T-rex slider manufacturing error!!

[fjrshanta]

After looking VERY closely at the broken T-rex slider from my recent get off, I found this!! Look near the mounting location of the attachment bolt. THERE IS A VOID IN THE MATERIAL. This would cause a weakness in the structure!!! Be careful of the T-rex stuff. They were cheap but, now I can see why!!!!

 

[Fencer]

I'll cut one open in the morn and see if its the same as yours

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

But was the void a contributor to the damage sustained? Did the slider fail or fall off?

 

[fjrshanta]

But was the void a contributor to the damage sustained? Did the slider fail or fall off?

I examined the slider and found the end of it hit the ground and several strong impact points were in it. This would lead me to believe that it absorbed some energy before being broken off. It definitely dint fall off.

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

But was the void a contributor to the damage sustained? Did the slider fail or fall off?

I examined the slider and found the end of it hit the ground and several strong impact points were in it. This would lead me to believe that it absorbed some energy before being broken off. It definitely dint fall off.

I don't mean to be dense (sometimes I just am), but did the slider break off along a void? My point would be: If they did not fail at a void, it could mean they had no structural failure based on manufacture defect (the void). Not knowing details of the crash, and not being an engineer, I can't guess if the forces were hugely over a reasonable design structure for a slider. Do you think the slider should not have failed?

 

[FJRBluesman]

Very interesting...

 

[fjrshanta]

But was the void a contributor to the damage sustained? Did the slider fail or fall off?

I examined the slider and found the end of it hit the ground and several strong impact points were in it. This would lead me to believe that it absorbed some energy before being broken off. It definitely dint fall off.

I don't mean to be dense (sometimes I just am), but did the slider break off along a void? My point would be: If they did not fail at a void, it could mean they had no structural failure based on manufacture defect (the void). Not knowing details of the crash, and not being an engineer, I can't guess if the forces were hugely over a reasonable design structure for a slider. Do you think the slider should not have failed?

It DID fail at the void.

As I posted on "Gravel Devil ate my 07" I had noticed a fracture in the Delrin material just before the crash and was planning on replacing it. The fracture point was concurrent with the break location during the crash and was the weak point in which it propagated from.

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

But was the void a contributor to the damage sustained? Did the slider fail or fall off?

I examined the slider and found the end of it hit the ground and several strong impact points were in it. This would lead me to believe that it absorbed some energy before being broken off. It definitely dint fall off.

I don't mean to be dense (sometimes I just am), but did the slider break off along a void? My point would be: If they did not fail at a void, it could mean they had no structural failure based on manufacture defect (the void). Not knowing details of the crash, and not being an engineer, I can't guess if the forces were hugely over a reasonable design structure for a slider. Do you think the slider should not have failed?

It DID fail at the void.

As I posted on "Gravel Devil ate my 07" I had noticed a fracture in the Delrin material just before the crash and was planning on replacing it. The fracture point was concurrent with the break location during the crash and was the weak point in which it propagated from.

Sorry, didn't read the thread. Glad you're ok. I went with R&G Racing sliders for this very reason -- I assumed there would be better quality control for a more expensive slider meant for racing applications.

 

[fjrshanta]

But was the void a contributor to the damage sustained? Did the slider fail or fall off?

I examined the slider and found the end of it hit the ground and several strong impact points were in it. This would lead me to believe that it absorbed some energy before being broken off. It definitely dint fall off.

I don't mean to be dense (sometimes I just am), but did the slider break off along a void? My point would be: If they did not fail at a void, it could mean they had no structural failure based on manufacture defect (the void). Not knowing details of the crash, and not being an engineer, I can't guess if the forces were hugely over a reasonable design structure for a slider. Do you think the slider should not have failed?

It DID fail at the void.

As I posted on "Gravel Devil ate my 07" I had noticed a fracture in the Delrin material just before the crash and was planning on replacing it. The fracture point was concurrent with the break location during the crash and was the weak point in which it propagated from.

Sorry, didn't read the thread. Glad you're ok. I went with R&G Racing sliders for this very reason -- I assumed there would be better quality control for a more expensive slider meant for racing applications.

:good: :good:

 

[Fencer]

This is a set that T-rex replaced when they formed cracks for no reason.

No drop or impact (to my knowledge, but the bike was in the shop) the end was not deformed like it had a drop or inpact, the slider just split (at both ends)

The crack Starts at the void (red circle). The black circled area shows the crack stop point.

The red area is hollow to the outside point (inside) of the casting. this should have been seen by the MFG. It was covered with the metal spacer insert.

FJRshanta,

When did you purchase yours? I gote mine late Feb/March 08.

Maybe they had a bad production run??

Mine is left side slider

 

[fjrshanta]

This is a set that T-rex replaced when they formed cracks for no reason.

No drop or impact (to my knowledge, but the bike was in the shop) the end was not deformed like it had a drop or inpact, the slider just split (at both ends)

BUT, if you notice in my pic, the crack does not make it to the void. The black circled area shows the crack stop point.

The red area is hollow to the outside point (inside) of the casting. this should have been seen by the MFG. It was covered with the metal spacer insert.

FJRshanta,

When did you purchase yours? I gote mine late Feb/March 08.

Maybe they had a bad production run??

Great detective work! :thumbsupsmileyanim:

I purchased mine in late March early April of this year. You may be right, a bad production run. I wonder if T-rex would be interested in our findings? :good:

 

[Fencer]

I wonder if T-rex would be interested in our findings? :good:

I don't know if they are interested or not, but they have been alerted

 

[fjrshanta]

I wonder if T-rex would be interested in our findings? :good:

I don't know if they are interested or not, but they have been alerted

COOL! :yahoo:

 

[crankshaft]

I wonder if T-rex would be interested in our findings? :good:

I don't know if they are interested or not, but they have been alerted

COOL! :yahoo:

I'd be intereste in what T-Rex has to say I bought a pair late June early July of this year. I haven't noticed anything,but I'm definately going to keep an eye on things

 

[Geezer]

Well, they do look like pretty cheaply made sliders. I would not use sliders that don't have a metal sleeve inside the section that the bolt torques up against, between the bolt head and the end of the slider that goes against the FJRs frame. Without that sleeve you are compressing the delrin when you tighten the bolt and that may be contributing to the failures in the pictures.

 

[kaitsdad]

That void in the material makes me think that they're injection molded, not machined out of delrin.

That would explain the cost.

 

[Fencer]

Well, they do look like pretty cheaply made sliders. I would not use sliders that don't have a metal sleeve inside the section that the bolt torques up against, between the bolt head and the end of the slider that goes against the FJRs frame. Without that sleeve you are compressing the delrin when you tighten the bolt and that may be contributing to the failures in the pictures.

They do have a metal sleeve inside at the bolt contact point. it was cut awy for pictures

 

[fjrshanta]

Well, they do look like pretty cheaply made sliders. I would not use sliders that don't have a metal sleeve inside the section that the bolt torques up against, between the bolt head and the end of the slider that goes against the FJRs frame. Without that sleeve you are compressing the delrin when you tighten the bolt and that may be contributing to the failures in the pictures.

I have added a photo of the bushing for you to see. Also is the attachment bolt.

 

[El Toro Joe]

I also purchased a set in March of this year, and noticed a split in one of them this past weekend while washing the bike. I took the sliders off and e-mailed T-Rex about my findings. Have not heard back from them yet. I guess I'll be buying some new sliders from some other manufacturer.