Just had a look.
Wheel is pushed so far back a rubber cylinder around the driveshaft is rubbing on the anti roll bar connecting link. ;-(
It's hard to tell what's bent.
The bolt coming up from the lower suspension arm certainly is. The tie bar *looks* ok but I'm assuming the Swivel Hub must be a gonner. Hard to judge the strut itself. I'm guessing I will have to replace the anti roll bar & the link which appears out of sorts.
Can anyone help me out and tell we where damage often occurs after a good clout on a kerb?
Worst of all is that it's in a spot where I really can't work on it. If the AA won't take me it's possible I may have to drive the ******* thing home.
[tsk tsk Dave. No f-words etc., even with strategic asterisks. I'll take into account your circs at the time of writing and give you the benefit of the doubt! Martyn, Back Room Moderator]
All my own stupid fault.
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I can tell you where it always hurts..
The wallet.
Jonathan
PS the AA should take you, if you are a member.
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Sorry to hear the car is so badly damaged - it's all to easy to make that stupid decision to do something you're not sure of and then live to regret it afterwards [as many of us have done], look at it this way, you ain't gonna do it again!
Good luck with the AA - they gave me no alternative but to drive a car with no brakes 120 miles a few months ago. Yours sounds like it could be dangerous so be careful and beg 'em if you have to.
Hope you get it sorted alright...
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Dave,
Sorry to hear of your aggro.
Take great care with driving this at all, something could be weakened just ready to shear. You said earlier you're old enough not to have done this, you're also old enough not to drive something with badly damaged suspension......we'd like to see you make Christmas so get it trailered home.
Where abouts (roughly) is the car?
David
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David W wrote:
>
> Dave,
>
> Sorry to hear of your aggro.
>
> Take great care with driving this at all, something could be
> weakened just ready to shear. You said earlier you're old
> enough not to have done this, you're also old enough not to
> drive something with badly damaged suspension......we'd like
> to see you make Christmas so get it trailered home.
Thanks for your concern DW! I figure I deserve a certain amount of inconvinience!
> Where abouts (roughly) is the car?
Near Gatwick. It's ok though - the AA *will* take it!
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Dave wrote:
> The bolt coming up from the lower suspension arm certainly
> is. [bent]
That has a swivel on it so I guess it's ok!
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What's most likely to have bent?
The bit that seems to take the worst of the force is the tie bar. Could it be that I've just bent the bodywork where the tie bar is attached or pulled the nut off it?
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Dave,
Rover 214/216?? 1992ish??
The most likely items to be damaged are lower suspension arm, tie bar and anti-roll bar.
Then as you say the positioning of the mounting points for these items could have moved.
Serviced one of these the other year that had been bodge repaired after similar damage that also included n/s front bodywork.
Think the lower arm and tie-bar were replaced, taken from a scrap car, but the wheel position was still a little out due to distorted mounts. Funny thing is it drove OK.
David
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dave
Sounds like a real mess you're in there. I believe the AA should trailer you home, and that's certainly the safest option.
Don't forget that after replacing all the obviously bent items the car should have a thorough alignment check - not just toe in - as it's possible that other components or mounting points could have been misaligned.
Hope you get it sorted soon!
Regards
JS
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Dave, really sorry to hear all your problems just after the helicoil stuff as well or is my memory giving up.
Can't add anything technical to that already said, except cutting corners on running gear repairs is never worth it IMHO.
If only for piece of mind, lets face it at least you can post your problems on the net, and you'll get home safely courtesy the 5th emergency service. (RNLI is the 4th in my opinion)
It would be a bit difficult to discuss all this from the ER, or even worse when somebody else is in the ER. Hope this does not sound sanctimonious because to my shame I've done some equally damn stupid things in my time.
cheers,
S
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The drive shaft 'dynamic damper' [1] only rubs the anti roll bar when the car is jacked up. The one the other side doesn't rub but is *very* close to touching. (Half a cm)
It's just occured to me that maybe it doesn't matter if the 'dynamic damper' rubs when the car's on the jack? The strut itself doesn't seem to be braced except by the Tie Bar.
I can see the Strut, no visible damage. (Although it is angled slightly further back than th enearside one by about 1/2 cm)
I can see the Lower Susension arm and the pivot. BOthe seem fine there's no play.
I can't see the bit where the Tie Bar bolts onto the subframe but I can't shift it at all so it's still connected.
So, might the subframe be bent? Because if the sub frame's OK, it must be ok. I've replaced the wheel and driven it around the car park here. No problem lock-to-lock, braking or hard acceleration. The wobble has gone now the new wheel has been fitted.
Have I got away with it?
[1] You can tell I've go tmy Haines Manual with me!
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Dave
Asuming that 'jacked up' = body jacked up, then it means the dynamic damper will rub when the suspension's on full rebound. Uncommon, but not impossible on road. This should not happen, so something is definitely bent I'm sorry to say. Needs some further work I think.
Regards
JS
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John S wrote:
>
> Dave
>
> Asuming that 'jacked up' = body jacked up, then it means the
> dynamic damper will rub when the suspension's on full
> rebound. Uncommon, but not impossible on road. This should
> not happen, so something is definitely bent I'm sorry to
> say. Needs some further work I think.
Yeah, body jacked up.
I think your logic is correct. Can't think what could be bent though.
I've asked the AA to have a look. If it's the sub frame I'm gonna just live with it!
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RAC man reckons it's ok.
THink the wheel is further back than the other one but can't find anything bent/broken/weak.
Crazy thing is, he didn't look anywhere near as carefully as I did.
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what if we all donate some money for you, as you are a regular backroomer. i would give £5, and if we all help, then you might be OK.
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ladas are slow wrote:
>
> what if we all donate some money for you, as you are a
> regular backroomer. i would give £5, and if we all help, then
> you might be OK.
Cheers LAS! I'm not *too* short of cash. But I do hate getting ripped of by garages.
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Got it home last night taking it very steady. Removed the plastic cover obstructing my view of the subframe where the tie bar connects. It looks ok. No sign of bending or damage to tie bar or sub frame.
I removed the dynamic damper with my trusty hacksaw so that won't chafe in the unlikely event that I 'took air'.
I also re-checked both ends [1] of every strut/bar. There was no sign of damage/bending/cracks.
My plan now is to get it MOT'd. It doesn't need it yet but it's a suspension check for 26 quid. As an added bonus I might get 12 months ticket to boot.
Thanks for all the advice folks.
Thanks even more for the offer of cash Ladas are slow! ;-)
[1] And all the bits between of course.
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Dave, whereabouts are you based? There's a breaker near Ipswich that seems to specialise in Rover 200/400 series. Last time I went there they had about twenty in stock. If you need a new front strut and lower arm (which might not be a bad idea anyway) they are worth a try. Let me know and I will send you the details.
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Richard Hall wrote:
>
> Dave, whereabouts are you based? There's a breaker near
> Ipswich that seems to specialise in Rover 200/400 series.
> Last time I went there they had about twenty in stock. If
> you need a new front strut and lower arm (which might not be
> a bad idea anyway) they are worth a try. Let me know and I
> will send you the details.
Thanks for the advice but I'm a long way from Ipswitch! No matter though -sourceing Rover arts is never a problem - there are thousands of them.
Lower arm is cast and showing no cracks - it looks as though it would survive U.S. freindly fire. Tie bar had a *pull* exerted on it. It appears fine - I can't imagine it was stretched.
If it passes an MOT I'll forget yesterday, drive it 'till the big end finally kills the engine and scrap and replace it with another old (non catylist) 414i.
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