Wheel Came Off
Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2020 10:46 am
On holiday in France heading over to ile d'Oleron on the west coast. We had been touring down the N10 but decided to make up some time and got on the A10. After a peage(toll) stop and accelerating hard I felt a bit of rear wheel steering and then the car slammed down on the drivers side rear, the wheel came off and overtook us. Fortunately we managed to coast/grind to a halt on the safety strip without too much drama (we thought). We had been doing 130 KMH. The wheel ended up on the safety strip about 200 meters ahead of us. The rear suspension dragging along the tarmac sent a shower of sparks on to the tinder dry grass and set it on fire. Once stopped I had to run back with the fire extinguisher carried in the car to put out the roadside fire.
Then back to recover the wheel and assess the damage. The hub shaft has sheared at the hub end. I am assuming this is just metal fatigue brought on by a combination of age and some level of aggressive driving on the track days we do. The car has a 145 BHP 1700 twin cam, and I use Michelin XAS tyres which are very sticky when hot.
I have replaced the inner output shafts after one broke on a track day, driving to the pit lane. I have Sue Miller CV joints, but have never thought about the hub shafts. Does anyone have any guidance/advice/experiences to share about replacements shafts. I will do both of course and presume there are some soild billet types available. No doubt there is an element of price/performance in the choice but given what I use the car for they will need to be strong.
A few photos to share.
Thanks
Martin
Then back to recover the wheel and assess the damage. The hub shaft has sheared at the hub end. I am assuming this is just metal fatigue brought on by a combination of age and some level of aggressive driving on the track days we do. The car has a 145 BHP 1700 twin cam, and I use Michelin XAS tyres which are very sticky when hot.
I have replaced the inner output shafts after one broke on a track day, driving to the pit lane. I have Sue Miller CV joints, but have never thought about the hub shafts. Does anyone have any guidance/advice/experiences to share about replacements shafts. I will do both of course and presume there are some soild billet types available. No doubt there is an element of price/performance in the choice but given what I use the car for they will need to be strong.
A few photos to share.
Thanks
Martin