Ouch

[Trackdayguy]

One of my customers cars. 2016 SV Sigma.



This is its present state; awaiting parts from Caterham Cars which includes a half frame, both side panels, drivers floor and complete front suspension and steering. A huge list of parts.

Edited by Trackdayguy on Thursday 25th October 16:06

[Brightonuk]

Did the airbag deploy?

[Turn7]

Ooof! What happened ?

[Trackdayguy]

He was traveling from North Vancouver to Whistler which is in part is very twisty, lots of hair pins, deluge of rain, going to quick for the conditions, front locked up and hit the wall. Not a scratch on him. What was interesting is the steering rack and the frame it sits on came away from chassis on both sides and was obviously thrashing around, column came back and the clamp that bots both columns together wacked the fire wall and pushed it back. It was a big accident.

Car was insured at full cost replacement, insurance company paid him out $78,000.00 plus the car back with a clean title. Estimated repair bill is $50k

[Trackdayguy]

Brightonuk said:

Did the airbag deploy?

I imagine the only thing that deployed was his bowels.

[Eric Mc]

Driving Sevens in heavy rain is not much fun.

[fergus]

Trackdayguy said:

What was interesting is the steering rack and the frame it sits on came away from chassis on both sides and was obviously thrashing around, column came back and the clamp that bots both columns together wacked the fire wall and pushed it back. It was a big accident.

Do you know whether the brazed joint gave way, or the metal on the rack support itself was torn apart?

[Trackdayguy]

It came away at the weld. Metric chassis isn’t braced as far as I know

[TheHoof]

Wait this is in Canada and it's a 2016 model. I didn't think Caterhams were sold in Canada or has that changed (asking as someone about to move to Toronto)

[Trackdayguy]

It was the last one built before CC pulled the plug on Canada 😱

[Trackdayguy]

TheHoof said:

Wait this is in Canada and it's a 2016 model. I didn't think Caterhams were sold in Canada or has that changed (asking as someone about to move to Toronto)

Get them to contact me. Tell them NOT to contact Transport Canada

Edited by Trackdayguy on Sunday 28th October 02:06

[fergus]

Trackdayguy said:

It came away at the weld. Metric chassis isn’t braced as far as I know

that's a bit worrying, and a sign of a poor quality weld (I include brazing with the term "weld" here).

[Trackdayguy]

fergus said:

that's a bit worrying, and a sign of a poor quality weld (I include brazing with the term "weld" here).

Your quite right, very worrying I would say, might be a good idea for folks to take a look at theirs.

[V7SLR]

Trackdayguy said:

Your quite right, very worrying I would say, might be a good idea for folks to take a look at theirs.

It's damage due to a major front end impact and you're suggesting it's faulty welding?

[Trackdayguy]

V7SLR said:

It's damage due to a major front end impact and you're suggesting it's faulty welding?

No, the damage was caused by overdriving in poor conditions, as described above, the impact however broke the welds clean off on both sides, so the rack and the rack frame were disconnected from the car and floating around

[fergus]

V7SLR said:

Trackdayguy said:

Your quite right, very worrying I would say, might be a good idea for folks to take a look at theirs.

It's damage due to a major front end impact and you're suggesting it's faulty welding?

When you perform weld penetration testing, the surrounding metal will typically give way (for a good weld) prior to the weld yielding. My comment was around the quality of joining the chassis members together.

[Trackdayguy]

I guess so. The parts were thrown out a few weeks ago, from what I can remember was the weld stayed on the rack from and was torn from the chassis, gives you some idea of the impact this car went through

[HustleRussell]

It's just a rack platform. If it was supposed to contribute strength to the chassis it would be designed and affixed differently. If I remember correctly, where the platform joins the chassis box section only about a quarter of the mating surface is actually welded each side.

The rack platform will buckle in any kind of moderate or heavy side impact. The way it is designed you can order a new rack platform from Caterham for about £100 and weld it in, assuming the chassis is otherwise straight. It's probably sacrificial. If it was stronger it'd probably tend to pull the chassis rails about.

The chassis are strong. There obviously isn't much there to protect occupants in side impact, but they are strong in front impact.

[Trackdayguy]

You dead right. Very strong. When you look at the impact this car has had other than the very front end the chassis is square and straight.