

D C posted:

Oh poo poo, LSX/T56 swap into the GT-R!

There is literally no automotive problem big enough that the LS1/T56 cannot fix.

Throatwarbler fucked around with this message at 04:29 on Feb 3, 2010

# ¿ Feb 2, 2010 20:15

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

2ndclasscitizen posted:

Can you please stop using that lovely image hosting? Use Waffle or Tinypic or something.

All right.

# ¿ Feb 3, 2010 04:29

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

The F-150 Raptor apparently isn't as sturdy as its made out to be.

Found On Road Dead am i rite?

http://raptorforumz.com/showthread.php?t=14208
http://www.fordraptorforum.com/f39/...me-thread-3103/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vuuUSUmwP8

Throatwarbler fucked around with this message at 21:24 on Jul 6, 2011

# ¿ Jul 6, 2011 21:16

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

ApathyGifted posted:

Still exists, as the Taurus. (They cancelled the Taurus, then just rebadged the 500 since it filled the same niche and had better brand recognition.)

The Freestyle was rebadged as the Taurus X (The station wagon version), but that was discontinued in '09.

So basically, those cars weren't really failures, they were just rebadged for better brand recognition when Ford consolidated models to stop competing with itself.

Edit: The Taurus is still sold as the Five Hundred outside of the U.S. and Canada.

The Five Hundred started in 2005, the old bubble style Taurus was still available as a fleet model all they way up to 2007. When Mullaly came in in 2008 and decided to switch the names back, the Five Hundred was getting a substantial revamp at the same time anyway, and the old Taurus finally died. Compared to the Five Hundred, the (new)Taurus has a completely new engine and transmission (the old 200hp 3l V6 and CVT were both poo poo compared to the new 3.5l and 6 speed) and can correctly be called a new, better car.

# ¿ Jul 7, 2011 19:48

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

Empty Threats posted:

The Astra got very good reviews. Quality-wise, it was certainly competitive, even with Honda/Toyota. The problem was that it cost two thousand dollars more than a Fit, three thousand more than a Focus, and almost six thousand dollars more than a Yaris. No one pays a $6,000 premium for the precision manufacturing and prestige of a GM product, regardless of European engineering.

Costing more than a Yaris isn't a problem. The Astra is a much larger car than a Yaris or Fit. The Yaris has a 1.6l 100hp engine and drum brakes, of course it's cheaper. it's the same size as a VW Golf and about the same price.

Of course relatively speaking almost no one buys the VW Golf, either, that's just because Americans aren't interested in hatchbacks.

# ¿ Jul 9, 2011 19:31

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

Geoj posted:

I would point out this line from that article;

GM didn't exactly have a market gap that the Astra filled. If they had axed the Cobalt/G5/Ion and replaced it with an Astra-based model it may have worked. Even within the Saturn marque it still had to compete against the Ion, not to mention GM's other offerings. Their old business model that had their internal divisions competing against each other probably did the car in more than anything else.

That body style Astra was introduced in 2004, so by the time it made it to the US in 2008 it only had 2 more model years of production left in any case, and the plant in Belgium that made them was being shuttered.

The current body style Astra is confirmed to be coming to the US as a Buick. It is already sold as a Buick Excelle in China as both a sedan and hatch.

Press Release(PDF)

# ¿ Jul 10, 2011 05:54

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

kimbo305 posted:

Isn't that pretty much already sold here as the Cruze?

Sure, but Cruze is down to 138hp. The Buick will have the 177hp 2.4l engine available, so it will be at least as powerful as the old 1990s Cavalier Z24 with the Quad 4. They are even saying the range topper Buick might even bring back the 2.0l turbo.

Throatwarbler fucked around with this message at 07:54 on Jul 10, 2011

# ¿ Jul 10, 2011 07:52

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

Geoj posted:

Never experienced complete automatic transmission failure personally as every car I've owned was a manual but the stories I read about automatic Focus owners with Ford's 4F27E automatic was enough to put me off of traditional slushbox autos for life. There were a large number of people that were on their second or third transmission before their cars rolled over 25,000 miles.

Also I understand that the current GM/Ford joint venture 6 speed auto is turning out to be something of a quagmire for both manufacturers; my Fusion (fleet car) had to have its clutch packs replaced around 65,000 miles, and aside from giving it some gas on the highway every now and then I hardly abuse the car. Although I guess the rough shifting and skipping gears I experienced was nothing compared to the "push on the gas and have the transmission completely poo poo itself 10 feet later, leaving you stranded in oncoming traffic" issues a few of my co-workers had.

I would have thought that GM/Ford have FINALLY put their automatic FWD trans axle woes to rest with the new joint venture box. I've heard that some of the very early units had a software problem that had been resolved with a reflash already.

The Fusion had built up a reputation for itself as one of the most reliable cars ever made, but that was the last generation that used the Toyota tranny. They're not really going to flush it all down the toilet now, are they?

# ¿ Jul 11, 2011 06:55

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

Ford has responded to the broken Raptor issue.

quote:

Over the last several weeks, there have been a number of reports on web forums of frame damage incidents involving the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor. Thanks to a number of reader tips, Autoblog was the first news outlet to inquire with Ford about the matter. After launching its own investigation into the claims centering around one particular organized Raptor Run in Nevada with 14 participating vehicles and 10 bent frames, Jamal Hameedi, a 20-year Ford veteran and SVT's Chief Nameplate Engineer, agreed to talk exclusively with Autoblog.

Jamal HameediAB: When did you first become aware of these Raptor frame claims?

Hameedi: We monitor all the blogs � I think there are three or four different versions of Raptor online forums. We saw that there was one particular run where several Raptors bent their frames on the same obstacle.

AB: How many Raptors have been reported with frame damage?

Hameedi: We have four nationwide since the beginning of production.

AB: It sounded like there were more than four vehicles damaged in this individual run alone � are these not included in that total?

Hameedi: I think we've been reading that there are ten trucks in question [in that run].

"We have a pretty firm understanding of what's going on."
Jamal Hameedi, SVT Chief Nameplate Engineer
AB: So the four trucks you mentioned � those are just the ones that have been directly reported to Ford dealers?

Hameedi: Yes.

AB: Have they all been bent in more-or-less in the same way?

Hameedi: The ones on the run, I think there are varying degrees of how [badly] they are tweaked, but generally we have a pretty firm understanding of what's going on.

AB: Can you expound on that?

Hameedi: Basically, the core � the root cause � is that the vehicle is traveling too fast for the obstacle, and the truck is running out of travel. By a large margin. They're going too fast for the obstacle by a large margin. The frame is not the first item to yield in that condition � despite what's been theorized, the first thing when you do exceed the vehicle's travel capability [is that] you have a certain safety zone where you will hit the bump stop and nothing will happen. If you hit that same obstacle at an even faster speed, then you will yield the jounce bumper cup � that's the little piece of steel that holds the jounce bumper. If you hit that same obstacle at an even greater speed, then the next thing to go is the frame.

"If you had an infinitely stiff frame... it would 'donkey kick' the rear of that truck really high into the air."
That energy has to be absorbed somehow, and we actually went through a fairly detailed FMEA [Failure Mode and Effects Analysis], so if you do happen to far exceed the suspension's capability, the safest thing for that vehicle is the for the frame to yield. If you had an infinitely stiff frame, then what that would do is, the rear of that vehicle � the suspension � when that axle is going up so hard, so fast, it would 'donkey kick' the rear of that truck really high into the air. That's a very undesirable condition."

AB: Is SVT looking at making any suspension or frame changes � adjusting the cups or introducing progressive rate bump stops or deformable mounts, say � or are you happy with the way the truck performs?

Hameedi: If you look at the video [above], in our opinion, the truck performed flawlessly through there � it didn't do anything crazy from a vehicle dynamics standpoint. It didn't put the truck into an unsafe condition and it didn't strand the driver. If you hear their voices [on the video], you can hear them go 'Argh!!' when they went over that. That's not a good thing for any vehicle when you hit that hard, that fast. The other thing is that we run microcellular jounce bumpers that are progressive rate � this is why we run that kind of jounce bumper.

AB: In your opinion, it doesn't sound like any changes are necessary � this is just a clear-cut case of vehicle abuse?

"There's a learning curve with these new enthusiasts and the organizers � of how to properly run an off-road, high-speed event like this."
Hameedi: I don't know if I'd call it vehicle abuse � I think there's a certain learning curve going out there. The cool thing about the Raptor is that it's something new that has never been done before. So it's bringing a lot of new enthusiasts into this realm of high-speed off-roading. There's a learning curve with these new enthusiasts and the organizers � of how to properly run an off-road, high-speed event like this. This is part of that learning curve. One of the things that we state in our owner's manual is that you need to do a low-speed reconnaissance run � you can't just find an off-road trail and barrel down it at 100 miles an hour.

AB: Do you have any idea how fast they were traveling?

Hameedi: This is just our guess, we don't know for sure, but judging by the video, they look like they were going 60 to 80 miles per hour. We've heard sound bites from other people on that run that they were going 110-125 mph in certain parts. From the factory, the truck is speed-limited to 100 miles per hour, so all of these guys would need to be removing the speed limiters on their trucks [in order to achieve those kind of speeds].

The other thing that's going on... we've had some reports that there's an aftermarket company offering aftermarket springs, and instead of the two or three-leaf of the production truck, they offer a multiple stack leaf, and what that does is, it actually deletes the jounce bumper landing pad, which is kind of critical.

AB: So were any of those vehicles on the run equipped with that setup?

Hameedi: Yes. We don't know how many � if it's all of them or if it's a fraction of them � but we know some of them were running those multiple leaf springs with the jounce bumper landing pad deleted. Obviously, the suspension was designed to work with all of its parts intact.

AB: So how has the process been � we understand that at least a couple of trucks with frame damage have been reported to dealers with the hope of filing a warranty claim. Our understanding is that none of these warranty claims have been granted thus far, but that maybe some more communication needs to be done with the dealers about how to communicate with these special types of vehicles and special types of buyers. Can you talk about that?

"Number one, you have to do a reconnaissance run - a prerun."
Hameedi: Yes, some of the marketing is working on that, but really, our owner's manual is really good at outlining all the precautions and safety steps you need to take for safe, high-speed off-roading.

The three key points in high-speed off-roading that we mention in the owner's manual are... number one, you have to do a reconnaissance run � a prerun. Every desert racer, they'll go and prerun a trail and they will mark all of the ditches and obstacles on their GPS, so that when they're coming upon an obstacle like that, they will know to slow down. Also, a race organizer would probably mark that ditch with a big red X or something like that, so that people know what they're driving. You can get yourself into trouble very easily if you don't know what you're doing or if you're driving above your ability or those of the vehicle. It's not very different than a very capable, very fast sports car on a road course.

AB: You previously mentioned an aftermarket 'solution' that's hit the market � have you had a chance to play around with it?

Hameedi: We have not. We know those multiple leaf spring stacks are out there, but we have not played with them ourselves.

The other thing we say is, 'build speed slowly.' When we go and put media in a high-speed off-road course, or when we do our own off-road durability, we will run a course several times and build speed slowly � usually in increments of 10 mph � so that if we do get to a speed where we max-out the vehicle's capabilities, it's not way, way beyond the vehicle's capabilities.

The last thing we say is, 'Drive what you can see.' Only go fast enough so that if you see an obstacle that wasn't marked or it's new, so that you have time to slow down for it.

AB: This is probably more of a marketing question. You've got videos and ads that show this vehicle bombing through the deserts at very high rates of speed, and obviously you've pre-run under those conditions...

"You can break anything � you can even break a trophy truck."
Hameedi: I know we've done videos on the Raptors with people like Rob Maccachren, and we've explicitly said that it's a vehicle that's highly capable, but you can break anything � you can even break a trophy truck � so you have to be responsible and sensible about the way what you're doing to the vehicle and the way you're driving it.

AB: Is there an easy way for owners to inspect their Raptor frame for damage?

Hameedi: It's very easy to inspect the jounce bumper cup � that's really easy to look at and see if it's yielded in any way, shape or form. The easiest way to tell if you've gone far beyond the capability of the vehicle's suspension is if there's the V-margin on the cab to bed.

AB: Do you have any idea what the cost of fixing or replacing a frame is?

Hameedi: Well, most people, you can straighten the frame � that's what off-roaders typically do. It depends on the shop, but I've seen numbers anywhere from $500 bucks to $800 bucks.

AB: Is there anything that you guys have learned from this experience about dealing with this sort of product and buyer that you (SVT and Ford) can apply going forward?

Hameedi: Well, I think one of the things that we're starting to really look at is starting to step up our communications with the organizers of these trail runs and how to conduct them safely and responsibly � things we would do internally at Ford or with the media. Maybe teach or communicate with some of these new organizers on how to conduct these events safely so the vehicles don't get damaged or people don't get damaged.

AB: Driver education is a big deal � and to that end, it seems like there's a real opportunity here for SVT to do some sort of school with this vehicle. You recently announced the driving academy with some of the extreme sports stars like Tanner Foust and Ken Block. It seems like a Raptor Camp would help get the message out � is that something you're considering?

Hameedi: I think really more what we want to do first and foremost is... for example, there's a Raptor Roundup in Albuquerque and we're sending our sales and marketing group and we're also sending an engineer as well. What they're doing is really emphasizing how to safely off-road � even if you want to go high speed, how to recognize obstacles, how to pre-run, stay in communication.

That's the other thing that was kind of surprising about this run � after one guy went over it [the obstacle], versus calling back and saying 'There's a mambo ditch there, slow down at Mile Marker Whatever.'

AB: Is there anything else you would like to discuss?

"Our impression of what happened is that the vehicle performed very well."
Hameedi: We were anxious to have our side of the story told because our impression of what happened is that the vehicle performed very well in that kind of extreme maneuver.

They didn't lose control � the vehicle was very stable. Some other things that could have broken � like shock mounts or spring perches or axles � those have grave, grave consequences when they fail at 80 mph off-road. [They can] potentially cause a lot of damage to the vehicle. These guys could still drive their vehicles � they weren't stranded with a busted suspension out in the middle of the desert. As you can imagine, if your suspension breaks out in the desert, it is not a trivial matter to get that vehicle extracted.

AB: Thank you very much for choosing to speak with us.

Hameedi: Thanks a lot.

On the flip side of the coin, at least one forum member, Outlaw Raptor, one of the event's organizers, sees things differently:

"The bent frame issue is happening all across the US, not just on the Raptors on the run. All 10 trucks did not bend their frames on the run but there were a few that did. I know my 2 Raptors had bent frames before the run. Four of the Raptors already had bent frames and 3 had no problems at all."

Outlaw Raptor also argues that the course for this event was both prerun and well-organized. He notes that he has personally driven the course for years and says that emails were sent to participants recommending that they download the course on GPS with all of the obstacles marked. It is not clear how many participants took this step, nor is it known if the cattle crossing that is being blamed for bending frames was included in this data. He also says that CB radios were provided (noting that "reception was horrible") and cites the presence of support vehicles and paid mechanics � this was a organized event in which Raptor owners paid money to participate.

(In the interest of full disclosure, Outlaw Raptor freely admits that he runs a business that goes by the same name that builds performance parts specifically for this SVT vehicle, and his team is presently among those developing an aftermarket solution to avoid the sort of frame damage that's being reported.)

Clearly, there remains a lot of debate about who or what is culpable for the Raptor frame issue. Even within the pages of RaptorForumz.com itself, ground zero for this discussion, there are members who participated in the event blaming SVT for a product weakness, while others are blaming themselves (or each other) for the manner in which they drove. And while there's still a cloud of uncertainty surrounding the issue, SVT's position now seems to be clear � Hameedi and his team believe their truck performed admirably well under the circumstances.

# ¿ Jul 21, 2011 18:57

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

anonumos posted:

"You did things we pretended in our advertisements that you could do. Tough titty."

To be fair, I would say that is a large amount of abuse for a factory truck.

Do the advertisements show factory stock trucks hitting 18" speedbumps at 60mph over and over all day for hundreds of miles until the shocks have overheated? Because that's what the guy was doing. I think you're going to have a tough time convincing anyone that you were misled by the advertising.

Also, with respect to the frame vs shocks tearing off, I think what he's saying is that the shocks tearing off would be better, since that would be more reasonably expected than the frame bending.

Ford is also saying that at least some of the trucks had improperly modified springs too.

# ¿ Jul 21, 2011 20:37

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

There might be a legitimate reason it is designed like that, maybe it is designed to bend in such a way in order to absorb more force in a rear end collision, or to alleviate some kind of vibration in the chassis.

# ¿ Jul 21, 2011 20:59

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

Godholio posted:

I think the last thing anyone wants is for the tail end of this thing to swing out, where 9 out of 10 of these nutjobs will crank the wheel thinking they're spinning out thus sending their truck careening off the ledge or (in this case) plowing up the side of that hill the road was cut into, which I guarantee would've flipped if it didn't just bounce off. Now you're looking at a totaled truck most likely, and possibly serious injury or death. I'd pick the crumple zone, personally.

Well if you flip the truck and/or kill yourself I'm pretty sure Ford's warranty isn't going to do anything for you either. What are you going to do, show the court your Dukes of Hazzard dash camera footage? Probably a better outcome for Ford.

# ¿ Jul 22, 2011 00:39

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

Billy Tully posted:

Buick Le Sabre>Ford Raptor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kMTHwjy6Z8

e: le

This is probably the reason for the confusion. The F-150 would obviously have had no problem with that jump. It's a gentle slope followed by a relatively long time in the air that allows the suspension to get to full droop. When you drive over a 18" bump, the suspension only has half the travel to begin with, and when the front kicks up, the rear suspension compresses, just in time for the bump to then hit the rear suspension which has even less than half the travel than the front did.

I haven't seen all the Ford marketing for the Raptor but I'd be surprised if they actually showed the Raptor do something like drive over a 18" bump at 60mph because that's a far more serious impact than just catching a few feet of air. Judging from the responses here, it seems that smart people would already know not to do that.

# ¿ Jul 22, 2011 01:36

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

From the youtube thread:

Bumming Your Scene posted:

I want to see a Raptor drive over this really fast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx4mKtlJeIs&hd=1

Well at least the frame isn't bent(?).

EDIT: That's an Explorer right? All these refrigerators on wheels look the same to me.

Throatwarbler fucked around with this message at 01:45 on Jul 22, 2011

# ¿ Jul 22, 2011 01:42

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

http://smh.drive.com.au/motor-news/...0805-1ie5s.html

quote:

Mercedes-Benz has launched a rescue mission to one of the most remote sites in Australia after six of its military-style wagons broke down.

Corrugations along one 70-kilometre stretch of the Canning Stock Route burst the shock absorbers on six of the seven vehicles attempting to make what the German car maker claims is the first full crossing of the 1900-kilometre route through outback Western Australia by a car manufacturer.

Five "normal" versions of the G-Class off-roader - and one military-specification ute - started to burst mainly rear shock absorbers while travelling along stretches of the stock route extending from Well 33 to Well 35.
Advertisement: Story continues below

Fourteen people, including two Mercedes-Benz technicians and one Drive team member, are stranded at the remote site, part of an attempt to publicise the off-road credentials of the recently introduced, rugged off-road G-Class range.

At least the frames didn't bend.

# ¿ Aug 7, 2011 19:33

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

General_Failure posted:

Pfft. Babies.

So the shocks blew. Can someone explain to me why they stopped? Is it because it's the whole professionalism / people employed to drive safe vehicles not trying to bounce their way along recklessly? Ie the whole PR issue of an offroad vehicle going violently out of control at jogging pace and careening into the incredibly dangerous mostly flat terrain beside the road?

I admit I'm being a bit of a dick with my wording. Seriously are blown shocks a total showstopper traveling a stock route? Does it set up a harmonic causing some horrible bouncing and associated stability / wheel on ground issues?
I'm just trying to understand. I know blown shocks can be slightly irritating on road. As for steering dampers, I think the Fairlane is the first car I've had where the steering damper is intact and I don't see the big deal. It's probably a massive deal offroad right?

If it were up to me I would probably throw some spares in the back of the truck instead of waiting for an airlift from Germany.

# ¿ Aug 8, 2011 01:10

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/20...e-chrysler-200/

It's cool to hate some cars.

# ¿ Aug 21, 2011 03:24

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

Brand new jeep only has fenders painted on one side.

http://www.jeepsunlimited.com/forum...php?t=543972%5D

# ¿ Sep 2, 2011 06:02

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

oxbrain posted:

Don't put metal parts on your battery, especially since you don't have any cap over the positive terminal.

No kidding, I thought that was what the horrible failure was supposed to be.

# ¿ Sep 8, 2011 00:27

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

# ¿ Sep 20, 2011 04:38

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

Seat Safety Switch posted:

Wow, I always figured school buses were really flimsy and would just blow apart on a rear end impact like a box truck. They must build those things on one hell of a frame.

Hmm, doesn't look like something I would want to hit.

# ¿ Dec 14, 2011 18:45

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

Where is the poster who does school bus autocross competitively at the national level? I need to be educated on the performance dynamics of various school bus designs.

# ¿ Dec 15, 2011 01:39

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

Can't get a CGT with an autotragic transmission. Weeds out the poseurs/women.

# ¿ Dec 24, 2011 04:20

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

nm posted:

Nonsense, this is Russia you're talking about. they did this:
(potentially NSFW ads)http://englishrussia.com/2007/12/07...river-to-river/

The viaduct looks awfully thin.

Lamborghini in its natural habitat.

# ¿ Dec 29, 2011 06:16

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

Recalls on cars aren't really newsworthy nowadays unless you manage to ship thousands of cars over 6 months and forget to fit brake pads.. Oh GM.

# ¿ Dec 30, 2011 18:11

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

EightBit posted:

That's just a Mcpherson strut

What?

# ¿ Mar 5, 2012 05:38

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

GnarlyCharlie4u posted:

put out fires with NAWS

My brain just broke. I'm going to start carrying around a bottle of Nitrous for putting out fires now.

# ¿ May 2, 2012 05:58

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

Crustashio posted:

That is a classic example of trying to out-engineer stupidity. I will now be using that as a reference when people ask me to design crap like that at work

Why would you rest your foot on the brakes at any time? Is that how they taught people to drive in the 1940s? How does that even make sense

Jesus Christ old people should just kill themselves

# ¿ May 27, 2012 02:59

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

GnarlyCharlie4u posted:

Let's not forget that bigger wheels can also confuse the gently caress out of a car's ABS.

I rotated my tires last night. I was a bit concerned about doing it because my driveway has sunk a little bit since last time and it's not exactly level anymore.

I'm still alive though and the wheels are rotated.

Now if only I could figure out why the hell I have this drat brake shudder.

Don't get underneath the car to rotate your wheels? That would seem to eliminate the risk of death almost entirely.

# ¿ Jun 6, 2012 01:38

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

What is the balance shaft for and why is it only on the 4x4 version?

# ¿ Aug 2, 2012 23:34

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

^^^ These engines are direct injection and have an engine driven fuel pump so that might be one of them. Other DI engines drive the fuel pump off one of the cam sprockets.

Fucknag posted:

You know, I was gonna post about the 4.6, which has 3 chains similarly arranged but all on one end of the motor, but then I went on GIS and I found this:

Apparently it's the 4.2L V8 out of an Audi S4. Wanna know the best part? That's the REAR of the motor. That's the end that faces the firewall. God help you if you ever need to replace a tensioner.

Superior German engineering, indeed.

Eh, this doesn't really look all that bad? So it uses 3 chains to drive 2 heads, all that poo poo seems to be sitting in an oil bath and shouldn't ever need to be touched anyway.

It's an Audi so why would anything fai

quote:

Balance shafts are eccentric weights that cancel out some of the vibration in an engine; they're fairly common on 4 and 6-cylinder motors. I don't know why it's only on the 4x4 version, though; maybe that drivetrain is more sensitive to vibrations?

60* V6s do not need balance shafts. No current 60* V6 has one that I know of. A 90* V6 does use a shaft but it sits in the valley between the 2 heads, where the jackshaft on this thing would be.

Throatwarbler fucked around with this message at 01:18 on Aug 3, 2012

# ¿ Aug 3, 2012 01:15

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

thecobra posted:

Posted this picture on my friend's Facebook. He just bought one in the spring. His response:

Yeah I recognize it, that's the exact picture I use when people ask me about a timing chain service on my car. 3000 in parts plus you have to pull the engine.

Why does a timing chain even need service? Isn't that the whole point of using a chain in an oil bath?

# ¿ Aug 3, 2012 15:13

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

Jonny Nox posted:

yeah, but is that the one they were testing? Is there even a gasoline V6 available in Europe?

Consumer Reports is an American thing, they were testing the last generation version which could be had with a diesel.

quote:

I wish they had offered the CRD in more Jeeps.

You could get a diesel Liberty too. I'm not sure but I think most off road types didn't like diesel, it's much heavier than the gas version and offers no advantage. The Ram Powerwagon is gas only for the same reason.

# ¿ Aug 6, 2012 01:53

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

Such as?

# ¿ Aug 6, 2012 02:29

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

Shifty Pony posted:

Our fuel having way too much sulfur in it was one of the main reasons Euro diesels were not coming to the US. Now that ULS fuel is nationwide the engines will run fine. The real expensive bit is the NOx regulations in the US being roughly 10x more stringent which requires rather extensive emission controls, with California's regs being even more difficult to overcome.

The new ULS fuel has been blamed for many mechanical failures in older diesels though, which relied on the sulfur's lubricating qualities.

I'll believe the reports of GM and Chevy releasing diesels in the US when I see them in showrooms. There has been news about diesels in many new domestic cars "in two years!" for a decade at least. I even got mildly excited about news of the Liberty being equipped with one, until they noted it was a nearly $4k option, was a limited run because of upcoming emissions regs, and required an automatic. I'd love to see the Focus diesel come to the US.

GM is already running a marketing campaign to "educate consumers" about the benefit of diesels.

So either they are actually going to start selling a diesel Chevy at some point, or GM just likes blowing your tax dollars on free advertising for VW.

Bovril Delight posted:

I think there are still some new ones sitting on dealer lots. They were chopping off almost 10k from MSRP when they were trying to move them. Still, the car is over 50k once you get a few options on it.

Edit: Quick Autotrader search gives 59 new BMW 335d models available in the country.

So you've bought one then?
Based on what I've read the reliability of those engines is....not great. It's a sequential twin turbo like an RX7, but quite a bit more complex because the two turbos are actually also compound - the exhaust and compressor sides of both turbos are connected to each other and depending on RPM sometimes the larger turbo is feeding air into the smaller turbo, and it's all controlled by valves and wastegates that sometimes fail.

The new M550d is the same except with 3 turbos.

Throatwarbler fucked around with this message at 20:29 on Aug 7, 2012

# ¿ Aug 7, 2012 20:24

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

Ferremit posted:

Dont know what the US cruze looks like, but the Aus Cruze thats built here in Adelaide has a 2.0L 4 pot CRD diesel engine thats pretty drat good.

I think they are building LHD versions for people who drive on the wrong side of the road in export markets.

All the US made Cruzes are for the US market. Cruzes in most other markets(other than China or Aus) are made in Korea.

# ¿ Aug 8, 2012 00:29

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

I, too, measure my fuel economy in paid publicity stunts instead of government controlled and mandated testing.

# ¿ Aug 8, 2012 04:44

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ Jan 26, 2021 00:21

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; Oct 3, 2016 00:06: SO I'm also in 1st year classes and it's going pretty well I think.

Dec 9, 2016 15:46: Well I just took my first law school final exam. I think I've made a huge mistake.

Ferremit posted:

Xtrail motors were known for doing it too- seen a few of them down here that have had very mangled heads from intake butterfly screws

That's nice to know, that engine has a whole bunch of problems when fitted in the US market Sentra, but the X-trail wasn't sold in the US and is made in Japan - the US market cars are all made in the US including the engine so it wasn't clear whether the X-trail's engine was going to have the same problem.

# ¿ Sep 9, 2012 13:13

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > Horrible Mechanical Failures: could get another 100 miles out of it with some zipties

«‹›4 »