Outrigger Steering And Brake Line Safety?

[Jim H]

Perception is reality so we need to change the perception

 

[zelio]

Perception is reality so we need to change the perception

If only to the person so perceiving. :-) Z

 

[Bert]

I see...

 

[Mike W]

As the philosopher once said, " Somebody hand me a shovel, it's getting deep." I hope it's perceived as being humorous or I could be in real trouble!!

 

[JCar]

Of course not! They're safely hidden inside the fender well!!

(Insert tongue in cheek smiley here)

Well, that's my point. Stuff coming straight at them with no barrier is new to me.

 

[JCar]

My car, which has exposed front suspension and brake lines, has been run both on and off the road for over 56,000 miles and have also done some long distance overseas touring. We use it for classic trials competitions, which are far more demanding than anything most cars ever see in their lives. There has never been a problem.

See photo below!

Has that rig ever sat outside in an ice storm? I live in an area where that can happen. Wouldn't want to have to chip away at both the windshield and the suspension just to drive. I'd probably improvise some covers if it was predictable weather.

The tendency in this thread has been to dismiss the issue but I'm science-minded and looking for all details.

 

[JCar]

If it looks fragile to you, don't look under a modern small car (or large car for that matter )! There is really no protection for those items on any car. I once took a 2002 Regal over a big truck tire carcass at about 70MPH . Sounded way bad ! Took out the power steering hose and dumped fluid. The rest was cosmetic. I would not expect the Elio to fare much worse. Those A arms are pretty tough and braided lines are way stronger than anything on a modern auto. he typical farm truck is exposed to far worse than an Elio will see and is really no better protected. I have "broken stuff" offroad, but never a break line and they are "hanging out there" just like an Elio. You just don't see it if ou don't look underneath. Now the vandals is another issue ...probably no real difference, they will go after paint and mirrors.

But on regular cars there is indeed protection on all sides except the outer edge and bottom. Not sealed protection, just a first defense barrier against debris. Fenders exist to protect more than just tires.

I'm not here to bash Elio, just to get details that seem in need of getting.

 

[Bert]

Actually, not really. Fenders allowed for deflection of whatever was kicked up by the tires away from the car body, and the open windows used before AC. They became more popular when used to assist with body lines and designs.
I ask you to understand, no one is minimalizing your concerns. They are serious to you, that is obvious. However, fenders by themselves only effect direct contact by minimal objects. Anything heavier or larger drives those fenders into the tire assembly. When sitting in the Sun, the control arms, brake lines and such will probably get warmer, but not enough to cause damage. In the cold it doesn't really matter, the temperature is the same, fenders or not! Ice and snow can be an issue, but not causing any more harm than with fenders. I "hope" for some sort of deflectors for the backside of the disc brake assembly. Water and Ice can defiinately effect braking, again, fenders or not.
I guess the best way to state it is, something heavy or large enough to damage the control arms, rims and such, won't care if the fenders are there or not. Fenders just might add to the damage!
So, I recognize your concerns, I have thought about what you've stated, and came to my own conclusion, there is no need for a deflector for the front suspension. IMO
You can disagree, and that is what makes the World go round. It is up to "us" to observe and draw our own conclusions..

 

[wheaters]

Has that rig ever sat outside in an ice storm? I live in an area where that can happen. Wouldn't want to have to chip away at both the windshield and the suspension just to drive. I'd probably improvise some covers if it was predictable weather.

The tendency in this thread has been to dismiss the issue but I'm science-minded and looking for all details.

If an ice storm was predicted, I'd put the car under cover, rather than attempt to drive any vehicle.

 

[goofyone]

But on regular cars there is indeed protection on all sides except the outer edge and bottom. Not sealed protection, just a first defense barrier against debris. Fenders exist to protect more than just tires.

I'm not here to bash Elio, just to get details that seem in need of getting.

The way I look at it is that the suspension components are made from fairly heavy steel, and steel braided brake lines are incredibly strong, so any debris strong enough to damage or break these components would also cause serious damage to the plastic front bumper cover or thin sheet metal fenders on a normal vehicle. This is of course possible but how often does this actually happen to cars? From my experience these are comparatively rare events so Elio vehicles being damaged this way should also be rare events.

The biggest problem is of course these vehicles have not hit the road yet so this is all just theory. Everyone can choose to believe whatever they wish and there is no way to actually prove anything one way or another other than just waiting to see what happens when they hit the road.