Terminal Split?

[alanh65]

Just returned from a spin, where I was allowing my son to get used to driving the car again ... he has little opportunity usually.

 

As I drove back, the car pulled hard to the right ... nothing to do with my son's driving earlier I hasten to add!

 

Parked up ... and Oh dear!!! ... see photos.

 

 

Must have had a fracture - but hadn't seen it, now a bloomin wide tear!! Oh cripes!!

 

Is this terminal or repairable? Front offside.

 

Robin Hood Series III monocoque - built 1997

[theduck]

Mine is an earlier model to yours, and that woke front end bolts on differently and I would say is much stronger because of it. You are welcome to come and have a look as I would suggest the fix would be to repair in the way mine is built.

[Jez Morton]

Think of it more of an opportunity to upgrade?

Was never happy with my s7 front and converted it to wishbone. Someone in the club was offering the parts years ago so doubt if you could get it now. It was basically the front 2 foot of a space frame seven which you could bolt on.

[Guest 2b cruising]

+1 for the much better, safer and sensible wishbone mod.

If you don't fancy doing it yourself, have a word with steamer with a PM.

He has already completed one for somebody and I'm sure he would give you an unbeatable price.

His workmanship no no bounds in quality or capability.

[theduck]

The job steamer did was on a 2b. It's a very different task to do the same to an s3

[Guest 2b cruising]

Must still be possible though.

Still worth the question at least.

[knights_templar]

Good welder may be able to get it back together, looks like the joint has been sealed with something, probably why you did not see the beginnings of the failure. according to this

 

http://nw.rhocar.org/identification.htm

 

its a known problem.

[HAWKNORTH]

That look nasty. The most upgrades I have done on my 3A have been in this area. The main one is a piece of angle iron that runs across the front and sits between the upper wishbone pivot point and the stainless mounting point. It is bolted at points across the front tub and therefore spreads the load. A bit hard to describe in words and I can't find the pictures I took at the time.

[Guest mower man]

If my 3/ s7 what ever was earlier or later or modded before I got it I dont know but it used the front subframe/ cross member from a seirra to mount the front suspension [inboard sprung] and had an angle iron stiffener between the two towers ,never caused any probs . there was a guy up in scotland i believe had a prob like this but on his way to IVA or SVA ,there is no strength in the upper so called cross member ,some were folded aluminium some stainless and in my op were never safe it will require some serious fab work mick

[cb750]

That looks nasty Alan! First off, looking at the last photo has the wishbone seized on the shaft and stressed the stainless sheet mounting point? I think I said to you when I came over a little while ago that I used a specialist welder who checked and redid all my welds as some were cracked on my 3A. The welder I found was a mobile industrial chap who normally did JCB buckets but did a good job.

 

I think you will have to strip the front end off and see if you can either straighten the damage and get it rewelded with reinforcement or make up new "horns", cut the old ones off and then get the new ones welded into place. Either way you will need to ensure everything is in line.

 

Rob

[cb750]

Not much help but looking at photo 1, the vertical crack looks new but the horizontal crack looks to be older as it's dirty. Also, if the dark colour is sealant and not the weld, then it looks like a previous owner has disguised a known cracking problem.

[alanh65]

Thanks Robert, I remember your tale of the mobile welder and your initial fear of him attacking your car 'with gusto' ... and then how pleased you were with his work.

 

Many thanks to all of you for your suggestions, analysis, advice, support, references and links - all of which will assist me in deciding my next move in trying to keep my 'Hoodie' on the road.

 

It may well be a slow, and not inexpensive, journey, but I would prefer to take it if I can, rather than reduce the Robin Hood family by one member.

 

Any further suggestions/advice will be gladly received - thanks to you all.

 

Alan

[Snapperpaul]

The upper wishbone mount is folded metal that goes from side to side through the front of the car

 

I surmise that the weld held but the original welding heat had made the metal brittle one a small fault started it would open up like a zip

[cb750]

If you need a hand dismantling the front and seeing what needs to be done I will be free after Sunday. Let me know when you are ready.

[knights_templar]

It looks like a case at assessing how much damage is done, if it can be repaired, permanently and or modified to increase strength, and safety, whether you need parts and there avalibility, and an informed and unsentimental decision made.

 

Anything man made can be remade, its just down to it's viablility to do so.

 

You have the basis of another Sierra based kit already, a good part of the cost. So the 3 may be prove to be dead, but maybe something can rise from its asses, so to speak.

 

Hope it is not a total loss to the breed, I wish you luck.