How does something like this happen?

[MotionMan]

I am NOT a car person, AT ALL. Can someone explain to me, in simple terms (but interjecting the technical terms), how something like this happens?

Thanks.

MotionMan

 

[kevman]

too much Torque and not enough reinforcement on suspension

 

[MotionMan]

Torque.

What does that mean?

MotionMan

 

[Bignate603]

What does that mean?

MotionMan

Torque is twisting force, like you'd use on a wrench when tightening a bolt. A car's wheel spins when this twisting force is applied to it, and when the wheel spins it pushes you forward.

When that twisting force is applied at the wheels the suspension (and the rest of the car for that matter) needs to support all the different forces caused by the wheel spinning and pushing the car forward. If the suspension or its mounts can't deal with it you can have things break. That video just happened to have enough break to let the axle separate from the car.

 

[MotionMan]

Torque is twisting force, like you'd use on a wrench when tightening a bolt. A car's wheel spins when this twisting force is applied to it, and when the wheel spins it pushes you forward.

When that twisting force is applied at the wheels the suspension (and the rest of the car for that matter) needs to support all the different forces caused by the wheel spinning and pushing the car forward. If the suspension or its mounts can't deal with it you can have things break. That video just happened to have enough break to let the axle separate from the car.

What parts probably broke?

MotionMan

 

[MiataNC]

What parts probably broke?

MotionMan

It looks like the leaf springs came apart.

Might be staged though. There doesn't seem to be enough debris (leaf spring parts, u-bolts, shackles, shocks, etc) attached or in pieces around the axle when it leaves the car. Both left and right sides would have to grenade equally to have the axle come out so clean.

 

[Bignate603]

It looks like the suspension stays attached to the car so it probably broke where it was attached to the axle.

Just to be clear though, this will NOT happen on a car that is anywhere close to stock.

Edit: Just took a closer look at it and I can't tell where the leaf springs ended up. The video doesn't really show it. No parts everywhere so you would think they would still be on the axle or the car.

 

[HarryLui]

Probably forgot to tighten to bolts down.

 

[Bartman39]

It looks like the leaf springs came apart.

Might be staged though. There doesn't seem to be enough debris (leaf spring parts, u-bolts, shackles, shocks, etc) attached or in pieces around the axle when it leaves the car. Both left and right sides would have to grenade equally to have the axle come out so clean.

Uh thats not a leaf spring type suspension... That is a ladder bar setup which is normaly used with whats known as a back halfed car... The original rear frame is removed and a tube type aftermarket frame is installed and either a ladder bar suspension or 4 link is used... Both use coil over shock/spring setups to carry the weight and react to hard accleration... The ladder bar such as that is nothing more than 2 long basicly ladder looking link bars that attach to the axle tube and run forward and attach approx 3ft or so in front of the axle which helps transmitt the torque via a weight shift to the rear axle... Basicly spreads the torque over the entire frame which helps keep the rear traction at the rear wheels...

It looks like the welds on links/brackets to the axle tubes broke which is not all that common but does happen... Yes torque is the force that does this... Think of it this way (Horsepower) is how fast you hit the wall... (Torque) is how hard you hit it...

 

[punjabiplaya]

Torque is measured in (the US) ft*lb. Force applied multiplied by the length of the shaft (as measured as the distance from the axle of rotation to where the force is applied).

Rotational force.

You can see the ladders (look like crutches) under the car when it bounces up.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Torque is twisting force, like you'd use on a wrench when tightening a bolt. A car's wheel spins when this twisting force is applied to it, and when the wheel spins it pushes you forward.

When that twisting force is applied at the wheels the suspension (and the rest of the car for that matter) needs to support all the different forces caused by the wheel spinning and pushing the car forward. If the suspension or its mounts can't deal with it you can have things break. That video just happened to have enough break to let the axle separate from the car.

yeah i was gonna say, looks like the differential broke off from the rest of the axle (or at least the housing)

 

[Tristicus]

Camero..?

 

[coxmaster]

Torque is measured in (the US) lb/ft. Force applied multiplied by the length of the shaft (as measured as the distance from the axle of rotation to where the force is applied).

.

Its actually lb x ft

But the idea is still the same ^_^

 

[punjabiplaya]

Its actually lb x ft

But the idea is still the same ^_^

lol I wrote multiplied next to it, but punched in slash. typing fail.

 

[ShawnD1]

too much Torque and not enough reinforcement on suspension

lol. It's awesome when stupid assholes put turbo chargers on their honda civics and this happens to them.

 

[exdeath]

That's not fail, that's total win.

Most people only WISH they had that problem.

 

[exdeath]

lol. It's awesome when stupid assholes put turbo chargers on their honda civics and this happens to them.

Didn't know Civics were RWD, much less with a solid axle.

 

[Howard]

Didn't know Civics were RWD, much less with a solid axle.

hey man

they got half shafts too

 

[bruceb]

Clearly something was not properly bolted or welded in place. And a motor with a whole lot of torque, plus some very sticky drag tires. At least the car itself seems to have minimal damage to body work. Maybe some motor work depending on if it free revd too high after the rear end got out. Also that issue can be addressed by installation of a
Pan Hard bar (which address axle twisting) and also Ladder Bars (ladder are track only) .. My best guess would be a welder who was new at doing it, failure to properly clean the joints before welding, improper settings of welder causing bad weld penetration.

 

[Bartman39]

Clearly something was not properly bolted or welded in place. And a motor with a whole lot of torque, plus some very sticky drag tires. At least the car itself seems to have minimal damage to body work. Maybe some motor work depending on if it free revd too high after the rear end got out. Also that issue can be addressed by installation of a
Pan Hard bar (which address axle twisting) and also Ladder Bars (ladder are track only) .. My best guess would be a welder who was new at doing it, failure to properly clean the joints before welding, improper settings of welder causing bad weld penetration.

Agree for sure on the welding someone screwed up... But there are a ton of Prostreet cars and trucks out there with both ladder bar and 4 link setups that drive around mostly on the weekends but some I`ve seen every day... It mainly depends on the swivel eye`s if they are the lube type or not... If not then they wear out very quick so most guys I know go with the teflon insert type or the type that takes grease... Also the Panhard bar does not really do much of anything for axle twisting...? Its to keep the rearend in track with the frontend and has swivel ends also to allow for movement up and down of the suspension (it mounts lateraly with the rearend)... Even alot of late model cars have this, most are FWD but its mainly the ones with trailing link rear suspension that also have a common axle (mini vans and such)... Old Chevy trucks has this when they used the trailing arm suspension with coil springs as is the same with the Nascar series cars & trucks...

 

[exdeath]

hey man

they got half shafts too

Yeah you'll wheel hop a half shaft in half, but the whole suspension isn't going to come out of a Civic like shown in the video; the wheel will be firmly attached to the knuckle with the broken half shaft flailing around.