Another ZX crashes into car heaven

rashmore · Post by **rashmore** » 18 Apr 2005, 13:50

Thankfully bro is ok, however, upon getting the car home , via RAC and covering whats left of it up, we noticed that the bolt that holds the clamp around the suspension strut – the nut was loose on the bolt. When dropping the car off the transportor the wheel went to collapse underneath (wishbone had already broken at hanger) so placed a log under car to protect tyre. Hanger completely fell off the strut.
Failed mot on leaking strut so replaced by garage month or so ago. Now they should have put at least a new nylock nut put back on.
If this was loose, could this have contributed/caused the crash ?
Left hand front strut - Car going round left hand bend (quite tight), tried to steer, didn’t feel like was steering so went straight. Roads were damp….
Not had proper chance to speak to bro as father was there, so he may have been a little over zealous…..
Presumably trying to prove that this was the cause (assuming it is plausible) and claim off the garage would be costly and time consuming ? plus means telling insurance company, other option - scrap car, get a replacement, change on insurance – oh and re-build farmers wall ourselves…..any body want a 1.4i M reg 5 door zx spares or (optimistic) repair…
Look forward to comments

oilyspanner · Post by **oilyspanner** » 18 Apr 2005, 14:18

If the strut was still in the hub carrier then it was in place, they are normally a pretty snug fit in there, add gravity and the weight of the car in normal driving it is very likeley to stay in place, if the impact was sufficient to snap the wishbone, who knows what has changed shape, hope your Bro is okay, cars can be replaced.
Stewart

David W · Post by **David W** » 18 Apr 2005, 14:35

Agree with Stuart. It is really quite hard to get the strut out of the hub even with the bolt right out and a bar levering the wishbone down. Anyway the only thing a loose or missing retaining bolt could have done was to have allowed the strut/hub to separate which would have resulted in a completely different accident.
What is more likely is that the force of the accident has stretched this bolt hence the nut seems loose now. Ideally you would fit a new nut but in reality most places would just use Lok-Tite.
As you suspect speed is the most likely cause... also make, pressures and tread depth of front tyres.
David

rashmore · Post by **rashmore** » 18 Apr 2005, 14:55

Thought i'd ask for piece of mind

(already put speed and damp conditions = off road excursion) not that i've done anything like that before....least it was ice
Front tyres newish Michelins. Might look into taking him on a skid pan training course if can find one locally.
Scary thing is a biker was killed not three hours earlier just around the corner - this was down to dumb car driver turning across his path tho, poor bloke.

citroenzx · Post by **citroenzx** » 18 Apr 2005, 15:27

glad to hear your bro is OK, sad to loose another ZX from the roads! does he still have the central locking plip and receiver?

rashmore · Post by **rashmore** » 18 Apr 2005, 17:13

alas it was only a reflex - key access only, no mod cons like remote central etc lol

citroenzx · Post by **citroenzx** » 18 Apr 2005, 18:01

[:(] oh well worth a go, i hate have a useful thing in my car and not being able to use it

rashmore · Post by **rashmore** » 18 Apr 2005, 19:34

well i've got myself working parcel shelf strings now (once i fit them as shelf slightly different - seat curtains on mine [:)]

lighteninguk · Post by **lighteninguk** » 19 Apr 2005, 03:03

i could do witha new parcle shelf myself! for my zx

rossnunn · Post by **rossnunn** » 19 Apr 2005, 04:00

Glad to hear your bro is ok.
I've done skid pan training, its fantastic. I'd recommend anyone to do it.
I was in a big powerful - rear wheel drive - merc 190E, we started buy braking with & without ABS, then went onto taking s bends in different conditions (simulated by lifting or lowering the car). The first few times I put the Merc backwards into the hay bails but soon got the hang of it.
Then be did a 40mph run down to a roundabout, the idea being that the roundabout was covered in ice.
Finially we just had some fun, power sliding around the airfeild & going down the runway looking out of the passangers window.
Learned alot & was fun too. Even if your just thinking about it, don't just do it!

citroenzx · Post by **citroenzx** » 19 Apr 2005, 17:31

sounds great, couple of questions 1. how much 2. what are the benefits, do you get lower insurance??

rossnunn · Post by **rossnunn** » 19 Apr 2005, 23:46

Dunno how much - was given it as a b'day present.
Insurance wise - Not that I know of, only the pass plus.
The benefits are that you know what to do - properly - in a series of different events, you learn that sick feeling you get in the pit of your belly as those cones that have just gone over the roof, cos you've got no ABS could have been kids.
I learnt a great deal in just one day, I consider myself a safe driver (don't we all) until the instructor told me all the things that make me dangerous - all the things we take for granted.
Very good, get it booked now.

citroenzx · Post by **citroenzx** » 20 Apr 2005, 14:55

A half day is £129 from this company
http://www.driverskills.com/survival.html

joyful · Post by **joyful** » 20 Apr 2005, 16:20

Anybody feeling withdrawal symptoms from Volcane TD fun (like me), I have a good running 1995/M one with failed brakes (front discs and rear hoses) listed in the For Sale forum below.
MOT runs out 29th April. Could be a simple project for somebody to get back on the road.

ItDontGo · Post by **ItDontGo** » 20 Apr 2005, 16:45

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by rashmore</i>

Scary thing is a biker was killed not three hours earlier just around the corner - this was down to dumb car driver turning across his path tho, poor bloke.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
That is awful. A lot of my posts have been about how people shouldn't drive fast and take risks on the road and that is exactly why. I spend my life driving and looking for money to pay for racing and the risk is acceptable to me but on the road you have others' safety in your hands and it is so unfair and selfish to try anything that could put someone else at risk.
A lot of people are of the attitude that they are too good and have been driving too long for their driving ever to cause an accident and to those people all I can say is that I learnt more in one afternoon on a go-kart track than I did in the three years or so driving on the road before I started racing. And it was years of driving single seaters and karts before I really got on top of any car and even after regularly winning I still consider myself a very inexperienced driver. Driving fast on the road is madness.