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suspension cracks

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aeronca65t

aeronca65t

Great Pumpkin
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Take a careful look at the Spridget A-arm in the photo below and note the round, threaded reciever area where the fulcrum pin screws in. Under this area you will see a teeny, tiny crack.

This is my second one like this in less than a year. I've also had fatigue cracks on the chassis pick-up points where the A-arm mounts. I clean and inspect the suspension on a regular basis. You could easily miss this if you don't look carefully. This was fixed last week.

Many of our cars are 40+ years old and this sort of thing is to be expected (especially when you run sticky race tires). Good idea to inspect your suspension once in a while!

sprite-crack.jpg
 
Nial, that's a very good safety point and is exactly the reason why I replaced the A-arms in my suspension overhaul last winter.

Not only did my A-arms have cracks, but also where the sway bar attaches. It's a wonder the whole thing didn't fall apart during one of my "spirited" drives.

The a-arms take a lot of stress due to the way the Spridget suspension functions. Worth replacing, if they have not been already. :yesnod:
 
Many years ago after some spirited moun tain driving I stopped by my girlfriend's house. I exited the 67 Sprite and closed the door. The whole front end dropped to the ground as the door
closed. Like some cartoon.
Both lower A frames had snapped into. I felt VERY lucky.
A few months earlier I had let her drive the Sprite and
we "flew" off a 3 foot embankment at the lake. They were paving the road and the stop sign at the "T" had yet to be re-installed. It was dark and my girlfriend was unfamiliar with
the road. We came to a rest with the lake waters lapping the front tires. I felt VERY lucky.
I inspected the front suspension but could not the the hairline
fractures which must have been there.
All is well that ends well. I married her anyways. 36 years and counting.
 
Is there any certain brand of "upgrade" or performance A-arms available, or should we simply replace the originals with new repros from the usual sources? Do they make new repro A-arms?
 
I welded mine and haven't had any problems (....yet, enter any and all legal disclaimers here if you do this).
 
2nd the welding approach. Same disclaimers. Common practice on the racing cars. My shop landlord has had to replace a couple of 'A' arms on his SCCA HP racer. When I rebuilt my old SCCA FP racer back in 2000, I welded on both 'A' arms and may have even replaced one that had too many stress cracks. The fulcrum pin tubes get a good brazing and the re-enforcement panel underneath gets a seam weld. The points where sway bars mount get a complete patch to increase the thickess where the bolt holes go through the side. The holes also get a good de-burring and slight chamfer. Up sizing to 7/8" or 1" swaybars makes this imperative. The pivot sleeves on the frame end of the 'A' arm get a good going over as well. Any with marginal welds get improvements and those with missing welds and gaps get tossed.

Either cleaned, inspected and welded/refurbished stock units or the inspected repro's or the uprated (my interpretation is "hand-selected" and/or improved) versions should work just fine. If you are a racer, periodic inspection is warranted with any of these options.

Off to Roebling tomorrow to try out the race car for the first time this year. There is a double regional event at the track near Savannah. Got some new suspension, a modified exhaust system and a modified set of 1-1/4 SU's to try out. Hope the weather holds and we have a fun weekend. Lots of Spridgets are suppossed to be in attendance.

Mike Miller
 
Good Luck Mike.

Put it out front and stay there!!

Steve
 
Thanks Steve!!!! There's going to be some fast guys with their "Rising Sun" cars there and maybe a V-Dub or two. We'll try and keep the "Union Jacks" out front. The Allied forces need to triumph over the Axis! Phil Chiles' old Bugeye will be there too as part of the HP contingent. I think I'm one of the "Kids" of the Spridget group at 58. Most of the Spridget racers have 6 - 10 years on me. Anyway thanks again for the encouragement!

Mike
 
Trevor - do you know what the price is for the A arms from Spridgetwishbone? I just looked at their web-site and only found their shipping costs.

Mike - thanks for the welding/refurbishing wisdom.

All - I'll be crawling around ours with the trouble light later today.

Thanks,

Doug
 
At one time Peter C. was contemplating stocking those. The price is on the website somewhere 160 pounds for a PAIR of the uprated version, and 65 pounds EACH for the standard. I think that price includes shipping in the UK.
 
Not to start a controversy, but in a somewhat limited survey of A-frames with those kinds of stress cracks, and worse, I've found either completely perished rubber bushings, or red poly bushings installed. I still maintain that the original rubber fulcrum and upper trunion bushings are preferable, given they are on good order.

Peter C.
 
PeterC said:
Not to start a controversy, but in a somewhat limited survey of A-frames with those kinds of stress cracks, and worse, I've found either completely perished rubber bushings, or red poly bushings installed. I still maintain that the original rubber fulcrum and upper trunion bushings are preferable, given they are on good order.

Peter C.
Click to expand...

I think you are right on about that, Peter. Further, it's advisable that if you drive your Spridget often, and if you drive in a "spirited" manner (which, of course, we all do), overhaul your suspension or verify that it's sound and in good nick. Worn bushes are a dead giveaway that danger may lurk in your suspension. Worn bushes foster suspension failure.

Peter, I also prefer the rubber bushes for street cars, which don't tend to stress the components as much and render a better ride quality.

Tragic stuff can easily result from a knackered front suspension. These things were not made to take a lot of punishment: if your suspension is not relatively new/rebuilt, have it done. Pay special attention to your spring pans, a key component that takes a lot of stress. Moss sells them for $250 ea. (British Motor Heritage part) or $170 ea.(aftermarket).

Safe is better than sorry. :yesnod:
 
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