Here's Why My Cheap Audi R8 was TOTALED! Major Factory Flaw Made my R8 Salvage!
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Found It! We take a look under the hood and figure out why this car was totaled out. This should be an interesting rebuild!
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*Removes entire front of car*
Samcrac: “Okay the battery is in, really easy install”
Dogtag epic
He’s samcrac of course it’s easy for him
I can understand that if you can afford a new R8, you can afford to pay a mechanic to take half a day to replace the battery. But it still beggars belief that Audi would design it this way - what were they thinking of? Must have been the same muppets who designed the car's front end structure.
I mean compared to the rest of the stuff he's gonna be doing to the car, it's easy, plus it looked like they pretty much came out like Legos with screws, so easy but time consuming.
@@saddoncarrs6963 who would think a highly refined supercar would be a bit more difficult to perform maintenance on than a Honda civic? God what absolute idiots that work on designing and engineering these supercars! Frankly we should replace them, maybe with you, Saddon Cars?
Anyone know how that happens? Not an accident. It just cracks??
I think either flex tape or flex seal will do the job.
Na Silicone Bro
"We cracked this car in half, then put it back together with only Flex Tape!"
ROFL
no bro jb weld ahahaha
THAT'S A LOT OF DAMAGE
Hi Sam,
I was an aircraft welder for the British RAF,
1. firstly don't let anyone touch your car unless they can specifically identify the kind of aluminum involved
2. Find out if the aluminum has been heat treated, you can't just weld any old spec to the car, its possible you may have to remove the entire assembly so it can be heat treated after welding. Oherwise the entire area that has been welded will be soft as shit and the first sign of stress or vibration it will fail.
You may have picked this up for a bargain, and I admit to being jealous, but really do you think Insurance companies are that stupid to write off a supercar for a couple of cracks?. There is going to be an investment of time and money on this, you will come out ahead, but don't underestimate the task in front of you.
Looking at the cracks and the fact that only one side is cracked implies the previous owner hit or glanced something on the passenger side, In order to properly weld and reinforce that crack the frame or the strut is going to need to be re-aligned back to its original position. That will be a major undertaking and the easiest way by far is to remove the strut and do it as a single unit. It goes without saying you need to do this also to the undamaged side.
Thats all the advice I have so far, don't be disheartened, you are right in that the Insurance company bailed early, I would suggest talking to an airfield near you about reputable welders, and get the specs on that aluminum. If you can find both I think you are onto a winner.
Insurance companies are in the business of making money and will write off just about anything to keep their margins healthy. If they total your current supercar you're likely going to buy a new one, which means they write off your loss and you get to give them more money (new cars cost more to insure than one you've had for years).
Stu you must've worked on a few belter aircraft in your time...
@@agentx250 Spec your right on the money, no pun intended. Insurance companies are in business of making money and not fixing cars. They'd rather write off the entire car then spent tens of thousands of dollars on repairs and then being liable if the car is not completely restored to its original performance specs and the driver has an accident as a result. Writing off and and then selling damaged cars in total loss auctions is just more cost / time effective for insurance companies and that's why they prefer to go that route way - it's a simple calculation for them.
I worked at Boeing for 32 years. We don't weld aluminum at all--just rivets and hi-locks/bolts. Structural aluminum is heat-treated AISI 2024 which cannot be welded. Softer 6061 can be welded (that's what Ford pickups use), but as you cite, the weld area will lose its heat-treat and strength.
As for the car repair. the use of doublers riveted over the cracks might be a solution. Works on airplane stress cracks. Next time you board an older airplane, check out the outer corners of the door opening for doublers the airline has added.
STU Per, ohh are you EINSTEIN or what. Talking if you know EVRYTHING mister smartass ;)
I’d be pissed if I bought a new car and it broke like that and the factory didn’t pay for it
6:25 That spoiler pop out brought a smile to my face.♥
Frame crack and spoiler programmed to be up at all times? Douche bag alert on the previous owner 😏
“Audi R8 Titanium exhaust armytrix” SAM WHAT ELSE ARE U HIDING FROM US!!
Shhhhhhhhh
Audi R8 VF supercharger
Noticed it also. Wanted to comment on it but you beat me XD
Was thinking the same
Lisandro What time did you see his history?
Samcrac's car has a crac! Sam, as an Audi fanatic who is working mainly in Germany seeing you rebuild Audis is so satisfying. Keep up the great content!
I randomly stumbled upon your channel and I'm glad I did, your content is awesome! Keep up the good work! 👍👍
While you have it all apart I'd reinforce the passenger side too! It would suck to have to fix it later and knowing it's a weak spot to start with, might as well take care of it now.
Definitely the way forward, I will be gutted if He doesn't do that.
It looked like the passenger side was already cracked but covered up
I was,thinkin the same thing.
@@hunterford390 The passenger side was welded already, if it was welded then it means that it cracked in the past too and I'd say that the passenger side got cracked first, it got welded but then the driver side became the weak spot of the whole structure as it started to take in more of the stress forces applied on the chassis, and that meant that the passenger already got reinforced.
Think of it like a chain with two weak links, one weaker than the other, when a stressful force is applied to the chain, the weakest link will break first as its the one who can't sustain most of the stress, then the weak link gets replaced with a strong link and now the other weak link has to deal with the same stress, so it will break as well.
For me, it looks like the passenger side of the structure has already been successfully repaired and reinforced, so I wouldn't fiddle with it.
Arthur Tussak would have that sorted in half an hour.
Agree hehe
Yep fly him in for a video collaboration
Yea with just as many haters in the comments saying his shit isn't road worthy. Tussik is a MASTER and still catches hate.
He protec
He attacc
But most importantly he Cracc
Old meme
4:00 - Samcrac: The kinda guy to where white shorts while working on a car...
Put some JB Weld on it and call it a day
A little duct tape should do it.
2monkey....the 5min quickset type
Bark Lord of the Sith if you can’t duck it fuck it!! 🤣🤣😂😂🤷🏾♂️
:)👍
😀
#SAMCRACKED!
But seriously not to bad. Clean break with not much tearing. I'm a welder and I believe that once you remove the strut assembly the tension on the break area should relieve a good bit. Then with some fenagagleing get it to line back up and weld. A custom reinforce can then be added. I would do both sides as preventative maintaince.
Cheers
Completely agree, it's just the strut tower mount, fixing it will be no rocket surgery
Really? Come on! Thats BAD! You know it and I know it. Do you weld Aluminum? Are you a frame tech? I showed this to my brother 22 year fram tech, he said its JUNK, period. No shop in its right mind would touch that job. Too much liability.
If we repair cracked Airbus and Boeing wings frames and etc and its even stronger than before for sure you can weld a car frame. Thats not rocket science, just because you do not feel secure to do it doesnt mean it cant be done, because it can.
Not everybody can weld high-strength steels properly.
@@scottfirman Your brother is an anecdote. I agree that it looks really bad, but anyone with the skills always says the same thing: Almost anything is possible with the proper amount of money and time. Repairing this is possible, but it will take a serious check to be written to the right person. This is way beyond his skill.
Well that’s a bad play on Audi considering the cost of this car and that they didn’t bother to do a recall and repair these at their cost.
It's the same company that just got exposed for lying about their emissions and gas efficiency on all of their cars, what you expect
@@AgroAce so Audi cars are a sham? Thanks for letting me know will get one absolutely used, never dealership .
Unknown Channel don’t they are money pits
St. Beter Yep, Audi's are way to expensive for what they are.
R8 is my favorite Audi, I'm glad I watched this video. Makes you wonder what other car makers are hiding under the hoods.
Literally just finished watching the delivery video and then you upload this! 😂
Me too
Same
Can’t wait to see this drag race the rs7
RS7 will crush it
The RS7 will clean this cars clock. . . .
Rs7 gonna annihilate this! R8 is probably better for twisty roads and stuff
420hp vs 800hp. What are you even talking about.
To everyone replying I meant I can’t wait to see this super car get it’s doors blown off by a 4 door luxury hatchback
Sweet car and happy for you. I'm sure you'll get these frame issues sorted out. Excited to see the future progress and the finished car. Love the sound of that engine!
First of all you need a fiber optic inspection camera to get behind that crack and see what else might be hiding. I doubt there's much if anything, but you'll need to see how much space you have in there, because you need to bring in some aluminum stock and tig weld it in all the right places and in the right order. You'll want to have someone who has experience welding aluminum tig. Now you may find you'll need to use argon gas with mig alum wire just so you can get into the tight spaces tig cannot, which btw also needs argon gas if you're not a tig welder. You can use co2 but I would use the best only on this car. Seems to me this is a serious weak spot in that car, and it needs to be made very beefy so that wont happen again. I'd use 5 to 7mm walled tube and sheet for this, structural grade, not pure aluminum which is probably the stock material. I'd use any free space to make a curve in there because sharp inside corners like you have here will collapse. Whenever frame welding you must take frame flex into account, which is why this curve in the direction of the break is important. Always over-engineer, especially in any repair. Due to space restrictions you might even consider another option which is electroforming the metal in place. That's a complicated process, but it would be superior to any weld in theory. You'd have to get a replacement piece machined to shape, shore up the back, and circulate a chemical mix in a hole for 2 weeks or so to literally 'grow' the metal until it's thick enough. Personally though, I'd take a few more parts off, and simply over-engineer it all with some plates with holes in them where you can weld through, allowing contact and flex.
Here's a trick you might want to know about; Honda discovered how to make aluminum a lot stronger by forging it with copper a certain way. It has to be a specific consistency like peanut butter and then pushed into the mold shape. This does something to make the 2 metals work together becoming far stronger.They use it in link suspension where weight and strength matter most.
very good advice, some of it admittedly went right over my head but one thing I know about is aluminum, I've been making and recycling it for .........well for to damn long, anyway I just wanted to tell you there is no such thing as pure aluminum. It's a man made substance and does not exist naturally It has to be extracted from aluminum oxide by means of electrolysis of alumina it's found in bauxite, then alloyed with silicon, tin, boron and a few other things to make it into the stuff you are talking about........alloying it with copper is real tricky and expensive to make the stuff you mentioned Honda is using
If I was the insurance company I’d be going after Audi. No reason they should pay for Audi’s poor design.
The Insurance Companies maybe doing just that ( going after Audi). Insurance companies have very deep pockets!
@@rdsledge Agreed it's very possible the insurance company is going after them in litigation. But the response could also be that the car was driven improperly. I'm amazed at how lucky the owners are to have their insurance foot the bill though.
@@ronald4life1 "But the response could also be that the car was driven improperly" The frame of a car should not crack or bend in any normal driving situation. That includes hitting a deep pothole at autobahn level speeds. This is audi's failure, not the driver's.
@Kelly true true
Yes, but in Europe, everybody is obeying Volkswagen rules. Even the government. So if your car crack, you can buy another, because it will be YOUR fault.
V Tuned Sam... It'll be almost OEM when he is done with it. I wonder if the dash needs removed for this job. Either way, it looks like you'll get it fixed.
Hey you're here :D
That's who I thought of too
@@unclejoe6811 whos randy ?
Aye your here :D
@@Kenny_Kortright flex shot bro, there's a lot of damage.
That's some fantastic German engineering! Kinda makes me want to spend 140 grand on one!
lol
Dude!, i'm totally stoked that you got an Audi! Can't wait to see what comes next
Hire Tavarish’s Welding Jedi for a day?
I was just thinking the same thing!!!!!
I will like to see that guy helping you too. He did a great job with Tavarish.
He's not really a jedi. He can't weld with his gaze.
Kinda thinking the same...
But what about the midichlorians?
100,000 + car having cracks in the frame? Unacceptable from Audi
looks like 1/8th inch aluminum too lol
Makes you wonder who got paid off to avoid a recall.
But the fan boys will defend this sh@t to the end..."It's so much better than ______." as the structure cracks & totals. Awesome, sucker
It's a Volkswagen.
Well that's Audi for you😂
$150,000 car that you have to completely disassemble in order to change the battery. Nice.
How long does it take to change a cheap Honda battery lol
And i learned from having an Audi myself that to do ANY transmission work on an Audi (even check/change fluid) you need like a 2000 dollar tool made specifically for Audi transmition work. So shady to design a car in such an anti consumer way
@@mikebarnes7441 they're just protecting their technology not to be tampered with by every monkey with a wrench. only authorized services can obtain special tools. Also how is this different or worse then e.g. Apple who on purpose makes their products impossible to service, hard to use any other periphereals other then their own
@@dejo095 makes sense
@@mikebarnes7441 My formerly certified Porsche, Audi, Volkswagen car dealer mechanic, now in business for himself, will not work on them due to the plethora of special tools and proprietary computer software now needed for them.
Great channel. I work at a mechanical and collision repair shop that does restoration work too. We do our best to repair cars properly even if it means we don't make much money on the job sometimes. All of our business is repeat customers and word of mouth. You won't even find us in the business listings in the phone book. It's an absolute joy to see like-minded people doing good work.
If you can't fix it, you can always sell it to Tavarish.
jospi2 tavarish: hey guys i bought a new car 😂😂😂
Yeah, he'll put duct tape on it and call it a day.
P2000Camaro gold tape Son, it was gold tape.
But Tavarish is too crowded now.. with all his project cars he must finish: Lambo, Supra, Bentley, Viper, Mini and +he got recently a burned Ferrari.. so he is really jammed too busy..
Gotta set fire to it first..
Welding aluminum, well, for my dragbike I sent stuff to an airplane tech/welder, fantastic workmanship !Also another option would be the boat builders that build aluminum fishing boats, again great quality work ! Good luck !!
I just stumbled across your Audi rebuild, pretty interesting so far. Now I'll have to look at the rest of your videos while I'm waiting for chapter 3.
Stay below 45 because that is a death trap ready to fly apart bro
It’s samcrac’d
Sam Crac finds a crack. Should have known...
I had to look through the comments before I said the same thing .. lol...
Use flex tape
Tavarish would recommend gold foil tape.
Duck tape :)
Dats a lotta damage.
that's a lotta damage
Easy fix Sam ! Buy a new Frame , switch everything over ! You should be done by 2023 ! GL
I would talk to a race car fab shop. they build aluminum frames and race cars all day. they would have the knowledge and expertise to not only repair, but correct and strengthen BOTH sides
It was indeed cracced!!!
I see what you did there
Lol
Loool
Call the Welding JEDI... He saved Tavarish's Lambo project.
Samcrac sam on the crac again
Well done video, you are not cocky and arrogant like most youtubers i've seen doing this type of video
I think VAG stands for Volkswagen Auto Group. In any case, great deal you got man!
That it does.
This should be able to be fixed without issue for anyone with a frame rack and the proper point measurements. That being said, this is aluminum. DON'T rely on welds alone. Put in structural bolsters with BOLTS in addition to plate patching over the cracks. I see how this can be re-enforced very easily... but if left to welds alone, I can see it just busting again at some point. Make sure to put in the extra BOLT-IN bolsters. It can be done in a classy manner and make it look professional without issue.
Adding reinforcements outside of the OEM repair guidelines is not smart. It can effect air bag timing and crush zones. If the car could have been fixed properly by factory trained techs and shop it would have been saved. These cars should get junking certs and parted out.
@Douglas Hamner A crush zone or an impact zone is an area (typically structure such as frame rails, suspension, ect.) that is formed to crumple in the case of an impact. There is nothing that exists on a car such as a "crush switch." What he means is, changing the properties of the area to be stronger will result in other area's being damaged more than usual on the car and risking occupant injury. There is a ZERO tolerance on where airbag sensors mount on cars, meaning they cant even be off by 1mm when repairing the car as the time it takes for the structure to cush is factored into the time for the airbag to deploy. It might not be a crumple zone but it is for sure a structural piece and integral for the cars suspension and to keep the occupant safe. He's simply saying that adding reinforcements OUTSIDE of the OEM's guideline is very frowned upon and potentially deadly. You're talking about adding the factory reinforcement plate whereas the other guy was talking about adding a ton of other and potentially dangerous reinforcements all over the affected area. Which is not recommended by Audi. I dont know what "repair manual" you're referencing, but in the collision industry that deals with this, there is no repair manual. You get repair procedures and manufacturer recommendations through alldata and other companies alike. This is not something you take to a mechanic shop and have them fix it after they flip through a few pages on engine repair manuals for an R8. Adam's 100% right. Theres a reason it totaled. Aluminum structure 85-90% of the time is irreparable. Plus to be allowed to work on these cars, you need to be an Audi certified repair shop, have a separate aluminum only room dedicated to working on aluminum, have separate tools, frame benches, and welders for aluminum. Theres a reason aluminum stuff totals out. 80% of shops dont have the $1-5 million needed to invest into setting up to do aluminum repair per the manufacturer.
@Douglas Hamner The fact that you claim to be a certified Land Rover technician but fail to know the fundimentals of SRS sensors is frightening. Literally every manufacturer, ASE and I-Car certification states that airbag mount locations are a zero tolerance policy. Does that mean you know more about these cars than the people who have designed every part from the ground up? No. Neither do I. But following the rules and guidelines are what saves lives. Of course airbag sensors utilize many other sensors to detect an impact and the forces it generates. That does not make it any less important to follow the manufacturer's recommendations. I'm not doubting your skills or knowledge but your claim of a sensor being off in terms of mounting location is completely untrue and has no actual facts to base it off of. We aren't talking about skills here either. I'm GM, Tesla, and a Toyota certified repair technician with a platinum cert in structural repairs through I-Car. I'm also the local role representative for our I-Car gold certified shop. That doesn't mean Jack on the internet. But feeding false information can cost someone their life. Safety is priority #1.
@@adamhenderson7272 Insurance companies are obligated to repair the car to OEM standards, so they can not cut any corners what-so-ever. I'm sure there are ways to repair this to be stronger than OEM without breaking the bank, it just might require some slight modifications.
@@adamhenderson7272 i understand that the safety features may be messed up so . but sometimes the company deems things not financially smart for fixing and totals out cars there is also that angle you have to consider.
Soooo, a factory defect, that they charge stupid money to fix, like it was the customer's fault that they didn't pick up on the fault during the design phase? Errrrm, okay...... :S
You thought these car were built to drive. NO! You just look at them because they are so pretty. (Totally agree with you)
I love Honey, been using it for a month now! Years ago I was the rep for Hunter Engineering, then later bought an alignment shop from someone with a great rep. I ended up getting accounts with 90% of the body shops in the area because of my geometric skills, I could put a car on my machine and tell the body shop what needed to be pulled and how much for me to be able to get the alignment specs right on. You could do the same and know how much the frame has to be moved to get the wheels in geometric specs.
Your first clue was the difficulty you had in pulling the manual hood release. Unless the cable is somehow jammed, which is next to impossible without exterior forces or damage, the hood not releasing should have told you right then and there there was an issue with the alignment of the cowl and core support (or whatever Audi calls the structural support across the front of the tub where the radiator is mounted and hood release is attached to in a normal car).
When the cowl or core support are pushed out of alignment the hood latch is not straight.
How do you know the problem wasn't a rock stuck in between the tire tread
wow u smart
dummy
I started to laugh when you suggested you might have pulled one over on the insurance company.
lmao....yep comparable to pullling one over a great white shark...;-)
insurance company are not dumb
Sam thepiratebay has a VM of Elsawin and Etka for your Audi. Alternatively, you can pay for ERWIN access straight from Audi. They have all the documents you'll ever need. I ended up paying for VW Erwin and downloaded all the pdfs that I needed. It was only 8 euros. Best of luck with the car!
Hi Sam, I just now started watching your vids for the 1st time. I hope that your Audi lasts you a long time, or until you decide to sell it. Congrats by the way. 👍🏻
Excited to follow the build! Subscribed.
A lot of people are giving you crap about buying a lemon, and impossible repairs...
Not fair. It was cheap. It runs. This is probably the worst damage you could expect to find (short of both sides being cracked).
Others have presented viable solutions. Expose the frame, remove the struts, and realign properly. Weld it back up, with reinforcement. It may be difficult to weld (I don't know what kind of alloy they used) but it won't be impossible. Find a great welder and go to it. Careful though, you MUST add a reinforcing plate around the affected area. The weld joint can typically be thought to be 66% as strong as the base metal. It would crack again, and with less cause, without reinforcement.
That said, I'd be amazed if this repair runs you more than a couple thousand dollars. At the end, you should have a track-capable car. Will it crash the exact same as a factory fresh machine? No. Reinforcing gussets will change how the frame crumples. That's part of the reason Audi wants so much to fix it. Is is still safe? Should be. Just do the fix properly.
I would be glad I found the problem. I would proceed to fix it up, and drive it until the engine grenades.
it is not possible to weld and be safe - the the safety that we have here in the usa.. the only thing he can do now is to sell the car to an overseas buyer whose local laws and regulations see that car as more than fit for road use.
I agree. I mean they sell engineered panels to reinforce. I'd be happy with the purchase.
I agree with Ben above. Fix it right and go have fun
@@josephhertzberg2734 THE REINFORCED PANELS CAN ONLY BE USED before THE CRACK HAPPENS. THE PANELS ARE WELDED ON TO REINFORCE THE FRAME AT THAT SPOT. iF THAT SPOT HAS ALREADY CRACKED, THEN REINFORCING IT NOW WOULD BE MOOT ... THERE IS NO WAY AROUND THE FACT THAT THE CAR IS DANGEROUSLY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THERE IS NO WAY TO REPAIR IT. THIS GUY CAN NOT EVEN SELL THE CAR TO SOMEONE ELSE BECAUSE IF THEY CRASH IT AND THEY DIE, THIS GUY WOULD BE LIABLE, JUST AS THIS GUY DYING WOULD PUT THE AUCTION COMPANY AT LIABILITY. CHECK OUT THE FEDERAL VEHICLE LAWS...
$40,000 USD is not cheap.
Title should have been “samcrac finds a crac.”
Yes
More like, "Sam finds a crac"
@@cowlurker "Samcrac finds his other crac" would be better
Or better samcrac's crack
or "Samcrac's hidden crack".
Sorry, I can't help, but this (total) reminded me of the time someone tried to sell me an Audi for really cheap that was involved in a flood and totalled by an insurance company - it looked great on the outside, but looking back I am glad I steered clear of it, because the bottom line is you still need to get that car you bought insured by a company who is willing to do so if you want to drive it legally.
"I'm surprised to find under carriage damage under the undercarriage after buying a car listed with undercarriage damage ".... What?
New to the channel love the videos!
I guess I didn't understand the surprise at finding the cracks, since the car was salvaged by the insurance company, the cracks are a known issue, and there were no other apparent issues. Hopefully, you don't find any other structural or mechanical issues and you can get the cracks repaired economically. Beautiful car.
Might be worth finding some independant fabricators, the sort of people who build roll cages etc. They might be able to do something that is stronger (even if at the slight expense of weight). Interesting video, look forward to future updates
Sam thank you brother for all the beautiful videos especially the Audi R8. I am also a car enthusiast who lives in Tampa. I was a mechanic in the military. Afterwords I went to school for Automotive collision at Lincoln Institute of Technology in IL. There I got to learn a great deal about repeating cars involved in collisions. And there I got to learn welding as well. If you ever needed help with any of your cars , I can always give you a hand. Abe
YES!!!! I've been waiting for this one!
Looks like a pretty straight forward fix. Remove the strut and pull it down, back into position and weld it. Add a rectangle tube in the the broken piece and weld that up as well. I would gusset the cracked areas and the other side as well so it looks like it was meant to be that way!
no! needs alignment in a proper chassis table
@@ricardorodrigues3508 Just add shims later
@@thecamperDK yeah, add shims on a supercar capable of putting lot of torque in the chassis and do speeds above 140mph, what could possible go wrong.
@@ricardorodrigues3508 Just use high quality shims instead of plastic
Good luck. To me the positive thing is you were able to find the problem quickly and now have fun while you tackle it...
Great videos Sam, good stuff.
Agree with R Head comment, the big job is to disassemble the entire front and dash of the car. You need to relieve all the forces before welding, thus everything must come off, plus access to both sides of the crack. Once all tension is released , you'll have to jack the front frame enough just counter its own weight, from there you need a Welder qualified as per ASME AWS D1.2, as R Head said, the break needs to be cleaned and then a reinforcement be made from both sides.
The big cost will be the disassembly and reassembly, it's possible that even the windshield needs to be disassembled so it doesn't crack with the heat, also be careful with the electronics of the car, welding induces serious voltages and currents, I would disconnect any ECU's, Sat Nav, etc... just in case.
"Audi R8 titanium exhaust armytrix"
👀👀👀
Retired structural Engineer, and kit car builder. I would look into the following. After removing coil suspension etc reset fractured area steel, sure reset and weld correctly, but in addition add formed specialist high strength stainless steel bracket, locate at top with appropriate new suspension bolt, the lower drilled through bulk head by suggest 3 vertical high strength tensile bolts. Can only suggest on what I could see on video. Check it out thoroughly, the combination will be super strong upon successful fitting. All the best Robert.
Subbed can't wait to see the repair!
I'm really surprised that a car that looks not that old, has a frame crack like that.... I would have thought that Audi should warranty fix this...
You would think.
Its collision damage so why should the factory pay for it. The owner had to have curbed or ditched it...
Likely smacked a deep pothole or ran into a kerb.
@@adamhenderson7272
If that was collision damage, you would have seen damage in the front of the car.
It looks like it gave way because the frame was too thin.
Typical German car, engineered extremely well but built from old staples, bubble gum wrappers and used condoms.
remove the strut, get the piece to align with the frame and support. TIG weld the crack then reinforce with stronger aluminum braces. Also do it to the other sidejust mimick the factory repair pieces.
This cracked car made Sam Crac legit.
apparently pre 2011 R8's have a bit of a tendency to crack. makes me think twice about getting a pre2011 model R8. Best of luck with the repair :)
Getting it welded strong isn't the hard part. The hard part is going to be getting the measurements spot on. If things are even a little off you may see a whole bunch of different problems due to the imbalanced frequencies that are now running through the vehicle. Anything from creaking sounds to premature drivetrain failures. This is usually why most unibody cars are totaled after receiving frame damage. It is a never ending battle with the gremlins. Best of luck getting it fixed though! Seriously, you'll be a hero if you get things properly sorted!
too many cowboys don't understand this here. Its not some 1996 Toyota Corolla ffs.
It's a whole different ballgame when your dealing with aluminum. Fatigue, heat etc.
Once you remove the strut it should be easy to get it back into position and someone who knows how to weld aluminium should be able to fix that rather easily. It's looking like this was a great find.
Sam, What about welding the crack and then bolting a nice big steel plate across it for extra strength? A low cost but strong repair.
Cool video. I just subscribed to your channel. Good luck with the R8
A 1 piece aluminum assembly that ties the firewall to strut mounts to lower front frame. The kit will also include a single center wiper.
In my semi professional opinion. What i would do, to make sure its done right is; jack the car up, take both wheels off and remove suspension parts ie. the shock and spring assembly for both sides of the front (driver and passenger) , push all those wires back out of the fire wall and see where you are from there. Im thinking without the force of the spring being there it would be possible to alline the frame parts for a weld. After of course heavy plate reinforcing BOTH sides of that problem area (driver and passenger side) you mentioned that alot of r8's had And for that smaller piece or frame the same but to less of a degree. This being done by someone with the confidence with reinforcing and re-welding ( i do not know your credentials). Along with the fluids maintenance.
Are you sure it can be welded? This is toughened heat treated aluminium. I think the reason it has been written off is that the only suitable repair is a replacement shell. This is a very fast car!
Scott Wheeler of course it can be welded. Anyone with tig welding experience could do this job. However I wouldn’t weld it alone. Aluminum welds are not nearly as strong as welds in other metals as the chemical reaction actually causes the metal to loose strength compared to steel per say where it molecularly bonds as one piece. This is why it’s very common to see even properly welded aluminum break at weld points. Id weld some 1/4” plates on, add 2 3/8” bolts on each side and call it a day. Completely safe infact over-engineered but definitely wouldn’t please insurance companies since Audi (who caused this issue to begin with) didn’t approve if.
@@perkowsky5 Hi Samuel, thanks for your reply. Yes I agree that this problem was caused by Audi and should have maybe been recalled
Looking forward to the frame repair video and hoping you got the deal of the century. Also, as you know, replacing the battery would not be done by the average R8 owner, but rather by the dealership for big bucks, which is one of the reasons the Service departments keep the dealers profitable.
This is something that requires engineering and not quick solutions. WE know the problems of welding tempered alloys so careful. Additionally the complexity of doing the job in a constrained space is big. The geometry of the frame structure must be known for starters.. then, a different approach to the original design must be taken for sure to make the area strong as original or better. So back to engineering for it. I do engineering for aluminum or carbon structures in aerospace. A lot of things can be done properly. I would not throw away the car like other people were suggesting but I wouldn't patch it up welding parts just so quickly. Just relax and think the proper solutions after gathering the most info you can get. Seek for advice when you feel is out of your knowledge area.
You really should get both sides access to the areas you are repairing... and BTW... do not skip the passenger side just because it's not broken YET! Once the drivers side is strong, it will likely happen to the other side.Then...
A proper repair definitely needs more than just welding what's broken... get it lined up and cleaned up, weld, and then overlay with at least 50% thicker than original material. The overlay patch should have quite a few holes through it, so you can weld through the holes into the original layer, adding a LOT of strength.
Must use inert shielding gas (probably argon, possibly a blended gas) as you weld... you are in Florida, with high humidity, you do NOT want any humidity in the active weld area! Determining the correct shielding gas blend takes someone with serious decades of experience in critical strength areas like that... no weekend repair shop can do it justice!
you think that's bad? i will have you know i just got my audi r8 impounded in nfs undercover and im crying, okay?
It's not reality son. Snap out of it!
NFS undercover? Bruh ..
Don't be a bad kid and no one will take away your hot wheels
@@exploderish This is how grown ups talk
cannot believe Audi could have overseen that issue during frame design, I mean they have software that points to stress points with heat maps, and its easy to spot weak points in structure design.
Ever owned an Audi? Most people I know have owned one and then resolve to never own another.
Good luck dude. I live and work in Germany and you have an absolute swwwwweeeeeeeet car.
What type of crac is it... a SamCrac 😂
samcrac the GOAT of car rebuilds!!
Goozsquad*
Man hasn't any brain cells lol
@@oPraxy right
Wow... that is some project. Don't think that id trust myself or anyone else to make that car safe again but amazing if you can do it!
I am anxious to see how you will fix it. Good luck!
Your service is due.
I've done a lot of engineering working on damage to aluminum structures. This type of damage isn't really repairable. Damage that large has to be completely replaced. Any welding repair will never hold up,. You would need to complete cut off the front section of the car and replace that structure. When you weld, you will screw up the heat treat and it will continue to crack and get worse. I've been doing this stuff for over 20 years and welding won't work. If it were as simple as welding don't you think the insurance company would have done that instead of totaling out an expensive car? Consider this a lesson learned and part it out.
afraid I agree with this guy. the welded frame is going to fail in high speed corner or big bump
That's my friend. The insurance company totaled the car for a reason and it isn't as easy as a simple weld.
Sounds like if he doesn’t drive it crazy he’s good to go.
Let me see if I understand your analysis, Laser Tech: The aluminum structure was welded at the VW factory. You believe their is not way to repair such a compromise in the structure because welding would screw up the heat treat of the parent aluminum structure. On what basis? Look at the video, it was welded at the factory. Are you assuming Audi/VW heat treated the structure AFTER being welded at the factory? If so, why would you assume that, because that isn't how Tesla does it (I know this for a fact), or any auto manufacture trying to make a profit does it. Here's what we know: They've been known to crack, so Audi has an available patch panel to 'sister' the cracked area, which authorized techs often do, we've been told and shown. We also know that it's never ok, to just push disfigured and cracked metal back into it's location, and throw a bead of weld on it, unless you want to see it crack again in a short time. What would I do? Spread the load out over a wider area, several inches either side of the damaged area, by TIG welding a patch panel in place using a filler rod compatible with the Audi material (it will require a little research, but this information must be out there). If it were my personal car, and I wasn't just going to flip it for a buck like Sam likely is, I'd go above and beyond, examine the load path that caused the damage in the first place, and install further bracing, discreetly located of course. This sort of thing is performed on race cars all of the time, by craftsmen who know what they are doing. Let's face it, the factory 'screwed the pooch' on the design, failed to engineer in some 'reserve strength' around the strut mount to chassis area, didn't do enough R&D, for pot holes and the like. I'll bet Audi fixed that issue in the later models, getting a look at the newer design would be incredibly valuable.
I agree. 25 year journeyman speaking. With aluminum experience. Ive worked on several R8's. As well as many other all aluminum audis. It would be easiest to find a used corner and install the whole thing. Add the gussets while youre there. Just my 2 cents.
I would investigate a glued solution, but would need to look at how the forces are being distributed. Nice car!
It reminds me of the e46 m3 subframe cracking issue that was a headache..🤦♂️ good luck
Honey and copart are worth the sub!
Once you put this on a lift and the pressure on the front shock is gone, the weight of the tire will pull those cracks in
not just the crack we see- it the fatigue of the stamped aluminum of the frame cradle.
It is serious but it can be repaired but you will most likely have to remove the windshield and the dash assembly and possibly the outerplate covering the top of the cowl. The fact that its an alloy metal and that it's tempered probably means it is softened rather than hardened. Ridgid would tend to crack under vibration as well as stress. determining where it should be reinforced is paramount in the proper repair without heating anything that will be in a high stress area. Welding in the wrong areas could be the worst thing you can do to it. I would look at possibly reinforcing with panel bond and fiberglass mat if there looks like a feasible approach. The bonding and structural integrity of the epoxy's out today are quite amazing. And you wouldn't have to worry about turning it into a piece of ice so to speak, which is the effect you would have if you can't weld and re heat treat which is likely an impossibility.I imagine the entire frame is tempered as a unit It isn't that it needs a lot of reinforcement it just doesn't need to be UN-tempered. With the introduction of the hsla high strength low alloy metals into the unitized construction that vehicles are composed of now has changed the way automobile manufactures build and how vehicles are repaired in todays hi tech low weight thin high strength designs. No more can you take a rosebud and heat a rail without destroying the integrity of the overheated area. There are crayons designed to change colors warning you if you are reaching the threshold of the heat limits that you have to use to mark the metal with to ensure the metal doesn't reach temperatures that adversely effect the repaired areas Where torches were used in the past heating metals to temperatures over 1500 degree nowdays a heatgun can get the metal too hot. When re aligning the metal that has moved I would be most careful in any attempt to beat it into shape I would think removing a bit of stretched metal in any areas that are possibly in the way of letting the stressed area return to its original location would be a good idea. And using a bit of heat in the proper places could make the return to the proper alignment much safer. If there is much warpage I wouldn't worry so much as to getting it straight as I would to either replacing the piece that is deformed and if that isn't an option try and make it work where it is. Most of what you are dealing with if it were to move no more and stay where it is presuming the front end moving components can be adjusted for a proper alignment would be in my opinion good to go. I wouldn't be afraid of it at all as long as you keep it inspected until you feel confident that it is secure in it's new state of being. It should be possible to actually wind up with a stronger vehicle than it was to begin with. I have been building totals for 45 years and realize there are some things that won't fly and some things that people say won't work when I have proven that they most certainly will. I would most definitely test all repairs as hard as you think it will ever be subjected to before I would subject others to it's dependability! You might fix the left side so well it lasts only to find out your going to need to revamp the right side as well. But I would do it in the least evasive way in the aspect of heat as In my opinion that could be as destructive as beating it which is why it is in the shape its in now it has been subjected to to much shock. Good luck I hope I might have given you some worthy advise that you find beneficial and if not good luck just the same. I figure you have probably already made the repairs and I look forward to knowing how you fare.
Great videos. Beautiful car. But salvage title? Really? Let us know if you are able to get it insured.
I can't believe Audi has not been facing major lawsuits over this issue
goodguy I don’t think they can see lawsuits do to Germany being a no fault country. Meaning they are not a sue happy country like America is.
@@nickb.6884 I'm not always in favor of sueing, but this is a case where Audi should definitely man up and fix an obvious engineering failure.
@@nickb.6884 They are doing business in the US as Audi USA so they can be sued.
There's no lawsuits cause its not a fucking safety concern. no way that strut tower would fucking break completely off.
Well, Audi of America could. Problem is, there isnt enough of these on the roads for insurance companies to bother. The people who bought them (who are obviously in a good economic situation) get an insurance check and go buy another 100k weekend toy. If it were a honda civic, they would be held accountable. Or any other car that u see 10 of every time u leave the house.
SamCRACK
Damn it. Beat me to it!
"That ain't nuthin' a little duct tape won't fix!" - Hillbilly I used to work with about EVERYTHING
Hi Sam. Disassemble the front of the car on a jig. Jack it back where it's cracked.. tig weld it up. And reinforce the area. If l were you. Just as matter of course. Prevention is better than more heart ache later. While it's striped down do the passenger side to. Good luck. Great video.
Take off left tire and shock then press or hammer down till it all lines up wield then reinforce every thing
Okay but where are all the bananas at?
You missed the 'SamCrac' Banana Sale?
In the tail pipe?
Cool!! And excellent video quality
Great video I really enjoyed it