Mike's Journal

KaienZ34 · 03-29-2013, 08:49 PM

Mike · 04-13-2013, 06:17 PM

So,
Just did Daytona, what an awesome track! But my 3rd lap of my first session, when I got up over 150 on the banking, my wing failed. The outer edges where there is more angle, actually bent down, about 10" and contacted the side of the car at the bottom of the brake lights. Once slowed it came back up, but its all cracked up. So, I had to remove it for the rest of the 2 day event, and really wasn't comfortable up above 140.

APR is having me send it back so they can figure out what happened and see if they can do any design work to prevent it, but they haven't seen a failure like this before. They are also building me a new one and replacing it for me. Stuff happens, but they have top notch customer service. I heard back from them within about 2 hours of emailing them pictures.

I think it was a combo of the higher speed and high g loading of the banking. The next session, my aluminum undertray managed to almost fall off, but that was fixable with a quick trip to home depot for bolts.

where it contacted the car, I thought someone hit my car with a jackstand or something, til I realized it was on both sides:

SPOHN · 04-13-2013, 06:21 PM

Even though this shouldn't be an issue, do you think if the bracing was wider it would help?

Mike · 04-13-2013, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPOHN

Even though this shouldn't be an issue, do you think if the bracing was wider it would help?

no, we discussed that on the phone and they said the current spacing should be adequate.

KaienZ34 · 04-13-2013, 06:31 PM

Damn mike that sucks.

Rusty · 04-13-2013, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KaienZ34

Damn mike that sucks.

Really!

Mike · 04-13-2013, 06:53 PM

Actually, I'm happy it contacted the car. I don't mind the scraping so much, since its a track only car, and that may have saved my life. If the entire thing would have departed at those speeds, I don't know what the result would have been, but probably not pretty. I'm just going to cut a couple black vinyl circles and put them over the damage.

GaleForce · 04-13-2013, 09:45 PM

Wow! That's crazy!

Glad you're ok and didn't suffer much more than some paint damage and dings. It's also great to hear about APR standing behind their product.

SS_Firehawk · 04-13-2013, 09:47 PM

I keep wondering back to this page because that is just nuts. Almost difficult to believe.

HKYStormFront · 04-14-2013, 09:42 AM

o.O

Mike · 07-12-2013, 08:17 PM

So, three months later, I've finally got my new wing, Aeromotions, static version, and am ready for VIR next weekend with NASA and Forged.

I purchased the wing from our other resident pro driver bkleeman (Brian Kleeman, DWW Motorsports , Pirelli World Challenge series)

Not only did the old wing crack, but where the smallish mounts attached to the decklid, the force pushing down on the hatch actually cracked the aluminum skin.

Since we had to repair that, and I didn't want it happening again, my body shop, Autoglo, in Tucker GA, (great shop, way better than any other I have EVER dealt with!!!!!!), made some custom formed, I think 1/8 or 3/32" plates to spread the force out over a larger area, then panel bonded, bolted and blended them into the hatch, and mounted the new wing to that.

Rusty · 07-12-2013, 08:37 PM

Nice mike.

How much down force you think the old wing was pushing? Wondering because of the cracks, or was it from just when the old wing failed?

Baer383 · 07-12-2013, 08:41 PM

Looks real good Mike!!!!

Mike · 07-12-2013, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rusty

Nice mike.

How much down force you think the old wing was pushing? Wondering because of the cracks, or was it from just when the old wing failed?

I really have no idea. When I had the car at the bodyshop for cage painting, the owner saw the paint was cracking around the wing base and wasn't happy about it, but we think it was just paint at that point.

I was doing 155 on the high banks of Daytona, which added a lot more G force, so it probably added to it. When I took the old wing off, the cracks were about an inch and a half long at the back end of the mounting bases.

I had that wing at its lowest possible angle too!

FL 4Motion · 07-13-2013, 12:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike

I really have no idea. When I had the car at the bodyshop for cage painting, the owner saw the paint was cracking around the wing base and wasn't happy about it, but we think it was just paint at that point.

I was doing 155 on the high banks of Daytona, which added a lot more G force, so it probably added to it. When I took the old wing off, the cracks were about an inch and a half long at the back end of the mounting bases.

I had that wing at its lowest possible angle too!

/\ that's moving!

03-29-2013, 08:49 PM	#1 (permalink)
KaienZ34 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: LA. not L.a. Posts: 21,652 Drives: Z34 Tour/Sport Rep Power: 178	__________________ *"These Violent Delights Have Violent Ends"* http://www.the370z.com/members/kaienz34-albums-z34.html

04-13-2013, 06:17 PM	#2 (permalink)
Mike The370Z.com Sponsor Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Loganville, GA Posts: 5,944 Drives: 370z Rep Power: 2187	So, Just did Daytona, what an awesome track! But my 3rd lap of my first session, when I got up over 150 on the banking, my wing failed. The outer edges where there is more angle, actually bent down, about 10" and contacted the side of the car at the bottom of the brake lights. Once slowed it came back up, but its all cracked up. So, I had to remove it for the rest of the 2 day event, and really wasn't comfortable up above 140. APR is having me send it back so they can figure out what happened and see if they can do any design work to prevent it, but they haven't seen a failure like this before. They are also building me a new one and replacing it for me. Stuff happens, but they have top notch customer service. I heard back from them within about 2 hours of emailing them pictures. I think it was a combo of the higher speed and high g loading of the banking. The next session, my aluminum undertray managed to almost fall off, but that was fixable with a quick trip to home depot for bolts. where it contacted the car, I thought someone hit my car with a jackstand or something, til I realized it was on both sides: __________________ NISSAN: 75 280Z / 86 300ZX GLL /87 Sentra SE / 03 350Z / 23 Z Porsche: 93 968 / 23 Macan GTS / 93 968

04-13-2013, 06:21 PM	#3 (permalink)
SPOHN A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Covington, GA Age: 46 Posts: 14,844 Drives: Waiting on next Z Rep Power: 222	Even though this shouldn't be an issue, do you think if the bracing was wider it would help? __________________

04-13-2013, 06:31 PM	#5 (permalink)
KaienZ34 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: LA. not L.a. Posts: 21,652 Drives: Z34 Tour/Sport Rep Power: 178	Damn mike that sucks. __________________ *"These Violent Delights Have Violent Ends"* http://www.the370z.com/members/kaienz34-albums-z34.html

04-13-2013, 06:53 PM	#7 (permalink)
Mike The370Z.com Sponsor Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Loganville, GA Posts: 5,944 Drives: 370z Rep Power: 2187	Actually, I'm happy it contacted the car. I don't mind the scraping so much, since its a track only car, and that may have saved my life. If the entire thing would have departed at those speeds, I don't know what the result would have been, but probably not pretty. I'm just going to cut a couple black vinyl circles and put them over the damage. GaleForce likes this. __________________ NISSAN: 75 280Z / 86 300ZX GLL /87 Sentra SE / 03 350Z / 23 Z Porsche: 93 968 / 23 Macan GTS / 93 968

04-13-2013, 09:45 PM	#8 (permalink)
GaleForce A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 21,749 Drives: Varis Arising II Rep Power: 51865	Wow! That's crazy! Glad you're ok and didn't suffer much more than some paint damage and dings. It's also great to hear about APR standing behind their product. __________________ >>>GaleForce's Build<<< >>>FaceBook @3GsCustoms<<<>>>Instagram @GaleForce370z<<< Varis Kamikaze-Z

04-13-2013, 09:47 PM	#9 (permalink)
SS_Firehawk Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Tampa Posts: 4,142 Drives: 13' Magma Red Nismo Rep Power: 7335	I keep wondering back to this page because that is just nuts. Almost difficult to believe. __________________ Old Car:GTM TSC'd 550whp / 410lbft tq @ 11.88PSI New Car: Under Construction

04-14-2013, 09:42 AM	#10 (permalink)
HKYStormFront A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Greer, SC Posts: 14,954 Drives: 06 Frontier SE 6spd Rep Power: 53	o.O __________________ Patrick // 06 Frontier 6spd Nismosis // Mods: Uprev Tuned @ Z1 Motorsports: 257whp & 292 ft lbs 09 Pontiac G8 GXP // M6 // Sunroof // Tint... For now

07-12-2013, 08:17 PM	#11 (permalink)
Mike The370Z.com Sponsor Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Loganville, GA Posts: 5,944 Drives: 370z Rep Power: 2187	So, three months later, I've finally got my new wing, Aeromotions, static version, and am ready for VIR next weekend with NASA and Forged. I purchased the wing from our other resident pro driver bkleeman (Brian Kleeman, DWW Motorsports , Pirelli World Challenge series) Not only did the old wing crack, but where the smallish mounts attached to the decklid, the force pushing down on the hatch actually cracked the aluminum skin. Since we had to repair that, and I didn't want it happening again, my body shop, Autoglo, in Tucker GA, (great shop, way better than any other I have EVER dealt with!!!!!!), made some custom formed, I think 1/8 or 3/32" plates to spread the force out over a larger area, then panel bonded, bolted and blended them into the hatch, and mounted the new wing to that. travisjb, FL 4Motion, Mr&Mrs and 3 others like this. __________________ NISSAN: 75 280Z / 86 300ZX GLL /87 Sentra SE / 03 350Z / 23 Z Porsche: 93 968 / 23 Macan GTS / 93 968

07-12-2013, 08:37 PM	#12 (permalink)
Rusty Ronin Samurai - Assassin Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Fayettenam,Pennsyltucky Age: 69 Posts: 35,489 Drives: 2011 Nismo GM 6M Rep Power: 2684438	Nice mike. How much down force you think the old wing was pushing? Wondering because of the cracks, or was it from just when the old wing failed? __________________ 浪人 - 殺し屋 "The Difficult Anytime, The Impossible By Appointment Only" http://www.the370z.com/members-370z-...o-journal.html

07-12-2013, 08:41 PM	#13 (permalink)
Baer383 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Lawrenceville,Ga Posts: 4,293 Drives: My foot up your azz Rep Power: 30	Looks real good Mike!!!! __________________ 2013 ZL1 754 rwhp 747 rwtq

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