| Re: Kiwi scratchbuilt
Richard, I think it's when the links bend that the joints break! As soon as they bend they will lose all strength and then proceed to deform rapidly, the joint then comes to the limit of it's designed angular deflection and snaps through the shank. Using small joints limits forces that can be transmitted into the pickup points as the joint breaks, hopefully saving the chassis and the upright. I will more than likely be using mainly 3/8" joints plus the odd 1/2". In Ross's case I think the hit broke the upright first because I don't think there is a lot of inherent strength in those flanged gussetted type uprights, they may be designed that way to be the weak link as Ross says. However I may be wrong. I also think with a properly designed and fabricated steel upright that you would come out of most situations like that with little or no structural damage and be able to continue. Not so of course when you bury the thing at high speed into guard rails or other solid objects!! At that stage niceties of design are a bit irrelevant.
Bathurst was an interesting race! Neither Murph nor Ambrose could afford to back out of that situation if they were to have a chance at the podium, of course they were both concentrating on the impending conclusion of "the Great Race" and not the championship points situation that they would lose by not finishing. At that stage of the race I don't think any racer worth his salt would have given way. I don't see anyone to blame for it, it's just one of those "racing incidents". The stewards may not take that view though!
Regards |