Porsche 1 hour Crashed Unsure Why Can you help?

[ginge]

Originally Posted by shadrach74

I believe that your mechanic is referring to the axle shafts on your car as the tranny is a one piece trans-axle. The drive between the differential and transmission that we normally think of as a drive shaft is inside the transmission case.

Is this possible for it too snap just driving around a roundabout?

[shadrach74]

Originally Posted by ginge

Is this possible for it too snap just driving around a roundabout?

Doubtful, but anything's possible. I doubt the shaft itself is snapped, likely the joint at one end. I would have likely started making quite a racket long before it broke. Even if it was something internal to the trans-axle, it would have likely given an aural warning.

The majority of these cars do not have limited slip diffs, which makes them even more of a handful in the wet. It is not hard at all to break the rear end loose in damp/wet conditions. once it goes, if the driver gets off the gas, it just exacerbates the issue. The only chance of saving it is to modulate the throttle and steer into the slide. Not an easy task in a split second and not something you think about. It has to be a natural/muscle memory type of reaction and that only comes from practicing...in an area that is curb and obstacle free.

[Ghostrider 310]

shadrach74 Is on point, I lost an X19 on an off ramp at 19, (had all different brands of tires on it for those interested). Once you lose a mid engine you never forget it, it spins in a unique way and recovery is twitchy. I stored that experience and have always been gentle with all Porsche cars in the wet. I have also not pushed the spyder anywhere near as hard as the 986 in a corner yet as I am still learning the car characteristics.

Based on the accident you described it doesn't sound totaled if you get a roller donor car and do the work.

[Frodo]

Originally Posted by Ghostrider 310

shadrach74 Is on point, I lost an X19 on an off ramp at 19, (had all different brands of tires on it for those interested). Once you lose a mid engine you never forget it, it spins in a unique way and recovery is twitchy. I stored that experience and have always been gentle with all Porsche cars in the wet.

On point as well. I've posted this before, but I'll post it again: The above warning goes TRIPLE if you're on summer performance tires and if it's both wet and cold. I've done it and had no time to recover---had my ass end in front in the blink of an eye. Was not even accelerating in a turn---was moving in a straight line, going up a gentle slope and punched it ever-so-slightly. That's all it took.

I won't say that I never drive with summer tires when it's cold, but I definitely take it easy. And if there's even a trace of dampness on the road, I drive like a Granny.

[stephen wilson]

A loose condition is definately recoverable, in all conditions, it just takes some practice

[seningen]

Originally Posted by stephen wilson

A loose condition is definately recoverable, in all conditions, it just takes some practice

My wife took my S for a "spin" one day. Fortunately she missed everything.
Managed to even stop conveniently without punching the fence and enough
dry ground to allow me to drive along the gulley and get it out of there.

Hard to appreciate from the photo -- but it's a good 20' drop off.

Amazingly nothing but pride and ego were damaged.



I've since had the back end twitch on me at the same spot she lost it, but
with much less exiting results.

Once you fix it up -- goto an HPDE and get a feel for car control and really enjoy that Boxster.

Mike

[Frodo]

Originally Posted by stephen wilson

A loose condition is definately recoverable, in all conditions, it just takes some practice

Yeah, I think that's true in the large majority of cases. Have to admit to one handicap that evening: did have a Dewers (ONE) under my belt at the time, never a problem before when things that I've experienced before behind the wheel happen to me---and I've been driving a lotta years (40+). But this I'd never experienced in the Box before. The summer tires were cold---I guess it was in the low-40s, and with the precip on the road (it wasn't raining when I left home), it seemed like they become hard, inflexible, slick. My tread was very good. There was nowhere near enough water on the road for hydroplaning to be an issue (especially with the deep tread). As noted, it was a pretty half-hearted acceleration producing the spin-out---I don't think I was doing any more than maybe 30 mph. And (I failed to mention in my earlier post) I did counter-steer properly. BUT I suppose, with the scotch on board, that response was probably a few microseconds slower than it would otherwise have been.

But this was VERY different than anything I had experienced before. I have, in a pretty major way, broken the tail end loose in the Box before and, using the accelerator as well as the steering wheel, have been able to recover just fine. This time was different, like some big hand reached down and gave my rear end a sudden hard shove sideways. Nevertheless, when I counter-steered I was FULLY CONFIDENT it would correct, a confidence that likewise was measurable in microseconds. As always, correcting a problem such as this is a matter not only of doing the right things, but also doing them in a timely fashion! Live and learn...

[stephen wilson]

OK, maybe I shouldn't have said ALL conditions! Sub-40° with ANY moisture could spell serious trouble with Summer-only tires.

[san rensho]

Originally Posted by Frodo

On point as well. I've posted this before, but I'll post it again: The above warning goes TRIPLE if you're on summer performance tires and if it's both wet and cold. I've done it and had no time to recover---had my ass end in front in the blink of an eye. Was not even accelerating in a turn---was moving in a straight line, going up a gentle slope and punched it ever-so-slightly. That's all it took.

I won't say that I never drive with summer tires when it's cold, but I definitely take it easy. And if there's even a trace of dampness on the road, I drive like a Granny.

I learned my lesson last weekend. I was driving in the wet on the freeway, knowing that my rears were worn to the wear limit so I decided to check the rear traction. I made sure there was nobody close to me and I accelerated fairly hard in third gear, on concrete, in a straight line, around 50 mph. The rear immediately started to come around, pointing me to the right and headed right for a concrete wall. I countersteered full lock to the left, the car snapped back the other way and spun 360, so now I'm pointed in the right direction at least.

Put it in first gear and move off slowly. I look in the rearview and there are a few cars that are careful to keep their distance from me. Oopsie.

[Frodo]

Originally Posted by san rensho

I learned my lesson last weekend. I was driving in the wet on the freeway, knowing that my rears were worn to the wear limit so I decided to check the rear traction. I made sure there was nobody close to me and I accelerated fairly hard in third gear, on concrete, in a straight line, around 50 mph. The rear immediately started to come around, pointing me to the right and headed right for a concrete wall. I countersteered full lock to the left, the car snapped back the other way and spun 360, so now I'm pointed in the right direction at least.

Put it in first gear and move off slowly. I look in the rearview and there are a few cars that are careful to keep their distance from me. Oopsie.

Yeah, that sounds familiar. With my mishap, I had just left a stop light and, being at the front of the line of cars, headed out first, fortunately moving a bit quicker than the others at the light. Had put some useful distance between me and them when I managed to break the rear end loose---had the road to myself, basically. By the time the show was over (moments later) I'm sure they'd all slowed to a crawl, no doubt wondering what in hell it was I was doing. As I sat, nails digging into the steering wheel and me all goofy on adrenaline, they crawled past giving me a very wide berth.

[ekam]

Originally Posted by Ghostrider 310

Once you lose a mid engine you never forget it, it spins in a unique way

Quite unique but you still hit the tree and die.

Top Gear Understeer and Oversteer explained - YouTube

[Gforrest2]

Originally Posted by Ghostrider 310

shadrach74 Is on point, I lost an X19 on an off ramp at 19, (had all different brands of tires on it for those interested). Once you lose a mid engine you never forget it, it spins in a unique way and recovery is twitchy. I stored that experience and have always been gentle with all Porsche cars in the wet. I have also not pushed the spyder anywhere near as hard as the 986 in a corner yet as I am still learning the car characteristics.

Based on the accident you described it doesn't sound totaled if you get a roller donor car and do the work.

Thanks for the memories. I think I was about 19 when I spun my X1/9 on a freeway off ramp. Did a 360 and banged off both walls. Bald tires, wet pavement, too much speed and the characteristics of a mid-engine car.