Hooligan foxes blamed for cutting motorists brakes

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Thu 2 Jun 2016 21:34
Hooligan foxes blamed for cutting motorists brakes - brum

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/02/hooligan-foxes.../

Cunning?

Or just plain lazy detectives?

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Thu 2 Jun 2016 22:16
Hooligan foxes blamed for cutting motorists brakes - craig-pd130

Brake cables? Do they all drive 1930s Bugattis with non-hydraulic drums in Tunbridge Wells?

I'd be interested to see a fox's teeth fare against metal brake lines. They may be able to chew through the short lengths of standard rubber hose, granted.

Edited by craig-pd130 on 02/06/2016 at 22:17

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Thu 2 Jun 2016 23:26
Hooligan foxes blamed for cutting motorists brakes - galileo

Brake cables? Do they all drive 1930s Bugattis with non-hydraulic drums in Tunbridge Wells?

I'd be interested to see a fox's teeth fare against metal brake lines. They may be able to chew through the short lengths of standard rubber hose, granted.

Typical lazy and ignorant journalist and lack of checking before printing. Probably a graduate in 'media studies' with no knowledge of cars or common sense.

Unfortunately these attributes are widespread, the frightening thing is that these people get a vote which is given the same weight as that of anyone else.

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Thu 2 Jun 2016 23:27
Hooligan foxes blamed for cutting motorists brakes - brum

Brake cables? Do they all drive 1930s Bugattis with non-hydraulic drums in Tunbridge Wells?

I'd be interested to see a fox's teeth fare against metal brake lines. They may be able to chew through the short lengths of standard rubber hose, granted.

Except the flexible brake hose is a tough steel braid reinforced. And I'm pretty sure brake fluid is highly toxic to animals.

Or perhaps evolution in tunbridge wells has allowed foxes to learn how to use hacksaw and/or cutters. Foxy bingo anyone?

Probably CSI found the dna swabs matched local fox hooligans - case solved!

Edited by brum on 02/06/2016 at 23:31

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Fri 3 Jun 2016 00:27
Hooligan foxes blamed for cutting motorists brakes - Wackyracer

I know someone who had this problem with his transit and was also told foxes did it. That was about 6 years ago near Bromley Kent.

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Fri 3 Jun 2016 14:28
Hooligan foxes blamed for cutting motorists brakes - Bolt

I know someone who had this problem with his transit and was also told foxes did it. That was about 6 years ago near Bromley Kent.

Yes I have heard of the brake pipes being chewed by foxes, mainly on Vans, my BIL had his toyota van pipe chewed through.

I live near bromley and it started longer than 6 years ago, and to the person who said brake fluid is toxic to them, try telling them that, though they dont bite right through they seem to stop presumably when the fluid comes out

it was mentioned the smell of the pipe attracts them,and as no one leaves their left over dinners out for them they go for what smells good.....

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Fri 3 Jun 2016 17:33
Hooligan foxes blamed for cutting motorists brakes - nortones2

I initially doubted that animal teeth were of sufficient hardness to cut steel. Tooth enamel is formed from apatite or hydroxylapatite to be clearer. Apatite has Mohs hardness of 5, whereas mild steel is around 4.5, copper 3, and cupronickel (kunifer) for more up to date vehicles, is quite a lot harder than 5 but I can't get a figure.

So it seems possible that copper brake pipes and mild steel are potentially vulnerable. Something new every day!

BTW, Mohs is the only measure of hardness which I have a slight knowledge about, but there are many others which could be cited. Enough already!

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Fri 3 Jun 2016 23:15
Hooligan foxes blamed for cutting motorists brakes - galileo

Mohs hardness scale is purely comparative (i.e. a substance with a given Mohs number will scratch any subsatnce with a lower number) and is really only used for minerals and gemstones. The numbers are arbitrary and do not directly relate to mechanical properties, which the metal hardness scales do.

Metal hardness scales such as Brinell, Vickers and Rockwell are the ones used in engineering specifications and quality control.

Mild steel is about 120 Brinell hardness, the wire in steel cables is likely above 350 Brinell so much harder.

Cunifer (10% Ni) is about 120 Brinell.

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Sat 4 Jun 2016 10:50
Hooligan foxes blamed for cutting motorists brakes - nortones2

Indeed. I only had Mohs numbers from my geology days, I used those realising there is much more to it. How do fox teeth perform on Brinell? :)

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Sat 4 Jun 2016 13:08
Hooligan foxes blamed for cutting motorists brakes - Bolt

I initially doubted that animal teeth were of sufficient hardness to cut steel. Tooth enamel is formed from apatite or hydroxylapatite to be clearer. Apatite has Mohs hardness of 5, whereas mild steel is around 4.5, copper 3, and cupronickel (kunifer) for more up to date vehicles, is quite a lot harder than 5 but I can't get a figure.

So it seems possible that copper brake pipes and mild steel are potentially vulnerable. Something new every day!

BTW, Mohs is the only measure of hardness which I have a slight knowledge about, but there are many others which could be cited. Enough already!

I think after reading that article I should put you straight on what happened, not that particular article, but what happened to bil and his Toyota.

it`s not the steel or copper pipes they go for, it`s the flexible rubber pipes they chew, (at least I have never seen any metal ones chewed so far) they appear to like the rubber or whatever material they now use for flexible brake pipe.

They do not actually chew right through, they only puncture the rubber and bend the wires around the force of the teeth, at least thats what it looks like, they do sometimes go for flexible rubber/plastic fuel pipes as well not just brake pipes, but I certainly have never seen steel actually cut through by foxes

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Sat 4 Jun 2016 15:21
Hooligan foxes blamed for cutting motorists brakes - brum

Foxes are being unfairly blamed, probably encouraged by the hooray henry fox hunt brigade, of which there is a considerable number in Kent/Surrey/Sussex.

Its far more likely to be large rats doing the damage, there are plently of those in that area of England, and all the cats are too fat to bother.

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Sat 4 Jun 2016 16:07
Hooligan foxes blamed for cutting motorists brakes - Bolt

There are Rats all over England but you rarely see any, where Foxes are seen at night and during the day coming out from under cars.

so it makes more sense to be foxes, and since recycling took off by Councils it is getting worse, including reports of foxes going into peoples houses.

my mate has a 1969-70 I think Ford Corsair rotting in his garden with a fox family in it, its so rotten the floor pan has fallen on the ground but the outside you can still see where it was custom sprayed in the 70s, but the foxes have chewed the inside to smithereens

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Sat 4 Jun 2016 16:19
Hooligan foxes blamed for cutting motorists brakes - RT

Foxes are being unfairly blamed, probably encouraged by the hooray henry fox hunt brigade, of which there is a considerable number in Kent/Surrey/Sussex.

Its far more likely to be large rats doing the damage, there are plently of those in that area of England, and all the cats are too fat to bother.

Grey squirrels can be very destructive as well as very inventive.

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Sat 4 Jun 2016 22:13
Hooligan foxes blamed for cutting motorists brakes - focussed

A similar problem exists in Europe, I have heard of it happening here in France but not suffered the problem. The stone marten and beech marten here are a close relative of the UK polecat, ferret and pine marten etc.

They are called fouines over here and are certainly not above hanging around habitations and will get into the lofts and attics of old houses to nest while the houses are lived in.

The reason that these animals find wiring on cars attractive is the insulation contains or is treated with fish oil apparently - I haven't heard of damage to brake pipes though.

Maybe foxes are attracted to fish oil as well?

rodrepel.com/blog/blog/martens-damaging-wires-and-.../

Edited by focussed on 04/06/2016 at 22:17

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