New undies time !!!

Anyone else had a watts linkage centre bolt shear off ? Was doing 65/70 from Manchester home last night and was a bit of tarmac coming up nothing major and a massive bang on the arse end managed to keep it straight enough but landed about 15 foot up the motorway banking. Luckily had the torch and plenty of tools and nuts an bolts in the boot had one that was long enough but a bit thin but had to do to get me home. Glad the kids and Mrs weren't in the car. There's being no banging or knocking from it either until this

Bloody hell never heard of that before my a$#e would be in tatters you did well to keep it sunny side up

It very nearly went wrong it crabbed a bit but just tried to keep it as straight as I could and hope for it the best lol

I've had a few experiences like that but usually on motorcycles.
Lost the rear nearside wheel on a fourtrak doing about 60 on the M6 once, luckily it was around 3am and I was the only car there.
Lots of sparks! And multiple 360's but I hit nowt.
New wheel, studs, brake drum and leaf spring shackle fixed it.

Flossie said:

I've had a few experiences like that but usually on motorcycles.
Lost the rear nearside wheel on a fourtrak doing about 60 on the M6 once, luckily it was around 3am and I was the only car there.
Lots of sparks! And multiple 360's but I hit nowt.
New wheel, studs, brake drum and leaf spring shackle fixed it.

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I luckily only went up a bit of motorway bank. Then fourtraks weren't the best handling on a good day never mind with 3 wheels lol I lost a fourtrak in a ditch a few years back steering lock came on round a bend and i went straight on with foot hard pressed on the brakes

Perhaps something else went before that which put pressure on the watts linkage. So do check everything over before you take it out again.

ronsealdeath said:

Perhaps something else went before that which put pressure on the watts linkage. So do check everything over before you take it out again.

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everything is spot on I've hacked it up with the chassis so axle was off the floor not a cock hair of movement in Anything it's a strange one because those bolts are a decent thickness. It's making me wonder had someone replaced it with threaded bar or something not as strong in the past ?

Yes, it was either a manufacturing fail in the bolt or someone put something sub standard in when they did the linkage previously. ‘Errr this seems to fit, even though its left over from an ikea wardrobe....’

It seems like it I've got a proper one in now but will keep an eye on it I've put new nyloc but on and big spring washer I don't fancy that experience again haha

I'm a bit amazed that a bust Watts linkage had this much of an effect. The flicking thing is there to improve the handling, not to mastermind it. It didn't sound as if you were balls-out cornering like mad on the limit or anything.
I'm wondering if the bit(s) that came adrift but still attached to the vehicle had more to do with it than they would have if they simply fell off all of a piece as it were.
Anyway, glad the only parts that really suffered were your skiddies, though that name for them is a bit close for comfort!

Stanleysteamer said:

I'm a bit amazed that a bust Watts linkage had this much of an effect. The flicking thing is there to improve the handling, not to mastermind it. It didn't sound as if you were balls-out cornering like mad on the limit or anything.
I'm wondering if the bit(s) that came adrift but still attached to the vehicle had more to do with it than they would have if they simply fell off all of a piece as it were.
Anyway, glad the only parts that really suffered were your skiddies, though that name for them is a bit close for comfort!

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its a vital part, keeping your axle in line,unlike a roll bar

jamesmartin said:

its a vital part, keeping your axle in line,unlike a roll bar

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Thinking about it, the axles and suspension on a Landy aren't as much like old fashioned leaf sprung stuff which I only associate with Watts linkages or Panhard rods on if you were lucky! You are right of course, I should think a tad harder before posting!

I can definitely say it took some lining back up at the roadside to get a bolt through to get me home ... On the plus side id picked a new watts linkage up ready to fit so the bolt came off a doddle haha.

Airgunner said:

I can definitely say it took some lining back up at the roadside to get a bolt through to get me home ... On the plus side id picked a new watts linkage up ready to fit so the bolt came off a doddle haha.

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Having thought about this overnight I am now deffo going to check mine. It is scary that just one bolt holds the key to safe lateral location on such a heavy vehicle.
I think I might have been thinking about the A-frame type o thing on the top of the Disco 1's rear axle, which of course the D2 don't have. Obvs the radius arms don't do any /much sideways location, nor do the springs, or the anti roll bar. So we are left with just the Watts linkage.
In the old days, on a leaf sprung rear axle, a Watts linkage was a step up from a Panhard rod and was there to improve lateral location from the rather loose lateral location of just the leaf springs. (Sorry if I am teaching grandmothers to suck eggs here) Which is why I was, for a moment, amazed that its failure was so dramatic. On my Marlin Roadster, like the one @kevstar used to have, you could buy a Panhard rod and anti tramp bar kit to improve the roadholding, as otherwise it relied on the leafsprings and a modification to the rear shockers positioning.
So I am now very concerned that what, to me, should be the icing on the rear suspension cake, has now become THE lateral position maintainer. Looks a tiny, wee bit like laziness from the suspension designer's point of view.
On the last kit car I am still building, I had to make all sorts of changes to the rear suspension and this too involved designing and fitting a Panhard rod. I know it sounds like I don't know what I am talking about but in fact, the problem is, I possibly know a bit too much about various different designs and get confused by what appears to me to be a stupid impossibility.
I hope all other D2 owners pay attention to this thread and check their Watts linkage bolts.
STILL can't believe it. Have to assume it is summat to do with making its off road potential better and there I am not so in touch as I have never built an off roader.
Hmmmmm!