**Grab a Snickers and a cold (or warm) beverage**
As my photo of the car at the Dragon, without a front bumper, led to questions as to what happened, I was holding providing details until everything was sorted out. We all know what happens when you post about something negative, it becomes the story, regardless of the outcome. And it's hard to follow up with the outcome after everyone's gone off in their directions.
Saturday afternoon I was leading the group from Fontana Village to the bottom of Fontana Dam for the annual group photo. Almost immediately there was a loud metal on metal thud, wheel lock up, tire smoke and then grinding. I maintained control of the car and got it stopped as quickly as possible. I had only been traveling about 20mph going downhill at a roughly 8% grade, per the sign. Knowing I'd just checked the car for safety following a track day and prior to making the trip to NC/TN, I couldn't imagine what the problem was. Even doing a quick check the afternoon before at Fontana.
We quickly found my right front wheel to have a newly cut line inside it, due to the front lower control arm pushed down, driving the ball joint stud into the wheel. Due to location, we immediately setup people at the top and bottom curves to the hill we were on and sent the rest of the group on. The event photographer ran up to call a wrecker (thus no front end on the car, damage prevention/recovery ease). Clearly the (new) ball joint had failed. After looking at options and trying to make several work, only one played out. I was saved by a good friend driving all the way out from VA with his trailer to recover both the car and myself to get home.
Upon getting the car home and up to further inspect, there was minimal damage, considering. Ball joint failure, wheel cut in half from the rotations of moving evolutions, tire damaged beyond reuse, axle boot ripped up, associated items to that, money and time. And of course the disappointment of the car being done and not getting to participate in the Dragon event or last track day of the year.
Along all of this, I provided details and photos to ESM RACE showing what happened. We've spoken and communicated electronically multiple times over the last week and a half to come to agreeable terms in resolving this issue. While I will not disclose the details of this agreement, I am very pleased with what they have offered. Let's face it, most wouldn't likely respond to the communication, let alone provide much more than a "sorry" or maybe the replacement of the failed part.
These extended spherical ball joints have had a revision made to them since my purchase about a year and a half ago to address the failure point. Anyone with these should contact ESM to discuss this.
Photos show what happened. Additionally, for those unfamiliar, I show a side by side, in different perspective, what the ball joint should look like. And the pressed cup sitting on the bolted bearing assembly, that should be inside that cup.
