They should have been wrapped by FFR... looks like the pc came through the box. Sure they will take care of it.

 

I would definitely be looking to replace, not repair.

 

I could deal with chipped paint but bent sorta changes things. Fedex tossed a 24" Sony Computer monitor out in my driveway once. It had been treated so rough the foam corners that held the monitor spun 45 degrees and poked out the sides!

 

I would be on the phone to Fed-Ex asking what sort of light weights they have working for them and how FAST they can get me some new parts to my door. It has to make you wonder about the mentality of people today. You would think someone would have noticed the condition of the box and thought; this may not be all in one piece anymore. Did they really think,” I’m sure no one will notice it.” Sorry to see this, it just shows how our society is getting. Sorry to vent..
Good luck with it. I hope they see THEIR mistake and can correct it fast.

 

I'd straighten them out, touch them up with my ever present can of rustoleum and move forward. It's annoying, but won't matter. Everything needs to be bent a little anyway.
FredK

 

what he said......

 

What a bunch of whining, just bend it back straight and hit it with a little paint.

 

Add me to the bend it back, touch it up and move on crowd.

Michael S.

 

So no concerns that a cold bend like that would have weakened the steel? I've tried bending steel (admittedly not quite that thick) without heating it, and it's obvious that the steel became weakened/damaged at the bend - any mechanical engineers care to comment. The cosmetic stuff isn't worth sending it back for - just hit it with some POR15.

 

I'd say talk to FFR and ask their opinion. But, the bend isn't that bad. It's on the LCA, where it has to be bolted to the IRS frame anyways. There won't be any side to side movement at that location. So I'd say the LCA is still ok to use still, because the bend isn't that bad. But you do have a point about weakening the steel at the point of the bend. The best way to bend it back would be to remove the powder coating around the bend and then heat it up until the steel glows orange. Then bend it back and put it in ice water. The hot / cold system is how the strength of steel is increased and has been around for a long time. The Japanese were one of several to use it to make the Katakana strong and durable along with folding the steel for those same reasons along with making a sharp edge.

 

I'd take it to my local structural steel shop, let them heat it, straighten it and then mag particle it. It's bent in the weld's heat-affected zone, an area where the steel's crystals have been changed by the welding. I wouldn't straighten it cold. I'd be leary of a crack forming at the toe of the fillet weld and going under the weld.

But it's your car. It's not like my life depends on it.

d

 

I'd take it to my local structural steel shop, let them heat it, straighten it and then mag particle it. It's bent in the weld's heat-affected zone, an area where the steel's crystals have been changed by the welding. I wouldn't straighten it cold. I'd be leary of a crack forming at the toe of the fillet weld and going under the weld.



d

Just an example of a tad over analyzing. I would go with Richard Oben's recommendation.

John O

 

Please don't do the ice water thing. That's a good way to make it hard. You don't want hard. You want what's called "toughness," and as A36 steel, you already have that.

Just warm it up a little, it doesn't have to glow. Straighten it out and check it for cracks afterwards.

d

 

Thanks for the input...obviously mixed feedback on next steps. A mechanical engineer by education, this does concern me.

I'm not going to have the success or failure of this suspension component be determine by my rework. I will get direction from FFR.

I'll let you guys know the outcome.

 

Red.

Doing the IRS retrofit are ya? Who's welding in the cage? Please don't tell me you're letting Bill Knight touch your car. :lol:

 

Yes & Yes... You are the second person to warn me this week!!!

 

Any time you deflect steel to where it stays bend in a new direction, you have altered the strength of the steel. And since this is a suspension part, I would not re use.

 

Then how would any steel parts be bent to fit? That just not true.

 

Wow, what a big difference in opinions... I'm surprised that with all the talk about increasing the roadsters safety that has been going on in this forum lately that you would have such a broad difference of opinions...

It seems that everytime you turn around on this site people keep reminding/warning you to respect these roadsters since they are basically race cars driven on the street. I look at it this way for that sole reason... Would a race car team just bend it back or would they check with their structural engineer for guidance, especially since it is on a suspension component. Sure a quick fix might be fine with the part never getting stressed on a limited milage weekend cruiser but if it were on a daily driver or a roadster who sees race action... I think you made the right call Redfish in talking with Factory 5 on this one...

I'm surprised that with all the structural questions I have read about that we don't have a category just for it in the "General Factory Five Topics", there is one for just about every other topic??? Just an outloud thought....

 

You are likely going to have to bend them slightly the other way to get the parts to fit anyway so. Bend it back with a large crescent wrench and forget it. JMHO, Richard.

 

OK, now I'm ready to bitch. I emailed pics and called FFR on 3/26 and followed up in early April. Each time I get great verbal customer service and assurance that a replacement set will be shipped out as soon as possible.

It's almost been a month, with no response, email, phone call...and no replacement control arms.

From a build standpoint, I'm almost ready for the control arm install. Looks like the damaged ones will be installed...

 

OK, now I'm ready to bitch. I emailed pics and called FFR on 3/26 and followed up in early April. Each time I get great verbal customer service and assurance that a replacement set will be shipped out as soon as possible.

It's almost been a month, with no response, email, phone call...and no replacement control arms.

From a build standpoint, I'm almost ready for the control arm install. Looks like the damaged ones will be installed...

I've found this to be typical. You have to call and talk to Jason or Patti. Keep calling until you get one of them on the phone and they'll take care of you.

 

In the past I had some issues myself. Patti is the one to talk to. She makes sure it get done fast and right.

Bruce

 

I've called...

I called when the arms were first on back order to find out when they would ship, I called when there were parts missing from the IRS kit and no instructions, I called twice / sent emails when the arms arrived damaged...

 

bolt them in to the chassis then slide a pipe over them and bend them back-- no big deal-- other things will need more tweeking then that. :weight_lift:

 

That is a really minor bend in mild steel. Tweak to fit and move on.

 

OK, I'll take their lack of a response as "it's fine to bend it back". I just expected a little better service from FFR...

 

Over three weeks and you still are dealing with this? I would have had it fixed 5 minutes after unpacking it. Straighten it and move on to the next fun thing.

 

Yes, over three weeks waiting for the manufacturer to provide the committed replacements.

At this point, I've had the damaged units straightened and will take my chances...

 

tweek it back and move on...you won't weaken it enough for it to be a concern in any way...those pieces are so over engineered anyway.

 

If it were me, I would opt for a new piece.

That flange bent at the weld, bending it back is likely to stress the welded joint, exactly where you don't want a crack happening (since this is the point of contact where your suspension is held to the frame).

That's just my opinion, coming from a guy who does machining and fabrication for a living.

 

WYLD, give us a load calculation on that bent tab. Seems to me the weld should be stronger than the metal just by comparing the size. I would say that tab carries about 150# if the car weighs 2300#

 

It would be difficult to give you a calc without all the data. Static versus kinetic is a big difference. A 50lb wheel and tire isnt just 50lbs moving in an arc on a control arm, it's more accurately a gyro. The loads will vary wildly, depending on acceleration, deceleration, rebound, jounce....

The weld is more likely stronger than the base metal. The problem is that the bend is right at the weld...which means when you move the material back, the weld is more likely to crack. That is reality, not mental gymnastics. That is a standard weld failure test...bend at the weld. The base metal should fail before the weld does. I have no doubt the weld will hold. Unfortunately the base metal, which is the part of the tab taking the load, is likely to fail. So what would hold the suspension load when that happens? This is not a scenario that I would be flip about.