27 replies to this topic

[P11 COV]

Could you register on here if you have experienced the above. Also it would help if you included info on: Mileage Age Circumstances of failure Any assocaited damage

[M8VXL]

My hub bolts snapped at around 5mph as I drove over a speed hump just 5 miles away from the motorway I was about to join, rear wheel went up into my wheel arch and the car needed new wishbones and the inter arch repaired and re-painted Car was off the road for 15 week, Vauxhall picked up the bill as still under warranty The hire car alone cost over £2000 for them plus round £1500 in damage and parts. Model: Turbo Side: N/S Rear Mileage: 11000 ish never tracked Age: It was just over two years old at the time Circumstances of failure: low speed Any associated damage: £3500 worth The car was reg under YY53LYH and Vauxhall customer service have it on there records, I cant find the reference number just now but could give them a call to get it again. Marc

Edited by M8VXL, 31 October 2007 - 07:59 PM.

[P11 COV]

My hub bolts snapped at around 5mph as I drove over a speed hump just 5 miles away from the motorway I was about to join, rear wheel went up into my wheel arch and the car needed new wishbones and the inter arch repaired and re-painted Car was off the road for 15 week, Vauxhall picked up the bill as still under warranty The hire car alone cost over £2000 for them plus round £1500 in damage and parts.

Model: Turbo
Side: N/S Rear
Mileage: 11000 ish never tracked
Age: It was just over two years old at the time
Circumstances of failure: low speed
Any associated damage: £3500 worth

The car was reg under YY53LYH and Vauxhall customer service have it on there records, I cant find the reference number just now but could give them a call to get it again.

Marc

Thanks for that. I got off lightly in comparision.

Anymore folks.

[c18gmr]

Model: Turbo Side: N/S Rear Mileage:32000 Age: It was just over 3 years old Circumstances of failure: at walshy day doing tight turns at 25mph over bump Any associated damage: New hub carrier, cracked sill and arch liner £350 for hub

[Simply the Best]

I would appreciate some info on this if anyone has it. How can you tell if the bolts are about to fail? Are there any signs in the 'run' up them failing? Like any tell tale creaks, squeaks or knocks? I must admit, it is one of my major concerns with the car and if it would be able to be addressed - wicked. Thanks guys

[c18gmr]

i heard nothing but a big bang when it went sorry couldnt have been more help

[Simply the Best]

i heard nothing but a big bang when it went

sorry couldnt have been more help

That would suggest it's a sudden thing then? Not something that 'wears away' over a course of time?

[M8VXL]

i heard nothing but a big bang when it went

sorry couldn't have been more help

Same for me, all fine then gone, they bend over a short time and the small movements makes them snap! I have them replaced with standard Vauxhall one which 2 months later had to be removed to change the bearing on the N/S rear as well and they had bent again!

Marc

[c18gmr]

got mine replaced with uprated bolts

[jules_s]

Some linkage that might help....

>here<

[Stu-7]

<gulp> Before I go read through the other thread, is anyone aware of an uprated part(s) which are sure to be ok? Tres worrying....

[Stu-7]

(unable to edit previous post)
I've read through the various threads linked to the above and, having done some 25+ trackdays in the VX, including x4 'ring trips, I'm a little concerned, to say the least. The Geo has been done on my car on x2 separate occasions and to my knowledge, the bolts were never replaced.

So, I'm keen to get them replaced. Just to confirm....

A previous thread says: 8 bolts all in all...
Front hub: #11 x 2, #12 x 2,
Rear hub: #5 x 4

Front hub: #11 x 2, #12 x 2,


Rear hub: #5 x 4


In summary:
Front hub:
x2 M10 x 65
x2 M10 x 45 (although there is another #12 which is M10x50....?)

Rear hub:
x4 M10x50

[Ferguson]

Could you register on here if you have experienced the above.

Also it would help if you included info on:

Mileage
Age
Circumstances of failure
Any assocaited damage

Excellent idea, but the value of this survey could be improved if we also collect data on cars which have not (yet) suffered failure. Getting a handle on failures is only relevant if you have proper statistical data. If this is made a sticky and we encourage everyone to respond, I would imagine you will finally collect important data. If you get a few hundred responses, you can get some reasonable data on risk. I think you also need a bit more info on potential confounding factors. So, my suggestion would be to edit your poll to get data from owners who have and who have not suffered failures, with the following questions:

Failed? yes/no
Mileage and age at failure or at present for owners without failure
Approximate number of trackdays?
Wheel and tyre upgrades?
Have bolts ever been apart for geo? If yes, were bolts reused?
Circumstances of failure.
Any associated damage.

For mine:
Not failed (yet)
26'000km, 4 years old (1st two years sitting idle)
1 airfield day
16/17 T1Rs
No suspension work


I will definitely be replacing mine in the spring with uprated bolts before getting it back on the road, since I anyway want a geo setup.

Edited by Ferguson, 03 November 2007 - 03:01 PM.

[jaylin]

Dare I say it but shouldn't folks also mention whether their vx has been tuned / stage etc.? It may be relevant..

[rich_r]

After speaking to a Lotus specialist on Saturday, I mentioned these hub bolts and he said its all myth! He said some plonk has origininally not tightened up thier bolts properly which is why they have failed in the first place, posted the failure on the internet and now this has scared everyone into changing them for no reason! His words not mine!

[VIX]

After speaking to a Lotus specialist on Saturday, I mentioned these hub bolts and he said its all myth!

Well it clearly isn't. The question is whether it's occasional or systematic failure.

[Ouija Board]

After speaking to a Lotus specialist on Saturday, I mentioned these hub bolts and he said its all myth!

Well it clearly isn't. The question is whether it's occasional or systematic failure.

However, if the fault is not with the tensile strength of the bolts, but the fact that they have loosened, or indeed were not correctly torqued at build then it is a myth. I for one spoke to John and Ian at TMS when I booked my car in for it's first service last year, ('06 VXT), (purely based on the info I had gleened from reading about the cars on here, prior to purchase)and he said they had experienced no failures on their own cars, and bearing in mind the abuse the race cars get, that's quite a compelling advert. However, like the majority of owners I would ask for mine to be inspected and or the torque checked at Geo/service.

At the end of the day, I will probably have mine uprated next time I have the geo done, with the 10.8 lotus items, purely to set at rest the very very small seed of doubt that I have.

The chances of getting VX to do a recall etc are non-existant, so if you are in any doubt get them changed as you see fit.

[trescoman]

Model: Turbo Side: O/S Rear Mileage: 15000 ish, tracked Age: about 18 months old at the time Circumstances of failure: very low speed, just entering a major roundabout from stop Any associated damage: None (well a small scuff on the inner wheel arch plastic thingy) the VXT was running CS2 with Nitrons fitted, lowered with full geo. That morning I had been running hardish on back roads to Countenays, hate to think what would have happened if it happened then VXL replaced the bolts under warrenty, AA picked up the car and replacement car cost (2 days) Bob

[Ouija Board]

Model: Turbo
Side: O/S Rear
Mileage: 15000 ish, tracked
Age: about 18 months old at the time
Circumstances of failure: very low speed, just entering a major roundabout from stop
Any associated damage: None (well a small scuff on the inner wheel arch plastic thingy)

the VXT was running CS2 with Nitrons fitted, lowered with full geo. That morning I had been running hardish on back roads to Countenays, hate to think what would have happened if it happened then

VXL replaced the bolts under warrenty, AA picked up the car and replacement car cost (2 days)

Bob

Bob

did VXL change them with 8.8 ones or uprated 10.8's. As I say above I do have a small doubt that mine will fail, and if I have them checked and they are buggered it will be under warranty, so would be nice to know what the change them to. Unless they uprate them, seems pointless to me. (Unless of course it is due to loose bolts, but obviously after they've snapped it's a bit hard to tell )

Cheers

Rob

[rich_r]

After speaking to a Lotus specialist on Saturday, I mentioned these hub bolts and he said its all myth!

Well it clearly isn't. The question is whether it's occasional or systematic failure.

...I for one spoke to John and Ian at TMS when I booked my car in for it's first service last year, ('06 VXT), (purely based on the info I had gleened from reading about the cars on here, prior to purchase)and he said they had experienced no failures on their own cars, and bearing in mind the abuse the race cars get, that's quite a compelling advert...

Very similar to the chap I spoke to, he said they race Elise's on the standard bolts and tune Elises with 300+ bhp (non K-series engines, Honda ones i think) and they have never had a bolt snap.