Progress Thread Hoopty v2.0 - It All Snowballed

hoopty5.0 · Jul 18, 2022

^ Probably best to watch on mute. I am 100% talking out my ass and have no idea how grade 8 hardware looks when it fails. I'm currently looking through the Googles and realizing how dumb it is to say such things.

Mustang5L5 · Jul 18, 2022

Can't see in too close, but I'm guessing cracking due to fatigue is what did them in. The center "bar" is the final failure location and essentially the metal tearing. The smoother area to each side were where the cracking originated. Basically the pushing and pulling back and forth caused cracking until failure. This points to a defect in the bolt manufacturing process.

Would need in hand to really confirm

hoopty5.0 · Jul 18, 2022

Mustang5L5 said:
Can't see in too close, but I'm guessing cracking due to fatigue is what did them in. The center "bar" is the final failure location and essentially the metal tearing. The smoother area to each side were where the cracking originated. Basically the pushing and pulling back and forth caused cracking until failure. This points to a defect in the bolt manufacturing process.

Would need in hand to really confirm

I was reading a page on ARP's website that mentioned bolts are meant to clamp two things together and not locate parts. Makes sense to me - but how do you get around using a bolt to both clamp AND locate?

Mustang5L5 · Jul 18, 2022

You can't really. Some fastener types will always have some sort of shear load on them. Think about all the various suspension parts out there that use a bolt, or threaded taper fastener of some type to hold two parts together.

Honestly, so much goes into bolt section much more than stress and tension loads. There's corrosion stress and hydrogen embrittlement. Both which can make the bolt more brittle due to it's nature of being in a location that will see water and salt/sand, hot/cold and other environmental factors. You typically don't want a plated bolt in this environment due to risk of hydrogen embrittlement, and yet that's all MM supplies with their suspension parts. (Although i have yet to hear of a failure)

This is the kinda stuff that keeps me up at night.

This will highlight what I mean.

Why Threaded Fasteners Fail

There are many ways to perform destructive testing. The most helpful, and preferred by manufacturers, is to intentionally destroy an assembly in a controlled environment to determine the performance capability of one or more of its components. Another way, done unintentionally and all too often...

www.assemblymag.com

95BlueStallion · Jul 19, 2022

hoopty5.0 said:
What would y'all do as far as addressing the broken pieces?

Without solid evidence of the age or brand, I would count my lucky stars it didn't end up in a wreck or more damage than it did, and avoid the brand you think it is going forward.

bird_dog0347 · Jul 20, 2022

I would just buy the Maximum Motorsports units and replace the whole thing with new alignment and bumpsteer setup... You got lucky twice, don't push that luck.

hoopty5.0 · Jul 25, 2022

I'm kind of at a stand still on the car and it'll more than likely sit a while until I wrap my head around what's next. For the first time in my professional career, my wife said I can have my bonus at the end of the year. Normally, it goes into paying off some stupid amount of debt or car note or into savings but we may squeeze by without anything getting out of whack (still feels a little early to be declaring victory).

Option 1 (least likely): Clean the car up, Finish fixing all the annoying stuff and list it for sale for as much as I can reasonably get for it. ($15-18k??) Combine those funds with end of year funds and buy a resto mod '69/'70 fastback that I've wanted since I was a kid.

Option 2: Take EOY funds and dump them into the fox:
- MM catalog of suspension. Currently the front is stock with coilovers and no front sway bar. It's heinous to drive around corners.
- BC forged wheels
- Either rebuild the 3550 for $400 or replace with a TKX, undecided there. Not sure what I'd gain on the TKX
- Consider pulling out the turbo 302 and installing a 9.5 based motor. By not doing the TKX and selling the current motor, I think Id have enough to buy someone's abandoned project.

So that's what's rolling around in my head. I know this is a fox forum and everyone will scream option 2, but option 1 has been a goal since I was like 6.

General karthief · Jul 25, 2022

Go for the goal. While owning a fox is great I really want to get my 67 back, nothing special, it was just a really nice fastback with a premium fuel 4 barrel 302, auto with a couple rare options. Soon you'll miss the opportunity by being priced out of reality or age.

hoopty5.0 · Jul 25, 2022

General karthief said:
Go for the goal. While owning a fox is great I really want to get my 67 back, nothing special, it was just a really nice fastback with a premium fuel 4 barrel 302, auto with a couple rare options. Soon you'll miss the opportunity by being priced out of reality or age.

There's been a couple of really nice resto-mod cars for low-30's which I think is where I'm targeting. All aftermarket suspension, tasteful drivetrain upgrades, clean interiors and meh quality paint. I'm ok with that. When we get a little closer to it, Ill see what I can string together.

General karthief · Jul 25, 2022

I prolly don't have to say to inspect the underside closely, many cars that age have had the floors replaced and sometimes the work is less than adequate, a guy I met years ago found out the hard way on a 'restomod' 69 mustang, he got clipped on the right side, not very hard but the floor pan was not properly welded the entire floor blew out onto the ground.
Just say'n.

02 281 GT · Jul 25, 2022

hoopty5.0 said:
Maybe this will come up better. I couldnt get great photos up close with the iPhone

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKm8W78Czm0

That's a classic fatigue crack failure. You can see the striations in the progressive failure region along with the rough area where the instantaneous failure occurred.

02 281 GT · Jul 25, 2022

Mustang5L5 said:
Can't see in too close, but I'm guessing cracking due to fatigue is what did them in. The center "bar" is the final failure location and essentially the metal tearing. The smoother area to each side were where the cracking originated. Basically the pushing and pulling back and forth caused cracking until failure. This points to a defect in the bolt manufacturing process.

Would need in hand to really confirm

What you said.

90sickfox · Jul 25, 2022

You are very lucky to have kept control with two failures. A car is usually impossible to steer with only one wheel. The wheel on the busted side either toes all the way out or all the way in. I'm glad you made it there and back. What's a road trip without some drama and sketchiness ?

Mustang5L5 · Jul 25, 2022

If you have a ton of caster, the wheel will want to track straight. Rake that strut back far enough and the ball joint will be slightly ahead of the center hub point and it will want to track straight like a shopping cart. That’s what helps with return to center.

Stock foxes have minimal caster. Mine are full back.

95BlueStallion · Jul 25, 2022

man, go for the dream. We only live once, and with a lot of recent family deaths at young ages (50s-60s), my wife and I are really focusing on the balancing of saving, but enjoying the now. Both her parents are gone already (gone by her 35th bday), and I've had two family members go prior to retirement as well. You can work you life away and save for retirement, but you may not ever get to enjoy it. Better get to living now if you're able to swing it.

hoopty5.0 · Jul 26, 2022

Mustang5L5 said:
If you have a ton of caster, the wheel will want to track straight. Rake that strut back far enough and the ball joint will be slightly ahead of the center hub point and it will want to track straight like a shopping cart. That’s what helps with return to center.

Stock foxes have minimal caster. Mine are full back.

Mine must be full back as well. I could drive forward all day, but not reverse at all.

General karthief · Jul 26, 2022

Mustang5L5 · Jul 26, 2022

hoopty5.0 said:
Mine must be full back as well. I could drive forward all day, but not reverse at all.

That's what MM recommends when installing their plates. Mine are full back

hoopty5.0 · Oct 7, 2022

Well this year went like every other year has gone. Start getting close to the end of the year, think we're doing alright and then WACK! get kicked square in the cods. This year, my wife's explorer sht the bed so she's rolling around in a new-to-us 2019 expedition now. While the thing is freaking amaze-balls, it evaporated my car fund for the most part.

While we were waffling on selling it for a minute, we also realized my F250 is going to roll over 200k miles soon and she floated the idea of buying a cheap beater car to keep the miles off the truck. I suggested maybe swapping a newer drivetrain into the fox for "less money" <--- LMFAOOOOO
And she shrugged and said OK. I completely expected that to get shot down in flames.

So maybe we start saving for one of those crank-a-pallet coyote pullouts and see what happens next year. I've been over the turbo stuff for a while, just no reason to yank it out yet.

TexasFireman · Oct 7, 2022

As much as you drive that car on long trips the Coyote would be perfect!

Progress Thread Hoopty v2.0 - It All Snowballed

mechanicus terribilis

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

mechanicus terribilis

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

My assy trans to myself

still married haven't seen testicles in years

mechanicus terribilis

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

mechanicus terribilis

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

Agreed...My wife has great Boobs

Agreed...My wife has great Boobs

Wasn't a pretty sight...and I've got big hands

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

My assy trans to myself

mechanicus terribilis

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

mechanicus terribilis

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