So I took a couple days off this week to button up the race car for Hyperfizzle. Revalved shocks and new springs installed. Put on the pimpy groun control upper shock hats and half-heartedly start installing the oil gauges I bought last year. Drill up some special zip tie holes so I can put on my front bumper skin. Finally I'll do a nut and bolt on the thing, bleed the brakes (more on that elsewhere).

So I just finished installing the left front shock assembly, and I noticed that there's grease all over the lower ball joint. The car has been sitting on jackstands for three months. How is this possible? I think it's SARS. I really do.

It doesn't look like it's the CV joint, but hey look at that...the rubber seal for the tie rod end has committed suicide. Oh happy day. If I can't find one today I'm going to just punt and drive the car as is.

See you all Saturday morning, and yes I'll have all the stickers and stuff with me.

 

Has put 30,000 miles on a car with two ripped tie rod end boots. Still takes an alignment. *shrug*

 

It never ceases to amaze me how cars will do stuff like that...you drive the thing to within an inch of its life, park it, inspect everything, find that it is all fine, then look at it a couple of days before a race and several things (usually hard to find, I might add) have just spontaneously pooped.

 

Busted tie rod end and ball joint boots have this funny way of splattering grease on your brake rotor. And yes, I found this out the hard way.

The local honda dealer should have some boots in stock. After that, order a baggie of them from Suspension Restoration and call it part of your "spares package."

 

Perhaps you shouldn't have farted around so much with that sprinkler system??

At least you have a well watered lawn. Like you need that this year...

 

Wrap the thing with metal (foil) tape and be done with it until next week.

 

Wow. Hell, I really thought that this race weekend and the prep would be a rare, problem-free experience for ya, Karl. I guess some things are just not meant to be

I'll be at the track by 3pm on Friday if you need a hand with anything!

 

I'll be there 8am friday (FATT y0!) if anyone needs anything

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by .RJ &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I'll be there 8am friday (FATT y0!) if anyone needs anything </TD></TR></TABLE>

WHAT?!? They are doing a FATT tomorrow? I actually e-mailed the track to find out who had the track on the 4th so I could come down a day early and practice with the new car, and they told me that they were shut down for the week to prepare for hyperfest! Grrrrrrrr!

Matt, whose car is being tuned as we speak. Now all I need are my new brake pads to be delivered and I'm golden!!!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by .RJ &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I'll be there 8am friday (FATT y0!) if anyone needs anything </TD></TR></TABLE>

No FATT on the schedule. Can't see how they could have a paddock full of FATTers and set up the Hyperfizzle vendors at the same time.

What you been smokin', Boy?