Steel angles bending

[BaltimoreHokie]

Dang. Good that you noticed that though.

 

[terryjr]

I pretty much bend metal for a living. I'd agree with a comment above that it was likely from a large pothole. The force on that angle is from the tire/knuckle trying to go up, and the spring/shock on that lower control arm trying to keep it down and what you found is the weak link. I wouldn't call it weak but when you hit, i'm assuming, the immovable object, thousands of pounds of force was absorbed in that bend. I don't know much about the older billet ones but to bend that angle, would likely also pull the threads out of aluminum. I dont think that it will bend much further or even break, its almost close enough to tensile force not to go anywhere. I'd just get a new angle, maybe one bent from A572 rather than A36 and just keep an eye on it.

 

[jpr]

Thanks Terry. The mystifying part is that I haven't gone through any large potholes. I'll look into A572.

I emailed DF asking for a couple spares Saturday, have yet to hear back... hopefully will be back on the road soon.

 

[terryjr]

On second thought i'd just replace it with what they gave you, that being a "weak link" of sorts can also prevent some more catastrophic like the aluminum knuckle or heim joint breaking, that would end up much worse. It sounds like you are the only one so far with this issue, i'd just replace it with what it was

 

[Briann1177]

I pretty much bend metal for a living. I'd agree with a comment above that it was likely from a large pothole. The force on that angle is from the tire/knuckle trying to go up, and the spring/shock on that lower control arm trying to keep it down and what you found is the weak link. I wouldn't call it weak but when you hit, i'm assuming, the immovable object, thousands of pounds of force was absorbed in that bend. I don't know much about the older billet ones but to bend that angle, would likely also pull the threads out of aluminum. I dont think that it will bend much further or even break, its almost close enough to tensile force not to go anywhere. I'd just get a new angle, maybe one bent from A572 rather than A36 and just keep an eye on it.

It's bent in the wrong direction for a compression force. Maybe when the shock compresses and then rebounds, the rebound action of the shock isn't working correctly and the spring just unloads all of its energy directly into the lower mount.

Time for new shocks? Or are they struts? I always get the two confused.

 

[jpr]

It's bent in the wrong direction for a compression force. Maybe when the shock compresses and then rebounds, the rebound action of the shock isn't working correctly and the spring just unloads all of its energy directly into the lower mount.

Disagree, it seems to be bent in the correct direction for what terryjr describes.

Time for new shocks? Or are they struts? I always get the two confused.

These have 1500 miles on them though...? I suspect they are just adjusted too firm.

 

[Briann1177]

When the shocks compress from hitting a pot hole or whatever, that part of the suspension moves in the UP direction temporarily and then the spring pushes back down and returns it back to its original position. The steel part is bent down. The spring can't press down any harder than the force pressing up.

 

[Ross]

Brian, the tire needed to move up, but the shock&spring didn't allow it to move up fast enough... which resulted in a bent part.
The bent part happened before any rebound was involved. Maybe look at the picture again.

 

[Briann1177]

Or they could be bottoming out.

 

[Briann1177]

Brian, the tire needed to move up, but the shock&spring didn't allow it to move up fast enough... which resulted in a bent part.
The bent part happened before any rebound was involved. Maybe look at the picture again.

I see what you mean.

 

[terryjr]

Its not so much as the spring causing resistance (well i mean it does) but the shock absorber dampers, think Oobleck . Bottoming out is also a possibility