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Just as I expected to find. Here it is. Self destruct due to sh1+ quality. It looks like just poor rubber compound that is like lumpy latex paint, rather than uneven thickness. I used my finger to feel the thickness on the ridges of the boot and could not find excessive thinness. This points to just sh1+ rubber molding process which is totally not a surprise with what I know about some cut rate Chinese manufacturing.
the puncture is a slit and likely precipitated from the centrifugal force with the mass of the rubber cause the bellow to stretch outwards; would be really interesting to film it with a GoPro
This is the replacement axle because the first set sprung a leak in both outer and inner boots. I inspected both boots carefully before installing and still this crap happens.
While the bellows rub against one another during slow speed tight turn, there is no sign of abrasion on the external surface.
Here is the mess the CV boot made. It is a major PITA especially in the wheel well. I cannot stick my head in to inspect things without getting greasy hairs. The cheapest way to remove the grease is to use staled gasoline. I don't like doing it because of releasing more VOC to the atmosphere.
I have simple green. I would learnt that you have to be extremely careful what you use it on. It is far from benign as most thinks. It attack a lot of plastics so if you use it better rinse it very well with mild detergent and water to remove the last trace of it. I don't trust it with rubber parts nor automobile paint finish.
I know someone use it to clean his RV's acrylic or poly-something sink and it dissolve a good part of it. The sink is unobtainable now so so sad.
There are only two things one need to know when it comes to cleaning. Water or oil soluble. As for gasoline you can count on most parts on automobile are designed to withstand it.
Also be very careful with those organic citric cleaners too. I try to do most of my cleaning with the most basic cleaners. Always start with the mildest and work your way up if it is something precious. I only use simple green on metal and to clean my hands. The skin on the hands will grow back most of the time.
BTW, gasoline does a great job removing the track rubber on the painted finish. That's what I use all the time. Same goes with the stubborn decals of all sorts. No need to buy goo off or whatever they call them.
I mistaken this photo at where the tire rubs. I thought it is the black smudge on the tube. I would later realize it is at the polyamide lower spring perch. So I would have to likely add a minimum of 5mm spacer to clear that.
Very strange that Germans are so keen in using plastic for high stress functions. That's right, a plastic lower spring perch that also function as preload setting. On the track series CO they have a billet AL lower perch that is alike a two half clamp. No poly-xyz to fail on you just when you can least afford to.
BTW, I notice the KW V3 springs are quite soft, and I cannot help but to wonder how well the dampers cope with 8kg/mm Swift springs. That include the bump and rebound adjustment ranges.
The ST-45 pads and the rock bottom $35 Wilwood front rotors stood up very well so far with three track days now. Very little pads and rotor wear and no crazing has developed yet. I suspect much of it is that I now religiously take a cool down lap like Italian mafia dons go to the confession booth. This is the first set of rotors that has stood up this well as are the pads. A bit of it may be I was killing the rear brakes at ORP when the right front caliper developed a hydraulic leak.
I notice the inner region of the friction surface has a slight concave
The slight concave wear occurred on the outer surface of both rotors with identical location and degree of depth. The inner surfaces are both flat.
the concave occurs on both rotors' outside surface
the back side is smooth as baby's butt
here is where the concave is at; which must be due to the unique thermal expansion of the inner surface, the vane structure, and less meat of these rotor compared to the directional vanes ones
very little wedging on the pads
The left and right sets of pads worn quite evenly with respect to each other despite this track is very asymmetrical on L vs R tires and brake wears.
BTW, gasoline does a great job removing the track rubber on the painted finish. That's what I use all the time. Same goes with the stubborn decals of all sorts. No need to buy goo off or whatever they call them.
Gasoline is pretty aggressive. I like plain jane paint thinner for use on car’s paint and it will remove rubber...
I have done the “wash down” of a mess like your grease mess with something and let it drip down on doggy pee pads. I also bought a couple of commercial aluminum cookie baking pans for these types of messes as well as changing oil.
I have used gasoline for auto body clean up countless times. It is not that aggressive. I agree that paint thinner is milder but take longer and more rubbing which can be bad. Just don't use acetone for just about anything except metal and optics. Yes, they use acetone to clean $75k relay lenses used in aircraft HUDs.
Much prefer the classic version with Michael Caine. All those pretty classic cars even in the traffic jam, and oh the Fiat factory test track. The biggest let down with the new version is they couldn't be bothered to find an original Mini Cooper 1275 S with exposed hinges.
Much prefer the classic version with Michael Caine. All those pretty classic cars even in the traffic jam, and oh the Fiat factory test track. The biggest let down with the new version is they couldn't be bothered to find an original Mini Cooper 1275 S with exposed hinges.
Yeah,
it's one of my favorite movies.
The new version was okay, but ultimately lacking.
As far as filmic depictions of motoring, my favorite by far is the mother of all dashcam videos:
Many interesting details about that short film too...
...he was driving a Mercedes 450SEL and the Ferrari 275GTB noise was overdubbed later.
It was filmed with a Rolliflex Andetta Aviator Mk2 Camera fixed on an oil-buffeted rest tripod to the front of the grill.
There are several "making of..." videos which are good to watch.
And,
incredibly rare to come across erudite commentary on the yootoob, but this film got one from only one day ago and it's worth quoting here because it makes some very good points.
Autostade67 wrote:
I'm not that familiar with Lelouch's entire oeuvre (he's sort of hit and miss with me) but this surely should rank as one of his greatest films (and possibly one of the great short films of the [late] Nouvelle Vague) mostly for the questions it proposes without pretension about cinema as a 'simulacrum' (sorry to get all Chef Baudriallardy about it!) and about cinema amorally/immorally 'invading' reality. It is a film about 'jouissance' (the jouissance of speed, the jouissance voyeurism, the jouissance of 'l'audacity' and the jouissance of being an auteur) and about the artifice of editing (we can admire 'Bullitt' and 'The French Connection' [and, in another sense, 'Rope' and 'Birdman' with their simulated single takes], but the 'thrills' in this film constantly remind us none of this was staged, timed, cut, this was a single take at its most raw this was real/'real' and leaves the viewer ambivalent about the nature of art, chance, etc.).
It seems a bit of a pity that it has in the intervening years gained esteem merely for its cockiness seen through a lens of nostalgic glamour - subject matter for a series of copycat (though reverent) versions; it is possibly the most political film Lelouch ever (unknowingly?) made - for the reasons cited above - and for the outrage it apparently caused on its first viewing. It is tediously obvious why Lelouch got flack for this - at least from the police (philosophically it begs the question as to whether or not the recorded image is incontestable proof of the transitory, lived reality). But it shows something very French indeed: no one seemed to think that a Mercedes speeding recklessly through the city was anything too much out of the ordinary (since no one seems to have reported it to the police as it happened).
As regards Lelouch, the French Ministry of Culture should have 'lui a donnée des baisers sur son cul'. Why? Cars, cars cars - French cars - speeding through the humid, sullen melancholy streets of Paris in August; the strange Paris of Pompidou; the Paris before Mitterand; the Paris that was the disappointed coda of May '68; sexy and a little sleazy Paris; labyrinthine Paris, every quarter seamlessly linked to the last; Paris proposed as the 'problem' to be overcome in meeting love yet conversely Paris as the master scenography for love itself.
Hmmmm, for us the 2nd one is the better of the 2. We saw that one first, just after my wife got her MINI (1st in the household), and thought it was great. Maybe, we liked it because of having just gotten that MINI, but we also like action flics so that might be a factor too in liking it. There were a number of “errors” about MINIs, also. Like they were all supposed to be S models and clear one wasn’t. But generally I don’t get into a movie that deep. I thought the first one was a bit on the Meh side, even for being a comedy and having great people in it.
Alfas from that time period were great and well ahead of there time. It is a shame they followed Fiat in going down the tubes in the ‘80s.
I totally lost faith with the DSS axle's CV boot quality. It has been such a hassle that I swapped the left side axle twice and experienced three self-destructed boots. I would not be surprised that if Desire is just a street car we would be ignorance is bliss and even give testimonials of how great these axles are and may be holding up to mega HP. The truth is if it will hold up to mega HP we would never know. However I have little doubt that these boots would likely hold up fine passing the warranty period if driven on the road rather than hitting 100+ mph on the track.
I called Autohaus AZ and they are very understanding so I would send the failed left axle back for a refund. This time I am going to put in some moly elbow grease rather than risking Desire getting grease all under her Miniskirt . I ordered from AutohausAZ a GNK/Loebro outer CV service kit to replace the one on the OE axle. While there is better prices I hope to get this in two days rather than waiting for something to arrive from East coast.
I exercise abundance of care to make sure I ordered the right CV joint kit. I use Real OEM to determine the MINI p/n 31607518261. Please let me know if I've mistaken.
item 3 in the parts diagram
the process doesn't look that hard per Bentley; should be much easier than those on VW Vanagon but you never know when it comes to sliding something out and in a spline shaft as the ferric oxide GOD tends to have his ways
In all likelihood Desire's backup would have to attend the social functions.
OK. I had been busy doing research and think things over choosing a set of CO for Desire. It is high time as we both hit the brick wall in able to go faster in turns. We don't mind being passed on straights but in turns is what separate boys/girls from grownups. Mr. Blah's inputs have been invaluable. Weighting the pros and cons, and with a lot of inferring between the lines I went with Greene Performance after talking to Colin as well as with BC Racing. A lot is just gust feelings. If it were 15 years ago I would incline to go with the Europeans but time has changed. This is the biggest roll of dice on investing in Desire's future. And yes, it has Swift springs.
OK. I had been busy doing research and think things over choosing a set of CO for Desire. It is high time as we both hit the brick wall in able to go faster in turns. We don't mind being passed on straights but in turns is what separate boys/girls from grownups. Mr. Blah's inputs have been invaluable. Weighting the pros and cons, and with a lot of inferring between the lines I went with Greene Performance after talking to Colin as well as with BC Racing. A lot is just gust feelings. If it were 15 years ago I would incline to go with the Europeans but time has changed. This is the biggest roll of dice on investing in Desire's future. And yes, it has Swift springs.
So, the 7 and 8 kg/mm works out to be 391#/in F and 447#/in R, if I did my math right.
And Caster/Camber plates? A half or 1 deg more of caster will be helpful.
The shock spring rate in the front is about the same as the Ohlins for the R56 that I might get. I wonder how that spring rate would “play” with the larger front swaybar I have. I’ll be very interested in hearing what you think of them.
So, the 7 and 8 kg/mm works out to be 391#/in F and 447#/in R, if I did my math right.
And Caster/Camber plates? A half or 1 deg more of caster will be helpful.
The shock spring rate in the front is about the same as the Ohlins for the R56 that I might get. I wonder how that spring rate would “play” with the larger front swaybar I have. I’ll be very interested in hearing what you think of them.
Yeap! The new Swift springs will be 40% fore and 45% aft more stiffness than my existing Swift/Koni. The numbers pass my common sensibility check. As of now the outside tires are doing most of the work and not surprisingly they are sliding on turns during the brief steady state and very frustrating. This is essentially very poor skidpad grip. Left foot braking and simultaneous throttle only minimizing transient weight shifts and I feel I am doing all I can, and I hit the G wall. The car is also very loose and darty when driven to the limit. However the silver lining from these is I am a better driver because of them.
And yes, it has Swift springs.
