ZMANALEX Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 A bit scary, but I live to tell the tale. Well where do I start, okay it was a very wet night last Thursday at Knockhill so it was never going to be a session for quick laps and riding the kerbs. Went down early as I wanted to do some work to the car prior to the track night, so I borrowed one of the new garages for a few hours as it was peeing down. So set to work: adjust suspension settings,check over and greaze up suspension bushes, adjust boost levels, fit new brake pads all round. 6 pm came and it was time to have some fun. Told the Marshalls that I would be running off the racing line for around 6 laps until I bed in the brakes and until I got a feel for the new suspension settings. 6 laps came and went without incident and was picking up the pace nicely but conditions were very bad and water was beginning to lie in the usual places but I have driven there when much worse so no drama there. Caught up and passed a couple of 997 GT3 RS Porkers but I was still off my lap PB by about 7 seconds. Around lap 12 I decided to have 1 more flying lap and then a cool down. So lap 12, was heading up the long pit straight at 125mph and just before the bridge there was this almighty crack and the car veered viciously to the right. (exactly in the same spot where an Ultima had a rear suspension failure a few months back and he hit the bridge parapet and wrote his car off) Managed to just catch it by instinctly flooring the throttle and powered out of it, but by now I was heading towards Duffus at 30 mph to fast, said a very quick prayer but luckily there was no other cars around me so I had the whole track to play with and managed to get the speed down and got round the next few corners and crawled back to the pits. On inspection I found that the n/s/f top supension wishbone had fractured right through, a clean break with no indication of metal fatique. Well I think that I have now used up all my 9 lives and I consider myself extremely lucky to be here to tell the story. I would urge all, when upgrading your suspension to avoid at all costs, anything with the Kinetix Logo. This was not wear and tear but a mechanical failure and it is ironic that I had meticulously checked over all the suspension arms and bushes just prior to the session, furthermore the laps were slow (66 secs) and the kerbs were getting avoided due to the wet conditions. I would hate to even think about the consequenses if I had been in full flight. Some pics for you. THE BROKEN KINETIX TOP SUSPENSION ARM ON THE CAR KINETIX FAILED TOP SUPENSION ARM OFF THE CAR AN OEM TOP SUSPENSION ARM NEW SPC ARMS FITTED TODAY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 F*cking hell! No wonder all you said was 'Don't even mention it' All I can say is I'm glad you're ok. must have been some piece of driving to catch that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinmac Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 Bloody hell Alex, a very scary tale. Having had some "moments" in the car at road type speeds I struggle to imagine how fast you have to react at track speeds. So is this something that you have heard of before. Glad you both ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maccaman Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 God that must have been scary as hell Alex. Really thankful that your experience helped you through it & you & the car were ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatalus Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 That is terrifying to read, let alone experience it! Glad that you and the car got out unharmed.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcash5 Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 Damn, look a horrific failure there!!! I was actually looking at a set of the SPC (Eibachs) yesterday and looked a very nice bit of kit. Correct me if Im wrong adam but isnt this the 2nd Kenitics thing that has failed, the first being the upper plenum? Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nixy Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 Jesus! You are so lucky you are an experienced driver in those conditions - imagine that happening to someone else with less experience! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vik54 Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 Ok.........now I understand why you wouldn't talk about it............ Glad you're still with us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 Bloody hell............ scarey stuff. Glad your ok tho buddy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich5259 Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 Glad you are ok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MITZ@CougarStore Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 Alex, good to read that you’re ok after that awful experience… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZMANALEX Posted August 30, 2009 Author Share Posted August 30, 2009 Cheers for the kind words guys and girls, will be back out again on Wednesday, you just gotta dust yourself down and get back in the saddle, happened all pretty quickly so no drama. Martin : I have not heard of other Kinetix Suspension failures but I am very rarely on the USA forums. Dan: Yes Kinetix Plenum and now Kinetix Supension failure. I guess that I won't be shelling out for any more Kinetix stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZMANALEX Posted August 30, 2009 Author Share Posted August 30, 2009 Any body got an old stock top suspension arm lying around ? I require the cone shaped part that is on the balljoint spindle. Cheers, Alex. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LRF4N Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 scary stuff- glad ur ok alex! bet ur trousers didnt survive tho lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 scary stuff- glad ur ok alex! bet ur trousers didnt survive tho lol Bit like yours last week Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ebized Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 Any body got an old stock top suspension arm lying around ? I require the cone shaped part that is on the balljoint spindle. Cheers, Alex. Maybe R35LEE Glad you and (the rest of) the car are in one piece - so what happened to lose the other 8 lives Look forward to seeing you next Sunday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stanski Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 Bl***** ell Alex glad to hear your ok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zedwagon Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 Glad to see you got out of it in one piece Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanS16 Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 Sh*t that must of been scary. Good luck you are a bit of a track veteran or it may have been a lot worse! Did the car obtain any damage or was it literally just the part? Glad to hear you are okay though mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZMANALEX Posted August 30, 2009 Author Share Posted August 30, 2009 Did the car obtain any damage or was it literally just the part? No more damage, only the suspension arm but that was down to more luck than any thing else Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walbertonio Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 Good lord, glad to hear you came out of that OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris`I Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 Crikey! Well done on saving it sir, I would have been papping myself. Mental note not to get those arms in future! Hopefully this wont be effecting you attending the hoon? Oh and as Colin said, Lee is probably the best man to sort you out with the OEM bits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbiscuit Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 that is a shocking failure of a part, will you be contacting kinetix about it? must admit, they don't seem to be building themselves a reputation in quality. as their 2 plenums seems to split and crack as well. glad to see your ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P15UL T Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 holy jesus man, glad you made out ok, 125mph on that straight in the rain....you got big balls man cant wait to see this z in action Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerry3167 Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 OMG!! Glad youre ok though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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