Sheared off lower ball joint

[ZOERA-SC7XX]

Ball joints just don't break! It's possible that there was a whole bunch of defective ball joints in their production run. I hope the company (SPF) investigates this problem and identifies who else may be in jeopardy. It's better to be safe than sorry.

[Kenm4187]

This should be a link to the pictures I posted. First time so I hope it works.
http://photobucket.com/kenm2560
I was almost going straight and I did not run into anything. Honest, this was not driver error. It was not binding when checked the day before.

Thanks everyone for the concern, I am ok, just upset about what happened. Working to get the car running for the next event.

Thanks,

Kenm2560

[RedBarchetta]

Originally Posted by ZOERA-SC7XX

Ball joints just don't break! It's possible that there was a whole bunch of defective ball joints in their production run.

That's a pretty bold statement to make for one incident being reported, especially when the driver admitted to driving the car hard.

Ken, sorry to hear about your misfortune and I hope things get patched up quick so you can be back on the road!

-Dean

[thudmaster]

Ken, get it patched before the 21st of June. I'd like to hear about it first hand at breakfast.........Where ever it's going to be..........

[vegasmike]

Yea, pretty bold statement. Like you Dan, I have some pretty extensive experience in the airline/aircraft industry. I know of at least one instance where the nose gear on an MD-80 failed. Boeing/MD just said that it looked like metal fatigue and appeared to be an isolated incident. It has not happened since, to my knowledge, and no service bulletins were posted either. Sometimes things just happen based on the series on events that precluded it.

Neither the airline or the manufacturer were found to be at fault and it was determined by the FAA to be an "unexplainable isolated incident of metal fatigue".

Just glad you are safe (as were all of the pax).

[ZOERA-SC7XX]

Originally Posted by vegasmike

Yea, pretty bold statement. Like you Dan, I have some pretty extensive experience in the airline/aircraft industry. I know of at least one instance where the nose gear on an MD-80 failed. Boeing/MD just said that it looked like metal fatigue and appeared to be an isolated incident. It has not happened since, to my knowledge, and no service bulletins were posted either. Sometimes things just happen based on the series on events that precluded it.

Neither the airline or the manufacturer were found to be at fault and it was determined by the FAA to be an "unexplainable isolated incident of metal fatigue".

Just glad you are safe (as were all of the pax).

You bet it's bold. I'm an FAA rated mechanic and an NDT (X-ray, mag particle, FPI,) inspector for a major jet engine manufacturer in CT., and when there's a metal failure, it's investigated.
Maybe it's just a car, but I would not want it to be mine. I agree with the statements regarding heat treat and general manufacturing quality. These parts are made to survive a vehicle lifetime and usually wear out before failing in the field. Maybe if the car hit a concrete abutment or a sinkhole would it shear, but not under normal driving conditions. I wonder who the manufacturer was? If I had an SPF Cobra, I'd change all four ball joints and replace with Moog parts.

[vegasmike]

Yea, I think it's important to find out what happened and maybe test some of the failed parts from the same batch before running out and causing mass panic. One incident won't cause that, but it's still important to know what happened, if for no other reason than personal knowledge.

Now, if the incident does not end up being an isolated event...