Greetings, dear Chinese hardware buyers,

This update log can go straight to hackaday's chapter of biggest fails of the month.

Two days ago I changed all the rear axle bearings because they made a horrible noise and they have not been replaced since around 20 years ago.

Today I took the car to test ride on the highway.

After a few kilometers I almost saw all my life in a time interval of one...two seconds.

One of the two (brand new, Chinese made) bearings in the rear-right wheel mechanism blocked itself, melted on the axle shaft and blocked the wheel. My speed was around 80 km/h (around 50 miles/h) and I could handle the car so I could stop safely without any accident.

All the project work is postponed until I manage to fix this. Pictures will come soon, I must go out and get this done before dark.

My "WWK"(*) funds are now back to zero because this will cost me a lot. I must replace the entire rear axle for both rear wheels.

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(*) W W K funds = Funds of Romanian Hackers which are taken from their own salary/business and kept hidden "[W]ithout [W]ife's [K]nowledge". Their main usage is to buy hardware, tools, beer, various fuels (beer for the car), make various repairs or get beautiful presents for his woman partner. If the wife/girlfriend/mistress discovers the receipts, she becomes extremely angry and demands all the funds to be brought out in the light. Her light.

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So today it was a beautiful sunny day after so many rainy weeks. I managed to take pictures and I also did some amazing problem-solving hacks which I am sure you will all love to know.

Look at it, it's so beautiful. And dirty above the lights due to vaseline. That's the first place where every Dacia 13x0/Renault 12 catches rust. And around the wind shield.

But unfortunately it is... sick. Limp wheel due to melt bearing. Let's see what happened.

This bearing does not have round spheres, it has cylinders and it is pressed on a cone-shaped shaft. In the left side I tried to cut it using a huge hammer and a small tool I do not know how to name - after I payed a pot of money to some guy with a platform to carry me back home.

A repair on the road was not possible because I did not have the 220V converter installed. Also I could not prevent that due to the lack of training data for my Hardware Neural Network. Now tell me, mr. "mcnugget", is it really a good advice to ditch that neural network "crap"? I lost a lot of cash today for the platform. An early warning about suspicious vibrations can really save the day.

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The first hack I am going to present here is the Romanian Hacker's Chair. This subject was discussed sometime at the beginning of the Hacker's Channel.

It is made from any automobile wheel....

...and the seat of a sidecar motorcycle. As oldest as possible. 1940s preferred, with their bad habit of marking their own territory with engine oil.

Extremely easy to build and very useful when solving bad situations to save funds.

- A small powered cheap dremel tool - German made;

- a ceramic disk;

- at least one beer;

- various dremel bits I am unable to name in English (no beer left after finishing the repairs);

- two cigarettes;

- a lighter;

- some WD-40 anti-rust spray, replace with hand cream or any cream that women use for the skin (lower results);

The goal is to cut the bearing base so the small cylinders can be taken out, the metal wheel removed and the bearing lower shaft to be also cut.

Due to the material of the bearing - hardened steel - it is impossible to cut it fast with such a tiny laboratory dremel tool. So this hack comes in handy:

The name of the beer becomes "Buffalo" in English translation. It's natural, no chemicals, no synthetics, perfect for the following hacking job:

Mix one part beer and one part WD40 anti-rust liquid from the spray.

Place fresh cigarette ash in this mixture until everything turns into some gray goo. Place some on the hardened steal piece, on the area you wish to cut into.

10 minutes and two cigarettes later.....

Melted cylinders came out from the bearing.

The magic potion allowed the dremel ceramic disk to cut the hardened steel like cutting into butter.

Remember that, one day it may become extremely useful.

Now the bearing base on the shaft...

It is melted/welded. Preparing some more magic potion... need to go get more beer.

15 minutes, two beers... (I'm not encouraging people to smoke for scientific purposes so no more mention of that)

Bearing extractor is unable to handle the melted base. Need another cut and one more beer.

Another 10 minutes of work, some help from a big hammer and the bearing extractor is able to complete the job it's supposed to do.

Spare bearing found in the trunk - it's amazing what you can find inside an old Dacia, this old lady is full of surprises.

Two hours later I managed to reconstruct the beginning of the shaft screw thread using the same small ceramic disk and the dremel.

Finally I put everything back together. Vaseline, new bearing, screw nut and safety pins. It's getting dark and cold. Beer reserves getting low.

The repair is not completed without the last hack: Vaseline cover made of the bottom side of a beer can. That thing is supposed to keep the vaseline inside while I drive the car to service.

Because the bearing welded on the shaft, the conic share (diameter) is likely to be compromised. Unable to state this sentence with proper English. Combining these hacks I will be able to drive to service without calling for another platform, so I saved around US$100. The shaft is part of the rear axle and it cannot be replaced. I will need a new rear axle... or a recycled one.

Here is the compromised bearing, which arrived here with the greatest love from some no-name Chinese manufacturer:

So tomorrow it is Sunday and I will drive everyone crazy with phone calls asking for another huge rusty piece of iron.

Happy Hacking.

I'm out for a fresh cold beer - hacker's CPU coolant liquid.

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kernel panic: improbability coefficient below zero