Woeful Wagon Whoopsie!

KaptnKaos · 12-01-2007, 12:33 PM

So there I was happily cruising through Hampton Park last night when all of a sudden WHACK! Some idiot built a kerb at the edge of the road and I hit it flush on at 80 km/h.

Went out this morning to take junior to day care and poor old Woeful looked like she had a bit of a droop on the front left, but nothing too major.

After dropping junior off I headed towards home which means going over 2 sets of speed bumps. As I went over the second set (doing the regulation 10km/h) there was a very expensive sounding bang and the front left corner dropped even further.

Took it to Beaurepaires in Cranbourne (they were the first friendly faces I came to) and the guys there stuck the old girl up on the hoist and put a bunch of computer gizmo's on her and told me it wasn't good.

According to the printout they gave me:
Castor: Left = +1.848 Right = +2.938
KPI (Kingpin Inclination): Left = +7.930 Right = +6.948
(I hope I've typed the numbers in right cos they might as well be written in Mandarin Chinese for me. They are absolutely meaningless.)

Any way Beaurepaires' diagnosis was that it is probably a bent lower control arm, but they can't fix it. So I nursed it round the corner to G & R (thank the good lord for site sponsors!!) and Justin took a quick look as they are flat out.

He has given strict instructions for me not to drive it anywhere, other than to bring it back to him at around 2ish so he can get it up on the hoist and have a proper look.

I might add that both places were more than happy to help out, even with the full knowledge that I didn't have a red cent to my name till wifey gets paid tonight. So a big thumbs up and huge appreciation to both of you!!

I'll post an update when (if??) I get back after seeing Justin again at 2.

RMCprime · 12-01-2007, 12:47 PM

dam i hate it when curbs jump out infront of you...
It cost my mate around 300 to get his control arm fixed. I dont know if thats a good price or not... just lettin ya know what he paid

KaptnKaos · 12-01-2007, 01:07 PM

$300 ???? Holy crap! Does anyone have a spare bed? I think I'm about to get a instant divorce. I haven't told her yet - I'm too chicken!

There are only 2 things on the face of this earth that scare me .... snakes ..... and my wife!!

Ringo · 12-01-2007, 01:31 PM

Option1 "Its like this honey.....I was going to buy you,

a- flowers
b- a present
c - a bottle of Baileys
d- all of the above

and while I was driving to there this....

a - dog
b - cat
c -kid
d - elderly person

....just stepped out in front of me !!!

I couldn't do a thing except take evasive action! I managed to miss them thank god so the car looks OK and all but its got a noise.

Option 2 - Honey! cars making a noise....I'm going to get it check out....see ya

KaptnKaos · 12-01-2007, 01:47 PM

Nice try Ringo, but she was in the car when I hit the kerb. I can't even use her car - it's outta rego!

Talk about being on a roll. Maybe I should just take poor old Woeful out to some nice quiet place and light the wick. Put the old girl out of her misery - lol

andrewts · 12-01-2007, 01:50 PM

Option 3, just do it and not tell her, and if she asks you, tell her you don't know.

Aaron_EF8 · 12-01-2007, 02:19 PM

A lower control arm is about $50 from a wrecker, and they're not hard to fit. The thing about bending the lower control arm on an E-Series is they aren't usually the only thing to bend. The spindle, radius rod and/or upper wishbone have a habit of bending as well.

KaptnKaos · 12-01-2007, 05:09 PM

***UPDATE***

With a huge thanx to Justin & the guys at G & D Performance in Cranbourne it turns out that I haven't actually bent anything at all. Well, nothing they can find anyhow.

The front left shock has collapsed, I've bent the stub axle, and I've knocked the rim out of shape. I've just whacked the spare on it for now till I see who I can steal ..... errrrr ...... borrow money from to buy my rims I want. Just need another $70.
*Passes hat round the audience*

The front end is out (left to right) by less than 2mm so thats not worth worrying about.

I have done rear shocks on just about everything from a HQ Holden to a Ford 6600 tractor but I've never done a front one. Are they any different to install? (apart from being at the other end of the car!) Is this something a short fat dinosaur will be able to do without risk to life & limb?

Casper · 12-01-2007, 05:14 PM

Rusty at G&D (and the rest of the guys) are great.. just another example of them helping out.

Sounds like a lucky escape too.

KaptnKaos · 12-01-2007, 11:28 PM

Rusty? Awww crap! I been calling him the wrong dam name all day!!

These guys were awesome. They went to great lengths to actually show me the things they were checking and what they found etc. And they even explained it all in little words so I could understand what they were on about.

But you're dead right there Casper ---- I certainly feel as though I dodged a pretty big bullet today!

Psycho Chicken · 12-01-2007, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KaptnKaos

it turns out that I haven't actually bent anything at all. Well, nothing they can find anyhow.

Quote:

I've bent the stub axle

Come again?

JADED6 · 13-01-2007, 04:35 AM

^^ funny stuff that.

Yeh, not good. The help you received is fantastic.

KaptnKaos · 13-01-2007, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Psycho Chicken

Come again?

I looked at that when I typed it but by that stage I CBF typing it again