Much to my embarrasment. In a heavy flurry of snow this morning, I managed to slew SWMBO's car (Vectra) into the kerb. After this little incident, terrible noise/ vibration through the steering wheel. Managed to get it to work, but the NSF wheel looks buckled.
Befor I broach the subject of my idiocy with SWMBO, what damage can I expect to have done? It was a low speed impact, but I think the wheel was pretty much side on at impact (as opposed to 'tread on'). Have I got away fairly lightly, or is it chocolates and flowers time?
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let me be the last to let you down....
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Without seeing it it's hard to say - best case scenario is just a buckled alloy, worst case scenario is buckled wheel and dent/damaged suspension components.
Best get inspected before you drive much further.
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Sorry to hear that. A couple of weeks ago, my son put SWMBO's Focus up against the kerb on ice. The front alloy was scuffed a little, but steering felt very weird - I daren't drive at more than 40 mph when taking it in. I was strongly advised not to drive it (so I didn't) as the track rod was bent. Cost about £150 to put right.
Good luck!
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Slide wheel into kerb "side on" (ie no tyre makes contact) even at low speed nearly always means bent steering/suspension bits.
Its more than flowers/choccy time - this is w/e away and a new dress and shoes stuff!
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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I've done the same thing a couple of times. In a Mk2 Cavalier, hit the kerb with NSR wheel. A very minor impact but the wheel bearing made a muffled thud noise for the rest of the life of the car.
Then in my Mums old 1.0 Metro, did a big spin on ice and hit the OSF wheel (hard) on the opposite kerb. Driving home, the steering wheel was at 30' when going straight, so I tried to hide it by taking the s. wheel off and putting it back on straight... Alas the steering was all over the place so had to get it repaired; IIRC it was a bent track rod end, cost peanuts to repair cos it was a Metro!
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I also managed to sideswipe a kerb on black ice in my Cavalier Mk2, drove 50 miles through ice & snow no problems, then wrote the car off 300 yds. from my doorstep :-((. Bent the lower suspension control arm & track rod
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I would change the wheel bearings,in addition to the wheel?tyre.Also check cv and suspension joints for damage.Plus when ok get wheel alignment done.
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What on earth is a SWMBO ??
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She Who Must Be Obeyed.
And i don't think she's gonna be HAPPY.
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let me be the last to let you down....
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Not being married (21) you guy's are joking right?
I wouldn't give my other half a rollocking for a silly mistake in a car...if she started that she'd get told where to go...
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Not being married (21) you guy's are joking right? I wouldn't give my other half a rollocking for a silly mistake in a car...if she started that she'd get told where to go...
Ah the voice of yoof and inexperience...... So much learning to do.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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mss1tw, the innocence of that statement has just reduced a grown man to tears. Bless.
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let me be the last to let you down....
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What on earth is a SWMBO ??
She Who Must Be Obeyed :¬)
Regards,
John R @ Work :¬)
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Found out today that 272 bhp of rear driven diesel power and snow is not a good combo, especially when surrounded by clowns who drive either far too slowly (in front) or too fast and too close (behind). Anyway got home safe and well. DSC disengaged for the tricky bits.
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You want to see it up in Northern Scotland. Three feet of snow lying in my drive !
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Snow?
Whassa?
(Aylesbury in the spring, for now at least!)
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I was over on the east coast on Tuesday morning and it's amazing how easy it is to drive on fairly deep snow when there is no one else around! 7 miles of country lanes around the North Yorkshire Moors, including a number of fairly steep hills and not a single problem.
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Driving on the M4 a few years ago,traffic was creeping along a cleared NS lane,nose to tail,while the OS lane with snow was empty and much safer.
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I sympathise, PU, as one who has thought about a BMW on several occasions but never bought one. It's on these occasion that one is glad to have 2.5 litres of diesel lump over the driven wheels.
We have a slight slope up out of our garage, and the last RWD car we had, a Fiat in the early 1980s, was marooned for over a week in a cold spell with snow and ice.
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I would change the wheel bearings,
A bit OTT isn't it? Wheel bearings make a noise when they're shot. No noise, then no need to change.
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As others have said, it's probably just the track rod that's bent. A cheap and easy repair.
A meal in her favourite restaurant should be enough.
Kevin...
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At least you have snow. We haven't seen a flake in Leeds for the last 10 months.
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At least you have snow. We haven't seen a flake in Leeds for the last 10 months.
Bet they have in Guiseley or Yeadon. The Airport is a magnet for fog and snow !!
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www.trafficscotland.org/views.asp
Well going by the "Live Eye Views", Thurso/ Wick area have got a bit of snow!!
[I assume they must have a light mounted next to the camera?]
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I wish you hadn't posted this - it's snowing like crazy in West Leeds now!
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Keep your mouth shut and she?ll probably think she?s damaged it herself.
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What Dave said. In fact, you should try to keep the pretence up for at least a week, and report consequences back here for the comedy value.
Speaking of being caught out by the snow, I got home late last night on ungritted roads, where the partial melt from the sunny day had refrozen to ice rink standard. Made it home without mishap, backed the car up onto the drive as usual. Handbrake on, car off, hopped out, closed the door, started to walk away and suddenly realised the car had started to slide back down the frozen driveway. Took a couple of big steps without losing my footing, managed to open the door as the car slid on, jumped in and brought it to a stop again. B-pillar gave my shoulder a bit of a thump though. On balance, thought it best to park on pavement overnight.
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andymc
Vroom, vroom - mmm, doughnuts ...
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Went down to Cornwall yesterday, clear on the M5 and A30 though about two to three inches of snow for about five miles on one of the lanes I use as a cut through, I had it to myself with a just few tyre tracks from other vehicles going through before me, I just trolled along at 15 to 20 mph, no problems. Very picturesque though.
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You were probably a bit lucky.
We had a light flurry of snow in our area as well yesterday. Today's local paper carries a pic of two vehicles involved in an accident on the main bypass to Liverpool.
One is a Daewoo hatchback, the other a Cherokee Jeep that was apparently on the school run.
The Jeep is on its side....
Fortunately nothing very serious in the way of injuries.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What's for you won't pass you by
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Shortly heading off from Edinburgh to Harrogate - any snow on the way (I know theres a bit in Edinburgh just now)?
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prob too late for you but I've just been shopping in h'gte and its terrible, nose to tail everywhere - I started going on skipton road but eventually did a 3 point and went back to the ripon road. just a little snow /ice seems to have brought the place to a halt - maybe its all the lib dems being undecided.
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6 inches of snow in Frankfurt today, fortunately I´d left the contact tyres on instead of changing back onto summers last week as planned.
My lack of organization and chronic apathy pays dividends once again ;-)
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When I was in Germany, years ago, my confidant, a very experienced driver, told me that the worst cars for handling in the snow were Mercs and BMWs. Too much power, not enough grip. My neighbour, a mechanic and coach driver, leaves his BMW at home at the first sight of snow, and borrows a small front wheel drive car from work for the duration.
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I"ve just come back from east scotland the snow was very bad but i never saw one bump or abandoned car they were either driven with profesionism or left in their drives by sensible people a lovely holiday and lovely people.
With regards original poster get everything looked at and get a tracking check as well by a competant garage.
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\"a little man in a big world/\"
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You have 3 foot of snow! Heres me complaining to the missus that it is too hot to go out and do gardening. 40'C and humid with it here in Perth, Australia. I won't be rushing back to the UK!
Re Edinburgh to Harrogate. Leave the car and take the train. Why risk getting snowed in somewhere, icy roads etc. That is what trains are for. Sit back in warmth and comfort, read the paper have a cup of tea and let someone else do the driving.
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I have to confess that at 8.30 yesterday morning in the snow here in Sunderland I was to be found sliding the Panda 4x4 round the big deserted car park in front of Aldi with a big grin on my face.
However on the road I found the tyres fitted to the car (quite wide and road biased) still led to some nasty moments. Saving grace is that this little car is so much easier to recover from a skid than the Big old 4x4's (Maverick, Terrano) I used to drive.
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sad to say my housemate did similiar thing on friday morning on the way to work very little traffic on the road went to take a bend and found that the car carried on sliding past the junction and into the curb seems to have got away with it as his wheels were turned towards the curb at the time
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Temporarily not a student, where did the time go???
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Quick update. It's an insurance job. A mechanic had a look, shook his head woefully and suggested contacting the insurers. He seemed to think the sub-frame could be slightly twisted. Hats off though to Direct Line. Within an hour of the phone call, the car was at their approved repairers being assesed. Should be ready by the end of the week.
On to more serious matters, SWMBO took it all rather well. She gets to drive my car around all week while I use one of our 'removal' vehicles, which is, er, ....a vectra estate.
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let me be the last to let you down....
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