I should have check that nut

Rich_ACC · #1 (**permalink**) 02-13-2012, 05:07 PM

I would like to hear from the forum about part mishaps, stuff falling off

or that dumb thing you forgot to do before I left the garage

.

or, I should have checked that nut behind the wheel

.

Rich

rodneym · #2 (**permalink**) 02-13-2012, 05:21 PM

I'm not sure how close of a call this was but...

One time I noticed my RF knockoff quite loose on my old SPF. The safety wire was doing it's job but something was 'off'. It was wired correctly but there was slop in the KO! The only thing I can think of was that the KO wasn't given love taps while lifted and the wheel wasn't flush to the hub when the weight was applied and hammered on(?).
At any rate, I check them by hand before every drive.
Of course you should periodically check everything to a degree but some of us will have great stories about close calls on loose suspension, etc.

mdross1 · #3 (**permalink**) 02-13-2012, 05:39 PM

Never had anything go wrong with Cobra rechecked things too many times.But once on a new Harley build was in a hurry one day doing a main jet change in S&S Super carb during the dail in phase,and finger tightened the bowl drain plug.About 3 miles from home with no phone and going through the gears that plug fell out.Amazing how much fuel runs out of that drain.

blykins · #4 (**permalink**) 02-13-2012, 06:19 PM

Back when I was building my Cobra, I was taking a buddy for a "go-cart" ride. I pulled out of my driveway and hit her a pretty good lick down the country road in front of our house.

In the midst of acceleration, I hear a nice banging sound coming from the rear of the car. I looked back and saw that I had left my trunk lid unbolted and it was ever so gracefully sliding down the road behind me.

Dwight · #5 (**permalink**) 02-13-2012, 09:06 PM

on one of the trip to the London Cobra Show I rubbed a hole in one of the rear brake lines. Quick stop at WalMart for fluid and clamped the line off till we got to Columbus. Next day I dropped by one of the Jegs store and bought a kit to make the line. A guy in the store lent me the use of his tools and shop to make the brake line.

Replaced three lug nut studs in the parking lot of the Hampton Inn one year.

Burn an alternator up about 50 miles South of Columbus one year. Pulled into a truck stop, unloaded Lainhart's Cobra and loaded mine. Replaced the alternator in the parking lot of the Hampton Inn.

stopped up fuel filter in my home town, tow truck to my shop.
broke a upper control arm about 7 miles from my shop. Coach and I took our trailer and rolled the dead Cobra onto it and headed to my shop.

Some of the guys get torn up when something breaks, I just fix it and drive on.
Dwight

Bill Bess · #6 (**permalink**) 02-15-2012, 06:12 AM

Last year my wife and were driving to Pleasanton, Ca. to the Good Guys Car show with a group of hot rods. We had just stopped for gas and pulled back onto Hwy.101, going about 70 mph, I heard a rattling noise on the rear of the rear of the cobra...it was the flip top gas cap..I hadn't locked it down properly. My wife said, "I'll just climb on the roll bar, reach over and smack it closed". I said, no way! we proceeded to stop the car and close the lid.
I said to her, "how would it look in the news paper if she fell out of the car going 70mph closing a gas cap". Women dies falling out of sports car closing gas cap....really dumb!

dpmac · #7 (**permalink**) 02-15-2012, 10:41 AM

I took the Cobra out for spin a couple of years ago to meet a friend and pick something up. Took all the back twisty roads and let the car stretch it's legs a bit. Picked up my stuff and took the same twisty road back (about 40 miles total). At a stop light about 2 miles from home I noticed the steering was kind of "off". Felt like I was riding on gravel or road debris when I made the turn. I pulled over opened the hood checked the steering out, checked all the knuckles, tires etc. Rotated the wheel turn to turn a few times, started her up drove a few circles in a parking lot and all felt good so I continued home.

When I pulled into my driveway it felt "funny" again. Like I ran over a small rock. As I pulled into the garage the steering rack let go completely. Making the turn into the garage the wheel just spun free in my hand. The worm gear had let go in the rack. I got out of the car that was now halfway into the garage, gave the steering wheel a good spin and said a prayer out loud.