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Old 10-31-2005, 01:22 PM   #1
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Well Darn it. I wrecked my Boxster today

I was woundering if this has ever happend to anybody.
I was driving along at no more than 30mph(road was wet but no standing water and new tires just about) the car just very agresively started spinning. Back end just shot out around me like a rocket. I felt a change in the spinning after about the first spin(it up set the car, no pun intended) I think I spun around 3 times before slaming into a large curb on the other side of the road and stoped with 3 wheels off the road.
At least I had the road to myself.
No body damage. Right rear wheel has several cracks, and it's turned in a lot, right side radiator is leaking. Thats all I can see.
Had it towed to the dealer.

Richard
97 Boxster 5sp black 94,000 miles
with carbon fiber hood, deck lid, and air scops

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Old 10-31-2005, 01:35 PM   #2
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my98_928gt, how new are the tires? New tires can be very slick for the first 100-150 miles.
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Old 10-31-2005, 01:36 PM   #3
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Less than 2 months old and apx 2000 miles maybe a little less.
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Old 10-31-2005, 01:45 PM   #4
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Sorry to hear about. Did the suspension get tweeked?
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Old 10-31-2005, 01:45 PM   #5
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Sorry to hear about your accident. Was this at the beginning of the big rainfall or afterwards? It hasn't rained in a long time. Oil slick, maybe? Were you turning in a curve at the time or rounding a corner? I know in previous posts that you have indicated a floating feeling at higher speeds; anything weird today at 30 mph? Where in DFW were you when this happened?
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Old 10-31-2005, 02:00 PM   #6
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my98_928gt, did you ever get the rear trailing are bushings repaired? You mentioned this problem a few weeks ago.
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Old 10-31-2005, 03:45 PM   #7
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After the rain. Just going straight.
Nothing weird. The floating thing is wrong and not realy floating. Floating is the wrong word for it. Just the handleing traight of the car, witch is fine. The car is rock solid at high speeds of 120+ but yet not the stabilty of a 928. It is hard to describe if you have never been in a 928. Those that have understand where I was comming from on that one.
Back to the issue. I did not get it replaced. I had bought the wrong part. Had just found the right part. My guess is that that maybe what it was.Though I certainly did not think a lateral guide(where it ties into the trailing arm) would do that. Now the trailing arm, yes with out doubt that would be bad. But I have been kown to be wrong before. Thank good I was not on the hwy if that is what happend. I will find out from the dealer when they get into it.
I was in North Richaland Hills on Browning all most to Rufe Snow.
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Old 10-31-2005, 04:06 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by my89_928gt
After the rain. Just going straight.
Thank good I was not on the hwy if that is what happend.
Amen to that. Good to hear nobody got hurt. Let's hope damages are managable.
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Old 10-31-2005, 04:51 PM   #9
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Hi,

Sorry to hear of your troubles. Hope everything works out for the best.

How fast were you going that the Car spun 3 times? I'm not inferring anything, but without much of a weight bias Front/Rear, the location of the Rotational Center of the car makes spin recovery much more difficult.

That's the downside to exact or near-exact 50/50 weight distribution. Makes a good case for many here to take some DE or Auto-X with their Cars so they have some notion of how it can bite you if you're under unusual conditions or not careful ...

Happy Motoring!...Jim'99

Last edited by MNBoxster; 10-31-2005 at 08:12 PM.
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Old 10-31-2005, 08:02 PM   #10
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Do you have traction control?

Since I got my 2000 S I've only seen the TC light come on once or twice for a split second under hard acceleration in the rain. So last week after it rained all week and I was stuck at work until 9pm, I walked out to the empty, wet and lighted parking lot and decided to test out the TC.

I tried doing donuts with TC on and it was interesting how it limited engine RPM in a very unobtrusive way. I could spin the wheels a little but it would take over, very controllable circles with the wheel turned all the way and a little back and forth to keep it going.

THEN I tried it without TC on.. man... the boxster will spin like a top! I was very surprised how quickly the back end can get away and if you stay on the throttle you'll go around a few times before you know what happened... eye opening and I'm so glad I got that option.

Maybe nothing relates to you with this but I just found it interesting.. I'd really like to get it on a wet track and learn how to tame it without TC now... challenging Im sure.

Best of luck with the repairs.
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Old 10-31-2005, 09:09 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by my89_928gt
I was woundering if this has ever happend to anybody.
I was driving along at no more than 30mph(road was wet but no standing water and new tires just about) the car just very agresively started spinning. Back end just shot out around me like a rocket. I felt a change in the spinning after about the first spin(it up set the car, no pun intended) I think I spun around 3 times before slaming into a large curb on the other side of the road and stoped with 3 wheels off the road.
At least I had the road to myself.
No body damage. Right rear wheel has several cracks, and it's turned in a lot, right side radiator is leaking. Thats all I can see.
Had it towed to the dealer.

Richard
97 Boxster 5sp black 94,000 miles
with carbon fiber hood, deck lid, and air scops
Hi Richard,
Sorry to hear about your accident (hope you weren't hurt). A similar scenario happened to me just 2 weeks ago. I was decelerating into a descending radius hairpin at 70 km/h (~42 mph). Classic lift-throttle oversteer in my case, but it was far too fast to catch. I ended up spinning 180 degrees (embarrasing...but fortunately no incoming traffic, and I didn't hit anything).
Now, I know the Boxster can go into this turn without a problem (my fastest was 110 km/h ~66 mph). Brought it to the shop and discovered that for the last month BOTH my rear shocks had been long dead already. Big lesson I learned: do get your suspension checked...
The boxster is an awesome handler but it's heart and soul are in its chassis and suspension. My little misadventure taught that well enough.

So now I'm driving on eggshells whilst waiting for the shocks to come. I've decided to lower the car as well (so the H&R's have been ordered as well). Can't wait!

Regards,
-Joe
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Old 11-01-2005, 06:43 AM   #12
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No, no traction control.
I was not hurt and no one around, so that was good.
Yes, I have allways ment to take some DE events.
It's not so much the near 50/50 weight balance that will make the car spin like a top, but the fact that it is a mid engine car and all the weight is centered were it is at. That is one resone that it has such responsive handling also.
I have noticed that my rear shocks where starting to wear and I was pondering what shocks and maybe a spring upgrade as well.
I'm going to make sure the inspect every part while it's in their includeing the front.
The more I think about it(not real sure here) but it seems that I spun about 190 then something shock the car in the back and it started spinning again. I think twice or close to it before I ran out of road and slamed into the curb.
Truth to tell, it's preaty hard to say for sure when your spinning around thinking OH ****************! LOL.

Richard
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Old 11-01-2005, 07:27 AM   #13
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Had a 914 2.0 some years ago, and it was the same thing, handling-wise. Stick, stick, stick, GONE, rotating right around the center of the car. Never did it on the street, fortunately, but several times in auto-x.
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Old 11-01-2005, 08:07 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by my89_928gt
...Yes, I have allways ment to take some DE events..."

Now might be a good time...

"...It's not so much the near 50/50 weight balance that will make the car spin like a top, but the fact that it is a mid engine car and all the weight is centered were it is at. That is one resone that it has such responsive handling also..."

Agreed, but for the sake of this discussion, 50/50 Balance, Mid-Engine configuration, Rotational Center, and Center of Mass = Same/Same

"...The more I think about it(not real sure here) but it seems that I spun about 190 then something shock the car in the back and it started spinning again..."

Possibly ran Over the Tire or a component snapped from the Lateral Inertia.

"...I think twice or close to it before I ran out of road and slamed into the curb.
Truth to tell, it's preaty hard to say for sure when your spinning around thinking OH ****************! LOL..."

Richard
Yes,

Things can get Very Busy, Very Fast when you see the World passing by your Windshield from Left to Right! Especially if it's the 1st Time you've experienced this. I'm just Glad you're OK and the Car isn't too bad...

Happy Motoring!...Jim'99
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Old 11-01-2005, 11:22 AM   #15
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I am thinking that the same thing happened to my car before I purchased it, probably the last owner.

A spin out, ending in a curb whack produces LOTS of damage one cannot easily see.

But, a trip to someone with a four wheel laser alignment system working with a body shop can tell you if you had what I had:

Right rear bent strut - replaced both.
Front sub frame damage that required two small pulls on a rack (ugh!)

I discovered all this when I took it to be aligned and was told it could not be fully brought into alignment for "some odd reason". I was told to get it to a body shop and they not only diagnosed the problem, but corrected the front sub frame twisting. I had to have the rear struts replaced elsewhere (cheaper!) and had another alignment done.

That alignment sure did show me that someone had spun out and hit a curb at least once in my car before I owned it.
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Old 11-01-2005, 04:11 PM   #16
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Oy!!!.....Something like that did happen to me on my 98'. Road was slick and when I wanted to change lanes the rear right tire (slightly worn) caught the white line and the car slipped and spun...fortunately it was late at night and no traffic in sight.....There was one main culprit, apparently the previous owner had the car towed and the car was fastened in the rear from one of the suspension arms and it got bent causing an uneven grip on my rear tires, thus if one of them gets more grip than the other the car banks to that side. Check your rear tie bars (you can see them from the back of the car, they run sideways) and if one of them is even slightly bent then that might be your problem....Good luck with te fix.

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