wow really. ive never heard of this happening to anyone else. how did your situation play out? warranty? other damage to car?
(shocked)
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My wheel FELL OFF - BC coilover failure
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wow really. ive never heard of this happening to anyone else. how did your situation play out? warranty? other damage to car?
(shocked)
Wastegate13
Member
- :
- 08.5 CWP MS3 GT
I have indicated here in this pic where the break was. Again it looks like the strut was built as 2 separate pieces and threaded/welded together at this connection point
I know the pic shown is not the coilover for the MS3 but they have a similar design
Of course they're 2 piece. How else would the ride height be adjusted?
Your failure sucks, no doubt about it. Of course running them full stiff when BC specifically advises not to on the street probably had something to do with this.
I would really like to see pictures of this piece. If they were properly installed and adjusted there is no way for the strut to fall like that. The lockring would keep the upper half from collapsing into the lower body.
The only way I can even imagine this happening is for the T tab not being properly aligned into the wishbone. You said it was broken off right?
Of course they're 2 piece. How else would the ride height be adjusted?
Your failure sucks, no doubt about it. Of course running them full stiff when BC specifically advises not to on the street probably had something to do with this.
I would really like to see pictures of this piece. If they were properly installed and adjusted there is no way for the strut to fall like that. The lockring would keep the upper half from collapsing into the lower body.
The only way I can even imagine this happening is for the T tab not being properly aligned into the wishbone. You said it was broken off right?
the lower part of the body is 2 pieces unlike the stock body. I'll post pics to clear things up. The tab was broken off. The struts were installed properly for 11 months with no problems, i didnt even change the ride height since the initial install. It also didnt collapse in to the lower half, it just split in to 2 and separated
Last edited:
bykeryder4life
Member
that is a good question and i shouldve included that in the original post
i was all the way stiff in the front (32/32 i guess) and about 18/32 in the rear
i know having it all the way stiff most likely contributed to it blowing
correct my friend, you were running them way too stiff. also, your car could have handled and ridden wayy better and you would have really enjoyed the BC's if they werent so damn stiff. Sorry to hear your s*** failed though, live and learn kinda s*** i guess?
- :
- 13 MX-5
Are you sure you threaded the sleeve/shock body enough into the base where that part goes into the lower control arm?
correct my friend, you were running them way too stiff. also, your car could have handled and ridden wayy better and you would have really enjoyed the BC's if they werent so damn stiff. Sorry to hear your s*** failed though, live and learn kinda s*** i guess?
That's beside the point really. If the BC's weren't designed to run at full stiff for any period of time then why include it in the range of adjustment in the first place? TBH, running them full stiff in a track setting would probably be more stressful than anywhere else.
We all know s*** happens but this is a pretty serious failure if you think about it. It could have been a whole lot worse - what if the part failed at 75 MPH on a highway? The OP might not be here telling us this if that were the case...
Running full stiff on a daily driving schedule and not at a smooth track probably didn't help much. But, if BC warranties them using any setting at any road surface, you are OK. Try the next set at 1/2 way.
The BCs are great on Neon SRT4-s. I have an MS3 and an SRT-4. Both great cars.
The BCs are great on Neon SRT4-s. I have an MS3 and an SRT-4. Both great cars.
Running full stiff on a daily driving schedule and not at a smooth track probably didn't help much. But, if BC warranties them using any setting at any road surface, you are OK. Try the next set at 1/2 way.
The BCs are great on Neon SRT4-s. I have an MS3 and an SRT-4. Both great cars.
Yeah but track stresses would be much greater than on the street. Also not every track is smooth really. But if its not okay to run them at full stiffness on the street then it shouldn't be sold on a street coilover set up. Not bashing on BC because we haven't heard what they have said about it yet. Just saying that running full stiffness should not what is at fault here... yeah it probably wasn't comfortable to drive but shouldn't cause it to break in two.
Wastegate13
Member
- :
- 08.5 CWP MS3 GT
Yeah but track stresses would be much greater than on the street. Also not every track is smooth really. But if its not okay to run them at full stiffness on the street then it shouldn't be sold on a street coilover set up. Not bashing on BC because we haven't heard what they have said about it yet. Just saying that running full stiffness should not what is at fault here... yeah it probably wasn't comfortable to drive but shouldn't cause it to break in two.
Running the shocks at full stiff for the few hours you may be on a track as opposed to running them that way every single day for almost a year is not quite the same thing.
That energy has to go somewhere and if the shock is set too stiff to do it's job then it gets transferred into the shock body, possibly leading to deformation or failure.
I still believe that this is either an isolated incident with a defective part or install error.
Of course the only thing that this is going to end up being is a BC bashing fest.
Well I was just saying that from an engineering stand point that it should be designed to hold max stiffness for 24/7 on or off the track.
Not trying to bash BC or the OP but if there's a max on anything, someone is going to use it and it should be accounted for, even if that means lowering the max before selling.
And it might have been and this is an install error or just a bad piece.
Not trying to bash BC or the OP but if there's a max on anything, someone is going to use it and it should be accounted for, even if that means lowering the max before selling.
And it might have been and this is an install error or just a bad piece.
bykeryder4life
Member
If the BC's weren't designed to run at full stiff for any period of time then why include it in the range of adjustment in the first place? TBH, running them full stiff in a track setting would probably be more stressful than anywhere else.
They can be ran at full stiff if the road/track conditions permitted it, but with this car full stiff isnt even a good setting so why use it. Most run right around the middle of the range and are quite happy there. This guy is running the shocks at full stiff around town all day and when he hits a big pothole the shock drops into it and rebounds really hard and fast. On full stiff that = blown. On a track theres not big potholes like the road around town so having them at a stiffer setting would be ok IMO.
bykeryder4life
Member
Well I was just saying that from an engineering stand point that it should be designed to hold max stiffness for 24/7 on or off the track.
Not trying to bash BC
just remember these are a $900-1000 set of coils so you get what you pay for kinda thing. If you got hks or MS coils you could crank em up all day and I bet they would hold up better
- :
- 02' Protege ES
Well I was just saying that from an engineering stand point that it should be designed to hold max stiffness for 24/7 on or off the track.
Don't expect $1000 price tag with a requirement like that.
bykeryder4life
Member
well holy s*** thats crazy man that thing broke clean off.
- :
- 13 MX-5
Yes, the coilover is 2 separate pieces. But where you pointed the arrow wasn't where you broke it looking at the picture in the OP. That is some freakish s*** that happened to you.I have indicated here in this pic where the break was. Again it looks like the strut was built as 2 separate pieces and threaded/welded together at this connection point
eibach don't make coilovers! I was talking about coilovers since this thread is talking about it!Oh...and Edwin, I'm glad you didn't mention Eibach...I had both of my front
springs break on me within the last two years.
exactly, it broke at the BOTTOM where it fits into the spindleYes, the coilover is 2 separate pieces. But where you pointed the arrow wasn't where you broke it looking at the picture in the OP. That is some freakish s*** that happened to you.
the pics shows the design at the bottom is poor... there's hardly any threads, and it's fine threads which makes strength even worse... and to top it off, the s*** rusted up which lowered strength even more... that part needs to be AT LEAST stainless steel or zinc coated the hell out of inside and out! then the s*** is hardly even welded on... this is definitely something to be done for anyone who wants to install these... get the bottom part welded on before it goes on the car!
- :
- 02' Protege ES
eibach don't make coilovers! I was talking about coilovers since this thread is talking about it!
I believe hell has just frozen over.......
http://eibach.com/cgi-bin/htmlos.exe/07147.2.7092364268900011694
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