BMR relocation bracket failure pics

[Boss281]

Here are some photos of the BMR lower control arm relocation bracket failure. The left side may be slightly off kilter too, but we won't be sure until I order a new set. Gonna weld those new ones in there for sure!

Left side OK? Maybe...

Right side looking bent out of shape

Fixing the paint will probably be the biggest expense....

 

[Dex]

wow, thats some hardcore bendige. When i read your first post I called my friend and told him to weld mine on for me

 

[Boss281]

Good idea, and I'm just NA...

 

[don_w]

Wow...


Just FWIW, I went with the Steeda LCA brackets because they have the most adjustability of any of them. They are a weld-in only bracket, too.

 

[hdmlnium]

Wow, that looks pretty nasty..
I have the che relocation brackets on my car and I hope that I don't have a problem like that..

Bill

 

[scramblr]

Could that top bolt not have been torqued to spec or came loose? At ~350rwhp it seems strange the LCA would have rotated the bracket on that bolt. On my passenger side, the bolt connecting the LCA to the bracket came loose a week or so after install and it was torqued to spec. Retightened everything and it's been fine. Looks like new hardware but just throwing it out there. Please do post pics of the weld job.

 

[don_w]

Is the tab on the right side supposed to be inside the bracket on the axle tube? It is on the left side, but not the right. It seems like if it was inside, it couldn't fold up like that.

 

[don_w]

Is the tab on the right side supposed to be inside the bracket on the axle tube?

Apparently not... this pic is from BMR's website:

 

[Boss281]

Is the tab on the right side supposed to be inside the bracket on the axle tube? It is on the left side, but not the right. It seems like if it was inside, it couldn't fold up like that.

Naw, I did it right. I have pics after the install somewhere. Let me go through my millions of files...

John

 

[andyman]

WOW that is nasty!!!!!! mine will now be welded. sorry you had to be the example!

 

[Boss281]

Here's the shot post installation last October:

 

[GIG4FUN]

guys... I'm pretty sure mine are CHE (I have the box here to check and repost here) BUT I wanted to say that they have a distict notch that locked into the bottom of the OEM radiused area at the bottom. (the area I am describing is the lowest part of the assy. when installed) Could that be of different design than yours? This notched area seems to me that it would keep it locked in place for/aft. I will edit this if mine are NOT the CHE brand. Did your have the locking tab/notch thing and did it just push down/out of it?

 

[andyman]

It looks like he has the BMR ones, I have the same ones and they look exactly alike (to his). There's no notches..

 

[GIG4FUN]

It looks like he has the BMR ones, I have the same ones and they look exactly alike (to his). There's no notches..

ok... got ya. It seemed to me when I started seeing all of the CHE stuff they had "copied" BMR. I guess that's not true after all. In this case perhpas it could be said that the CHE are of "better" design.

 

[94tbird]

i have had mine bolted to both the 8.8 and the 9" with no issues yet. Might have about 400+ runs on them and not one problem. Im gonig with installation error or the bolt coming loose or jsut a random problem during machining

 

[Boss281]

It sure might have been my error, I dunno at this point. If I had to guess, I'd personally say the random machining problem, followed by the bolt not getting torqued properly. The car has to be on the ground to torque the bolts, and that side was particularly difficult to do as there was very little clearance with my torque wrench. I've had about 55 runs since installation, although the last run was the lowest the tire pressure ever got lowered (14psi). My son likes 'em low, I like them 16-18 and tune the shocks and launch rpm around the pressure. Consistent 1.6-1.7s usually which I think is adequate for a 350 hp NA car...

Thinking about some other things for the suspension as I have my $2500 tax refund to spend on the car. Another thread on that tonight...

 

[andyman]

Watts link maybe? or a BMR extreme anti roll bar? maybe some boxed subframe connectors to keep a lot of the torque going to one side of the rear.

 

[freebass55]

That's just brutal.

 

[ArtQ]

From BMR"S website "NOTE: It is necessary to weld the brackets in place if the vehicle will be drag raced "

If you look at the brackets design it is obvious, at least to me, that if you are depending on a bolt that is basically a pivot point, to not pivot, by depending on torque alone is asking for it. If you look at how it folded it's pretty obvious. As a minimum if I was going to depend on that one bolt only you would need a gusset or support tied in to the bottom of the bracket from the back side of the bracket that is basically flat steel asking for an excuse to bend.

 

[Enitalp]

That's some scary picture. I just check under my car because i wasn't able to remember if i had one of those. And no, so i will sleep better tonight.