EJ2 Track Rat: October 2018

Monday, October 29, 2018

#TrashTeg, The Chronicles; Part 2-- Safety Gear

#TrashTeg, The Chronicles; Part 2-- Safety Gear

When EJ2 Track Rat last left off regarding the story of #TrashTeg, we touched on how we got this free car from Delaware to Philadelphia and we touched on how we made it run with a distributor cap, spark plug wires, spark plugs, and some water in the radiator.

In this next part, we'll talk about how we stripped the car down and installed some safety gear.

Figure 1: Alex at New Jersey Motorsports Park Shaking Down the Teg After we Built it

Since my Civic was being converted into a race car, I no longer needed the roll bar that I installed for high performance driving education (HPDE) and street driving. I was installing a cage, and the car was no longer going to be street-driven as this is required in wheel-to-wheel racing. However Alex was building a track car and it's never a bad thing to have additional safety.

Figure 2: The Roll Bar Previously in my Civic

The National Auto Sport Association's Northeast Region typically informs new drivers that the most important mods one can make to their car are in the form of safety upgrades. A useful acronym to keep in mind when doing safety upgrades was originally coined by our HPDE 1 Instructor, Enrique, and goes as follows:

S-H-H

AKA

"SHH! STOP BUYING CAR PARTS AND GET ON TRACK!"

Figure 3: Rally Armor Mud Flaps Look Great but Don't Make You Safer

AKA (for real this time)

SEAT. HARNESS. HANS.

Figure 4: A Driver Strapped Into a Seat with a Harness, a Hans, and (in This Case) a Roll Cage

Hans is a popular model of "head and neck restraint" which is used in combination with your harnesses and your helmet to prevent whiplash from occurring in a high-velocity frontal accident.

Figure 5: How a Hans Device Works

A roll bar is used to prevent rollover damage to the driver's person, but it is also used as a mounting point for the harness. Other options out there include harness bars, but these are not recommended as they have been known to buckle inward in the event of a forward collision.

Figure 6: Bent Harness Bar in 8th Gen Civic on Frontal Collision

The safety components mentioned above are meant to work as a system and using harnesses with your stock seat, or a regular Hans with your 3-point factory belt are not recommended. I've done tech with NASA since 2016 and we always prefer a stock car to roll through over a car with improperly installed harnesses, roll bars without padding, and/or 3-point seat belts over fixed-back, bucket seats.

The simplest rule?

Before heading to a track day, always review the rule book and reach out to the officials for help when you are in doubt. Ask for help and ye shall receive it!

Figure 7: A Car with 4-Point Harnesses Not Intended for Use with Stock Seats

Once we got the roll bar removed from my Civic, we had to begin prepping the interior of Alex's Integra, the #TrashTeg. To start, we stripped all of the interior out of the car. The major interior items that needed to be removed were:

The carpet

The seats

The center console

The seat belts

And the headliner

Figure 8: Interior of the Trash Teg

Next we removed the sound deadening from the car. Sound deadening is found in most passenger cars in various areas around the chassis-- most notably the floor and transmission tunnel. It is used to dampen vibrations and suppress road noise transmitted from the tires to the driver, but we don't care about noise and comfort in racing! We care about going FAST.

Figure 9: Ricky Bobby

Sound deadening removal can be long and tedious or quick and easy depending on the fanciness of your car. For example, my Civic's sound deadening came up on its own with some snow, a hammer, and a chisel (we did it outside).

However some cars have thicker, better quality sound deadening that requires more convincing to come off. A common technique is dry ice. For our project, we used about $20 of dry ice from a beer distributor. However, a low buck method to remove sound deadening for people who have a winter season is to leave the race car out in freezing, cold weather overnight and knock the sound deadening loose in the morning.

Figure 10: Sound Deadening Removal with Dry Ice, a Mallet, and (Maybe) a Chisel

Given that this car was sitting in such rough conditions for such a long time (outside, not moving, when it did move it was driven and worked on by a sub-par mechanic), the sound deadening wasn't too hard to remove. Alex and I got it all up within about 1.5 hours.

Figure 11: Our Tools we Used for Removal of Sound Deadening

Figure 12: The Trunk Area without Sound Deadening

While it was great for sound deadening removal, the neglect this car was put through was not good for much else. When we pulled the carpet, we discovered that a significant amount of rust had eaten through one of the areas of the floor where the roll bar was supposed to mount to.

Figure 13: Passenger Side Rear Passenger Footwell with Rust

Alex and I took an old welder that had stopped working in his garage, we cut it up for scrap metal, pulled the wires for electronics spares, and salvaged whatever else we could before leaving it out on the Northwest Philly streets for scrappers. With that same metal, we welded up a patch in the floor and removed as much of the rust we could. Given that we had just started at welding, we didn't consider our work too shabby (though it could use improvement).

Figure 14: Shabby but Functional Welds on Alex's Floor Pan

After getting the roll bar installed, Alex then needed a pair of seats-- one for the driver and one for the instructor. For HPDE I always recommend having a second seat. You're not worried about the extra weight an instructor will gain you because you're not trying to win, but you'll also likely learn more from the right-seat advice.

Figure 15: Even Seasoned Racers Benefit from Good Instruction

Originally, Alex was contemplating spending major coin on these racing seats, but I told him that for HPDE we could use some cheap fixed back seats and be compliant with the rules. Additionally, if he ever decided to go racing, when the cage got installed in the car, we could brace the back of the seats to the roll cage harness bar and still be legal!

Figure 16: Back Brace Used to Reinforce Back of Fiberglass Seat to Roll Cage Harness Bar

After some discussion, Alex and I set out to find some cheap seats on Craigslist, quickly coming up with an ad for some old Corbeaus that used to be in a Mustang. The seller listed the seats for $200 but Alex ended up scooping them for a smoking deal of about $140.

Figure 17: These Seats were Intact and Ready to be Used

For brackets, we utilized the high quality, OEM seat rails, and $35 worth of steel bar stock with some spare hardware for the materials. We cut the steel bar stock into four separate 18-inch-long pieces and mounted one at the fore-end and one at the aft-end of the OEM seat rails, securing them with spare hardware. We then bolted the seats to the bars with the same said hardware.

Figure 18: Two Pieces of Bar Stock for Each Seat

Figure 19: Spare Hardware Used to Mount Seat to Bracket and Bracket to Sliders

Figure 20: Side View of Seat Mounted in Car

After we installed the seats, we had two last items to install-- the harnesses! One of the harnesses, like many of the parts in Honda Challenge, was handed down to me from one friend, Anthony.

Since I didn't plan on having a passenger seat while racing initially, I gave Alex this spare harness so he could build his #TrashTeg. Alex then bought a second harness of his own and some hardware to keep the driver and passenger safe.

Figure 21: G-Force Racing Harnesses and Associated Hardware for Install

With all of our gear laid out, we went to work getting alex seated in his ideal position for driving.

Figure 22: That Awkward Moment when You're Too Fast for Anything in Life

Once you have the seating position, the install for the harnesses is pretty much done by the book. When I install harnesses on vehicles I'm working on, I typically use the Schroth Racing installation guide which can easily be found on their website. A quick link to the PDF can be found here as well.

Figure 23: Drawing from the Schroth Racing Website's Guide Showing Proper Vs. Improper Harness Mounting Angles

As shown above, there is a given range of angles the installer must adhere to to make the system safe for the driver. This is why it is imperative for the driver to be in their desired position when installing their harnesses. It allows them to have control over where the lap belt mounting points need to go and if a cage is being welded in the car, the cage builder has a reference for a good harness bar height.

Lastly, in the picture below, note the metal collars that are on the harness bar. These collars are on the roll bar to prevent the harnesses from sliding to the left or the right in the event of a frontal collision. A simple and cheap, alternative solution to using these collars is roll bar padding foam or even generous amounts of duct or electrical tape.

Figure 24: Picture with Collars Circled for Reference

The final product was not beautiful, but it was safe and functional-- a good race car's desired state. Check out some pictures of the final product below:

Figure 25 and 26: Passenger Seat with Old Harness from My Civic

Figure 27: Driver Seat with New Harness

Figure 28: Stock Steering Wheel with Air Bag Removed for Track-Only Safety (Remember, All Safety Components Act as a System)

Figure 29: View from Rear of Car Showing Newly Installed Safety Gear

In the next installation of #TrashTeg, you can expect to see regular maintenance activities that are good to attend to before hitting the track as well as some other minor changes.

Thank you for reading and keep coming back.

Saturday, October 20, 2018

B Series Axles-- Problems and Solutions

EJ2 Track Rat: B Series Axles

If you road race or do HPDE with a Honda that has a B Series motor such as a B18B1, B18C5, B16A2, etc, then you’ve likely run into axle problems.

Figure 1: Integra Axle with Torn Outer CV Boot

Many cars with continuous velocity (CV) axles, even street cars, encounter torn boots every once in a while. But when you throw in hard braking from 100 MPH to 60 MPH once every minute-and-a-half, or when you subject your CV joints to excessive stress with a lowered car, or when you toss R comps and excessive lateral loads at your vehicle, you’ll quickly find the limits of physics.

Figure 2: Damien’s Dirt-Nasty Low “EK” Hatch Race Car

Excessive heat from rotors, loads from cornering, and aggressive articulation angles all result from the conditions mentioned above. With the added heat and stress, the components inside of the CV joint typically wear in an accelerated manner-- and for those who are racing, that could mean a DNF or last place. Either way you’re losing points toward your championship and wasting money with a broken car on track.

This writeup provides a solution for those of you who hate your axles. Do you want to drive on R comps? Do you want to be dirt-nasty low? Do you want to crack rotors with heavy braking? Well, you’ve come to the right place.

Figure 3: The Chaos That is Racing

Problem 1: Grease

The first problem associated with many parts-store brand axles that are made for B-Series-equipped Hondas is that they likely don’t have enough grease in them. Even if they do have enough grease, one has to question how high quality said grease is. When a single CV axle costs $35, do you trust it to hold up to the stresses of racing or track days?

Figure 4: These SurTrack Automotive Axles are Cheap at ~$35 from RockAuto

We solve this problem by replacing the old, crappy grease originally present in your axles with high-quality grease. For this DIY, I chose to use Redline CV-2.

Figure 5: Redline CV-2 “High Moly Content” Grease

Redline CV-2 is the grease of choice for rebuilding these troublesome Honda B-Series axles as it is made by a reputable company, withstands temperatures up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, high pressures, which are common in CV axles, and because it contains an “organic moly” as stated by Redline. This organic moly is likely a compound referred to as molybdenum disulfide. Due to its molecular structure, it provides superior lubrication like graphite but it also adheres to metal surfaces very well.

Figure 6: My Friend Alex Lubing up an Axle with Redline CV-2

Problem 2: The Heat

As I mentioned at the beginning of this writeup, the axles are subject to a lot of stress on a FWD race car. Heat is transferred from hot rotors to the axle spindle through the hub and heat is generated by the bearings in the CV joints as they rotate and articulate. The effects of this heat can be exacerbated by other factors mentioned in this article such as poor grease and poor manufacturing tolerances in cheaply made axles.

If the grease can’t handle the heat, its lubricating properties degrade, subjecting the bearings in the CV joints to excess friction-- compounding the problem. If the ball bearings are pitted, the bearing races are cracked, or the cages are cracked, the axle may begin to vibrate and eventually fail catastrophically.

Figure 7: Cracked Cage on a Subaru CV Joint

To solve this problem, we firstly use better quality grease. However, we can also vent the CV joints.

Venting CV joints has not been empirically tested to the best of my knowledge-- however, it is a practice that has been employed in the Honda road racing community for a long time by reputable axle manufacturers such as Gator, RAxles, Insane Shafts, and Driveshaft Shop. While the efficacy can be debated for days, it still doesn’t hurt to understand the theory and construction of axle vents.

Figure 8: Venting the Outer Boot of an Acura Integra Axle

When the axle is rotating at a high speed, it is believed that the centrifugal force generated by this behavior disperses any excess grease around the inner diameter of the axle boot. This, in theory, creates an air space in the center of the CV joint. Heat from the hot, rotating CV joint is transferred to the air space, and if the air is not vented, it is believed that this can accelerate axle wear.

Figure 9: Diagram Showing Air Pocket at Center of CV Boot

To evacuate this hot air, it is believed that a small “vent” (which is actually a tube inserted between the boot and axle shaft) can be used.

Figure 10: Diagram Showing Added “Small Tube” Which Serves as a Vent

Problem 3: Manufacturing

I’ve taken apart brand new parts store axles that have failed on my race car and discovered that they were adequately greased, but failed anyway. This, and other anecdotal evidence I’ve read online and heard about from other B Series drivers leads me to believe that “they just don’t make ‘em like they used to.”

This last section isn’t me saying that a parts store axle with high quality grease can’t last. Contrarily, I have seen and heard of people regreasing parts store axles with high quality grease and having great success at a reduced cost. However there is a generally true inverse relationship between quality and cost with auto parts that suggests machining tolerances and material quality may be compromised for the sake of pricing-- especially with economy-priced axles.

So, let’s not focus on how true the above statements are. Let’s just make sure that our axles are well made. The easiest way to do this is with visual inspection and with precision measurement tools.

Figure 11: A Starrett 0-1” Micrometer I Bought for $10 on OfferUp

When disassembling your axles to regrease and vent, measure any components you can and visually inspect the friction surfaces. Visual inspection should always be implemented as it is cheap and easy if you know what to look for. If you don’t have precision measurement tools, it’s not the end of the world, but they do help.

Starting with the outer joint of an Acura Integra CV axle, it consists of six ball bearings, an inner race, a cage, and an outer race which is integrated into the spindle. This type of CV joint is called a “Birfield joint.”

Figure 12: Diagram of Outer CV Joint

Disassemble the outer joint and begin visually inspecting the components. The following video is a great DIY on how to disassemble the outboard joint of a CV axle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-R11jtnyV8. Things to look for during inspection include: metal pitting, hairline fractures and cracks, and discoloration.

Figure 13: Discoloration on the Spindle Caused by Overheating

If you can see pitting on the metal surfaces, it could be due to contaminants in the grease such as sand that entered through a torn boot or corrosion from moisture. If you see discoloration, it is likely that grease was not lubricating effectively in the affected area and the metal is now distorted. If you see cracking, the affected area may have overheated at some point or may have been constructed from cheap metal.

Figure 14: Ball Bearings with Spalling

A well-manufactured CV axle, such as an OEM unit, will show minimal signs of wear on the friction surfaces. I have disassembled OEM Acura Integra Axles with over 150,000 miles on them and torn boots with nearly perfect looking wear surfaces.

Figure 15: Outer Races of Said 150,000 Mile Axle with Minimal Wear

Once you’re finished your visual inspection, measure whatever you can with precision measurement tools. Engine builders use this process when disassembling motors. Critical dimensions are measured to the nearest one-thousandth, sometimes the nearest ten or one-hundred-thousandth of an inch to gauge the health of various components. If the components are found out of spec, they are sent to a machine shop where they can be brought back into spec with specialized machinery.

Figure 16: Using an Outer Diameter Micrometer to Measure Ball Bearing Diameter

For the outboard joint of a CV axle, one easy component to “blueprint” is a ball bearing. Take several diameter measurements of the ball bearings and compare the results against all bearings in the axle set. Mark each ball bearing with dots so that outliers can be identified. Record your results for future rebuilds.

My OEM axles that I rebuilt all had healthy looking ball bearings with outer diameters that were the same to one-thousandth of an inch.

Figure 17: Recording Ball Bearing Diameter Results

The process is the same for the inboard CV Joint. Disassemble, clean, visually inspect, and blueprint what you can. The inboard CV joint used on B Series Hondas and Acuras is known as a “Tripod joint.” The picture below shows a cutaway view of the side of the inboard joint on the left, and on the right, a cutaway view of the front.

Figure 18: Tripod Type CV Joint (Image from: http://what-when-how.com/automobile/universal-joints-automobile/)

Below you’ll see the inboard spindle that houses the majority of components comprising the inboard joint assembly. Again, this is an OEM unit and looks nearly immaculate after years of abuse.

Figure 19: OEM Honda Tripod Joint Housing (“Cylindrical Pot Chamber”)

When I disassembled the inboard joints, I only blueprinted the outer diameter of the “semispherical rollers” as outlined in Figure 18. But I could have also disassembled these “rollers” and blueprinted their internals as well.

Figure 20: Semispherical Rollers Cleaned and Recently Inspected

Again, when blueprinting the inboard side, the more measurements you can take the better-- but remember, all of the measurements are relative (unless you’re an engineer at Honda and have access to the dimensions you need!) Regardless of what the measurements are, record them and keep them for future axle rebuilds. More data is always better.

The Finished Product

Disassembling, cleaning, inspecting, greasing, venting, and rebuilding your old axles can be a hassle, but if you’re looking to save a buck, the tips in this writeup should help. When you buy a project car, save the OEM axles! When your friend wants to throw out their OEM axles, save the OEM axles! And if you’re at a junkyard and you see OEM axles, save the OEM axles!

#SaveTheOEMAxles