if you hit something, you know.

I had a drive put together and while the nuts where tightened as much as you could, the studs were only barely finger tight. With a light loosen on the nuts, the studs would just spin right out. Make sure the studs are in 'guudenteight' before you install the lower.

I have a diver going out tommorrow to try and find....... I am sure it's like a needle in a hay stake! Atleast I have my tracks on my gps to help.

Did't the same thing happen on A Poker Run last Summer here in Fl ?

yes it happens when the studs or nut fail, being removed too many times and not replaced. i was racing next to the old zipp express when BOTH lowers came off.
it does happen, always check and replace nuts and studs

I'm not saying that you hit something, I'm just not clear on how water pressure on the front of a drive is greater than the pressure the propeller creates on the back of the lower, I would think the back 2 bolts failed first and then ripped the front 2 out. In normal operation with the drives in the water all the stress is going the other way.
or am I missing something here? Help me under stand.

No luck with diver....... I have taken a bunch of picture's as I didn't hit anything. The bottom of my boat shows No signs of hitting anything. If would of hit something I believe I would have known it! The front two being the two closet to the boat did not rip out! The holes look factory new on top......so once again prof to me that I didn't hit any thing. The middle set pulled out about 3-thread length's. That tell's me that the where either loose or not in far enough. And then the back two by the prop are the two that snapped off. Which I would think would happen being as the where the only two actually holding.

that sucks I know how you feel,someone stole my new drive and shortie in march with my steering ram, and trim rams and other stuff. I am having a brand new drive with a shortie being put together soon. this time with drive locks . I left the old one off because I was testing at the end of last season only put 5 hours on the old set up. good luck art

my shortie was found. Unharmed and in good condition by the guy who installed them in the location I brought him to and showed him where it happened. I really appreciate his help in finding it. He defintely put in some O/T in helping find it. The prop had a blade missing...... I guess from over trimming it is what he is telling me. My question is would throughing a blade cause this to happen? I don't know??? Myself. But, I have thrown a blade before and this certainly did not happen. The two studs towards the back of the boat are snapped, the middle two pulled out about three threads on each side, and the front two towards the boat snapped as well. Has anyone one ever seen this happen?

Thats great news,now buy some new studs and loctite them ,Smitty