Why keeping the oil pan above the frame is critical

[David Williamson]

this is on my Gen 3 Coupe but more traffic here so... This is why it is critical to keep the oil pan above the frame.
We were driving behind a car at about 60 mph and there was a frost heave in the middle of the road. I had no chance to avoid it and hit it, the Cobra behind me hit it as well, the other 3 cars managed to dodge it. My ride height is 3 1/2 front 3 3/4 rear. No major damage but it did bounce the car hard. The tar is melted onto the frame, my wife and the guys behind me smelled burning. Some pictures of the frame.

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David W

[J R Jones]

David, If you have watched F1 or NASCAR recently you have seen the rooster tail sparks from chassis bottoming out on the pavement. I assume that these are contact pads located as sacrificial material in a location that will not yield chassis structure during the contact.
Gran Prix motorcycle racing has similar issues. The riders lean so far in corners that they drag knees, elbows and shoulders on the pavement. Each contact point has a pocket holding a plastic "puck" that is low friction and isolates heat from flesh. Moreover some motorcycles store fuel in the frame and contact with the pavement is a potential. These frames will also have plastic slid pads to limit damage and an explosive abrasion.

You might consider serviceable skid pads at sturdy locations of your chassis, but obviously that would consume more ground clearance. Hard urethane and polypropylene are options.
Bottoming is a corner can result in a loss of traction.
jim

170425

[mrmustang]

this is on my Gen 3 Coupe but more traffic here so... This is why it is critical to keep the oil pan above the frame.
We were driving behind a car at about 60 mph and there was a frost heave in the middle of the road. I had no chance to avoid it and hit it, the Cobra behind me hit it as well, the other 3 cars managed to dodge it. My ride height is 3 1/2 front 3 3/4 rear. No major damage but it did bounce the car hard. The tar is melted onto the frame, my wife and the guys behind me smelled burning. Some pictures of the frame.


David W

David,

Most here will never know what the heck a frost heave is, that statement brings back a time in 1981, while driving to college, coming across a small black and white sign on the side of the road stating "Frost Heave ahead", and me thinking what the heck a frost heave was, only to hit it at 45mph and crack my oil pan in the process.....Glad you and your friends came out of this relatively unscathed......

Bill S.

[J R Jones]

As I mentioned recently in another thread, I ran the LaCarreara PanAmerica Mexican cross country endurance race not many years ago. We ran a replica of the Von Esser 1954 Corvette, which had been returned to Chevrolet, and crushed. In Mexico speed is regulated with "topes" or large yellow striped speed bumps. Predictably they were at the entrance of towns and villages. Always pushing hard, we were vigilant to spot topes lest we damage the car.
We were one of 120 cars in various classes. Our class was Historic, clocked at 127MPH while the Unlimited cars were capable of 185MPH.
Approaching a remote village late in the day, one of the Factory Mercedes 300 SL Gul Wings rushed up behind us as we slowed for a tope. The European rally driver was flashing headlights and beeping his horn. We waved him around and he hit the tope at ~50MPH. All four wheels left the ground and crap billowed out the back as he landed. I doubt that he confessed to the crew, but they were busy with repairs that night.
jim

170434

[racingandfishing]

Being it is August and being in Texas, I had to check the date on this thread when I read "frost heaves"...was thinking a pile of frost in the middle of the road...so the date is current so then I thought maybe spell check changed something to "frost"...then with some of the other comments realized a frost heave is the opposite of a pot hole!

Though we do get a version of frost heave here when big trucks sit too long in the same spot at a stoplight on molten asphalt...you could liken it to a hotter than hell heave!

Anyway, I have a Coupe on order and like the idea of nylon pucks or something of the sort on low points on the chassis. Though I was watching F1 a week or so ago and they actually use wood planks. I'd never caught that before and didn't believe it till I googled it. Seriously with all of the off the chart technology and millions in R&D in those cars, wood planks under the car. Though guessing you couldn't walk into the local home improvement store and be like..."what isle are the F1 planks on?"!!!

170464

[David Williamson]

F1 cars also have titanium skid plates to create a "show" of sparks
David W

[Joe Campbell]

Watch out for underground tank fill caps at old gas stations where the asphalt has settled, leaving the fill cap sticking up a few inches. Had a few close calls hitting those when I'm not being watchful.