Almost bought the farm tonight!!!

damn glad you're ok don. whew indeed. ive had steering parts fail before too. i had a tie rod sleeve strip out and come apart. the front of the pickup bounced about 10 times before i got it stopped. as far as speedway stuff, ive already mentioned the trouble i had with thier straight axle kit. i'm thinking quality is leaving very quickly at that company.

This has got me to thinking, I got a Vega box and pitman arm from Speedway, I emailed them to ask if the arms are forged or cast, also SoCal. It will be intresting to find out.

Gastrick said:

Don, it almost seems like a blessing now that your son's T bent a valve on the way to Daytona and had to be towed back. Chances are good that the pitman arm could have snapped while he driving on the highway at speed sometime during TRR. That could have been disasterous.

Click to expand...

That thought hit me too Bill. I honestly mean it when I say I have led a charmed life and for some reason I have been pulled out of the fire a few times. It seems that umbrella covers Dan and Don too, thank God. Needless to say, I am very humbled by the possibilities that something we built for my Son's enjoyment could have become something I regretted doing. That scares me to death. I couldn't forgive myself if something happened. I know they are 37, but they are still my kids.

Thanks to everyone else for the nice sentiments and concern. I really hope this hasn't cast any shadows on Speedway because I have seen their product quality improve dramatically over the past 20 years that I have been a customer. At one time about 50 percent of their stuff was marginal IMO, but slowly they have gotten away from that kind of stuff. I think Speedy Bill has bought out lots of failing companies and has concentrated on carrying reasonably good products at affordable prices. I will continue to buy from them for sure...........just not steering arms.

Thanks,

Don

I am so glad to hear you are ok Don. Flat came running into the living room the other night telling me about all of this. It could have been alot worse in all that traffic, I am glad it wasn't!

insane ! damn glad your ok !!
I'd bet chinese metal, chinese made

Thanks Reason and Turbo. Yep, I think I'll play the lottery this week.

I can't say if it is Chinese metal or what, but it sure seems soft compared to the originals. A very nice member on another forum offered to send me an original at no charge, but I told him I couldn't take it for free, so I am waiting for him to send me his address and some dollar figure so I can pay him. Lots of great people in the hot rod community.

Don

I got an answer back from SOCAL. They said that the Vega arms they sell are investment cast stainless steel. Don't know if this is good or bad.

Makes me wonder if their Corvair arms are the same. I am waiting back to hear from Speedway on their Vega box. If they get them from the same place as the Corvair box, could be an issue.

This is one case where the rusty old part really was better than the shiney new part.

here is what Speedway says about the Vega arm.

Hi Steve,
Thanks for your inquiry. Our staff are indicating that they are a forged piece, not cast.

Thanks for choosing Speedway Motors,

Still doesn't sound very reassuring.

I wonder what their staff is "indicating" how the Chrome Corvair arms are made ?

Unkl Ian said:

Still doesn't sound very reassuring.

I wonder what their staff is "indicating" how the Chrome Corvair arms are made ?

Click to expand...

Exactly....

Don; I think your what they call a BLESSED man. Glad your OK.

RUSTY50F1 said:

Don; I think your what they call a BLESSED man. Glad your OK.

Click to expand...

Yep, I'm thinking about becoming a Monk!!!

Just want to give everyone an update:

Spoke to Speedway today, I was returning their call. They have pulled the products from the shelf just to be safe until they know more. So far they have done some QC testing and the ones they have bent and pressed come up ok, within specs. He mentioned something about 8,000 lbs, tensile strength, etc, but it is lost on my simple mind. However, it is apparent that they are making a sincere effort to make sure these are ok to sell. There is no doubt in my mind about that.


He said Total Performance is also doing lots of work to make sure there are no problems, and that Mickey may post some updates on some forums to let people know they are working to be sure there is no problem too.


Can't ask for more that that from either company. It is looking like this was a one off problem, or at least limited to a few out of the thousands that have been sold. Heck, even GM, Ford, and other huge companies with Engineers, Designers, etc have recalls due to problems, so why should smaller companies not have some bumps in the road now and then?


Just wanted to let everyone know what I learned today.

Don

it's good to know they are making an effort, still makes me leery as to buying any steering products from them-but whose to say every retailer isn't having the same issues. (not that i wouldn't buy other stuff from them, they look like they carry some great products)

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/p/4565,436_Corvair-Pitman-Arm.html?itemNo=corvair

donsrods said:

Spoke to Speedway today, I was returning their call. They have pulled the products from the shelf just to be safe until they know more. So far they have done some QC testing and the ones they have bent and pressed come up ok, within specs. He mentioned something about 8,000 lbs, tensile strength, etc, but it is lost on my simple mind.

Don

Click to expand...

I hope it's a LOT higher than 8,000 lbs.

1010 mild steel has a ultimate tensile strength of 52,900 psi.
1045 is 81,900 psi,according to Matweb.com.

Steel,that hasn't been hardened,should stretch or bend, before failure.

Gray Cast Iron should be over 40,000 psi.


If a batch snuck through that was 10% under,nobody would notice.
There should be enough of a safety factor in the design,that there would never be a problem.

Speedway has Corvair Pitman arms on sale:
http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Garage-Sale-Speedway-Corvair-Pitman-Arm,37582.html

The pic looks EXACTLY the same as before.
Anybody brave enough to order one ? [S

"This is our 'new design' Corvair pitman arm. It measures approximately 7" end to end, approximately 5-3/8" from the center of the big hole to the center of the small hole. The arm has a side-to-side offset approximately 1-7/8". The small hole fits an early Ford tie rod end (such as our 910-02909) and it is half tapered from both sides so that the drag link can be mounted from either side.
This item is garage sale priced because we are liquidating excess inventory.
NO RETURNS, NO WARRANTY ON GARAGE SALE ITEMS"

It can't be the same, it says it's their "new design". I think I'll pass on one of those.

hahaha! Theur "new" design is in the fine print. Same arm, no warranty. I have headrd alot of flak lately about speedway using overseas suppliers. i guess you have to buy with a grain of salt as to wether or not the part you use is "critical" or not.