Re: [AMC-list] Safety Weinie (reliability)

[tom jennings <tomj@xxxxxxx>]

On Tue, Dec 22, 2009 at 04:53, Armand Eshleman <aje1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:


> Formula cars use 6 point restraint system with arm restraints,, [...]

You felt like you were a part
> of the car.
>
>
This, and what Frank points out, and what anyone in business knows, it's
simply a matter of cost! You can have anything you want if you wanna pay for
it.


There's nothing wrong with a single-circuit brake system. If you maintain
the crap out of it, and actually replace parts before failure ("maintenance"
to me) it will work as great as anything.

But "reliability" is a subtle thing, Formula racers -- with a budget -- will
not miss a funny looking line or a seeping joint. Any of us hobbiests, no
matter how vigilant, can't SWEAR that you will NEVER miss one. So
inexpensive redundancy in the form of dual circuit brakes is worth the
effort. (And even that is benefitting from the manufacturers data gathering
and engineering.)

Every single component in everything ever made by humans is subject to this
sort of analysis, if you bother.

My personal list for reliability when I get a "new" (sic) car is, in order,
more or less:

suspension rebuild (complete disassembly replace ALL worn parts)
new springs (usually)
brakes rebuild (ditto) and upgrade
new wheels and tires
electrics
transmission
engine
various chassis crap
add gas tanks to this list

Engine is LAST usually, short of broken internals you can usually cajole
them into running well enough to check out, and a motor that drops dead
doent usually kill you like suspension/brake/electric failures.

If you reverse the list, it's then more or less "what's easiest to fix on
the side of the road?"


I've found that cars with the worst suspensions often have decent shocks
left in them. ALl I can figure is, the car is rattling clanking and
thumping, and owners put in new shocks. My 63 American still has the same
rear shocks from when I go tthe car from Joe!! Hell I rallied with them.
They're actually a decent rate and work fine. Shocks are safety-wise lower
priority than bushings. Cheap and easy too.
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