...I was going to visit a friend at Rutgers University.. Don't know if any of you who will respond are in the area, but the roads were pretty sh*tty.. they weren't horrible, but just enough water on the road to make it slippery as a ****...

So i get out of my Ezpass lane and i miss the exit im supposed to take because i took the far left Ezpass lane (didn't know my exit was on the right) and there were quite a few cars in my way..

So i go left by default.. im going about 40 mph and the road is winding a bit to the left. I feel the car tilting more than i cared for at the moment, so i decided to tap the brakes... MISTAKE.

I quickly remembered what a mistake when my brakes locked up (&@^%(@$(#@*%) .. so im sliding at about 10 mph... the road is curving left im sliding right.. im staring at the curb.. thinking 2 things .. 1. Pull the ebrake or dont pull the ebrake. 2. F*CK SH*T B*TCH ... etc.

I steer to the left and then (its a little hazy heh..) i think i straightened it out a little last second before the hit to avoid axle damage (made sense at the time) ... anyway BOOM i hit the curb it felt like i rode up on it.. but i didnt.

I put car into park hazards go on instantly. i get out and have a look expecting to see the right headlight knocked out, no bumper, and bent axle.

I look my hubcap is no where to be found.. part of it is broken off into the wheel and the wheel is no longer a circular shape.. more like a donut that someone punched (but only at the corner where part of the hubcap is).

I call my friend i tell him the deal.. i wasn't blocking any traffic and there was no visible damage done to the car.. couldve called aamco but that wouldve taken forever and a half .. to make this short.. i decided to see if it can still move.. i drove about 100 feet and it was ridiculous.

So now i had 2 thoughts, 1. get the spare out the back. 2. hope that there is no damage internally, just a f*cked up wheel.

After replacing the tire, i was very happy to find that my new tire was at 4 PSI... after driving like a granny with hazards on and having everyone behind me gtfo out of my lane ( ) i pulled into a gas station to get some free air.. (well actually they didn't have any so it took some hunting but within 10 miles of that scene i found some)

Now here comes the reason for the post.. its late.. and from what i say (visible damage) there was none, tommorow i plan on jacking her up to see what the deal is.

I know for a fact that my CV boot is torn (because it was before this happened) and i was planning on replacing both front axles before, as well as getting coilovers and the whole deal.. the thing is i was planning to do this in about 2 months..

So my question is, what damage if any should i expect to have from a front ride side hit at 5-10 mph into a curb.. bent axle? messed up rotor? .. lay it on me.

The only thing i noticed was on a few turns at a relatively normal speed 30-40 mph lets say (these are turns off the highway) there was some screeching going on from the front right side.. and im not talking about oops i chirped.. im talking about, what an STI sounds like on the track when its going for its record time...

Also the steering wheel is a little slanted to the left i believe, i can't recall if it was this way before my little "accident" .. either which way there was a post about this a few days back and it was said that the steering wheel not being straight doesn't mean the wheels aren't aligned..

sorry for the long read.. any tips / advice / comments.. let me know.. also i remember there was a post about CV boots and axles for sale not to long ago, if anyone has info on that (pref local) definitly let me know ..

- thanks in advance.

 

Busted alignment.....

 

When you get a chance, pull off the wheel and take a good look at what you've got. Check the hub bearing for play and inspect the drive axle really closely. Try turning the wheel lock to lock and make sure there's no rubbing. Inspect the ball joints and LCAs for any obvious wear or damage.

At only 5-10 mph any damage would probably be minimal, especially if your wheel absorbed most of the force (which it sounds like it did).

 

it would also be wise to get the car up on a lift and inspect the frame and cross-members for any damage or buckling.

had a similar incident in my last car. turning left at an intersection on wet pavement the car slid and i actually popped up on to the curb at a sideways angle. my steering wheel was at a 45 degree angle, knew i had blown the alignment right away.

when i took the car in they were unable to get the alignment properly completed. once i got the car on a lift i saw the frame on that corner had buckled, essentially pushing in the front right corner of the car. it took three people all of their effort to replace the control arm because the car was just twisted enough to screw everything up.


it sounds like your impact was a little easier than mine, but it's still something to check. if you get the alignment done and they say there was a problem, check the underside for anything out of the ordinary. on my last car i had to drive the blasted thing for over a year. the **** ate through new front tires in three months. i was not happy.


sorry to hear of your story, i got the shakes just remembering what happened to me. hope everything comes out okay and any damage is minor.

 

thanks for all the replies guys.

I was planning on getting coilovers, and pretty much re-doing the front (being that CV boots are torn and there's oil leakage) so this is like a kick in the pants as im not ready to drop that kind of money yet.

If someone could make me a list of stuff i would need to replace / buy that'd be great.. basically as far as i know i would need an alignment, coilovers (unless i go with struts and springs) , CV boot, axle? bumpstops? .. im not familiar with what other parts i may need, so if someone could fill me in that'd be nice.. also i'd most likely plan on doing it mostly myself / with the help of some friends, and then go get an alignment done to correct the degrees i'll be off by..

Also question: should i go for the alignment now? im pretty sure it runs 80-100$.. or can it wait until im done with the job listed above.. at the moment the car is driving alright, but i feel like she's pissed at me.. and she's screeching on turns more than i'd like..

also my neck and back hurt a bit but im not sure if that's me being sore from lifting or from my little bump... everything was kind of a haze now that i think of it.. it was just *BOOM* and instantly i start thinking of all the things that couldve gone wrong and what i need to do to get back on my way..

 

You may have bent/damanged all, some or none of the following:

1. axle
2. lower control arm
3. inner/outer tie-rod ends
4. hub/wheel bearing
5. strut/strut-mount

Your best bet is to take it in for an alignment and see what they find or can't adjust back into spec. You might want to buy a lifetime alignment plan or some sort of multi-alignment plan (firestone sell them, as to NTB) - that way you can go back in for adjustments as you start fixing bad parts. Even if they are able to align the car for now, you might notice shimmy's, squeals that will require parts replacement sometime down the road.

Glad you didn't get hurt.

Cheers.

 

njmodi... you need to move to "nj" as the first part of your tag states.. so that i can give you a big hug / hire a big big woman to give you a big hug..

thanks for the advice, and i'll look into it.. i was actually thinking about the dealership giving my an alignment, because they always try and sell you sh*t that you don't need on top of the services you request (and in this case it actually may be a good thing)

as for the get hurt part.. i think i'll survive but this knot in my neck deal is pissing me off... i think it's time to start driving like a granny till someone rear ends me..

i need funding for my cat back, coilovers, alignment, paint job, clear corners and red/clear tails... mmm need an amp.. strut bar.. the wish list goes on.. and hey visiting my family friend chiropractor twice a week wouldn't be to bad either..

(nah that's a mad **** thing to do and i hate people like that.. but its just a thought and it'd be ooooh sooo convenient..)

 

Why are you giving me the finger

Heh heh - I'll pass on the hug unless you look something like this:

drool

No probs... I would recommend NTB or a similar shop. In case there are a variety of parts that need replacement, they will be much more affordable (in case you can't/choose not to do the work yourself) than the dealer.

Cheers.

 

which campus u were going to New Brunswick? sum places the roads there r pure ****