So I no longer have a drivable s13 :( *sniffle*

[Yoshi]

Yup.
My car dead... and I wasn't drifting or anything.  I was headed out to an vacant industrial lot to get some cool tire spinning on film for my friend's job (multimedia camera work)... the plan was to have our 2 cameras, one mounted in the car, and one on a tripod looking at the car from a distance, to make a 3 minute short.

We were heading around the lot to make sure there was no one around to run into (and we all had FRS radios for our lookouts and what not)... when I come up to a curve that goes around the outer perimeter of the lot.  Going about 60, I slow for the turn (which had a rather tall island in the middle).  I start to break for the turn and hear a *clunk* noise... suddenly the car starts to plow (something that's never happened before, and i've driven this same corner countless times)... "oh shit" I think, as soemthing has obviously broken...  the car is understeering so bad, there's no chance of making the turn... we're going about 45 now... I try to feint drift the car and manage to almost get it to a 45degree angle to the oncoming island... we're at about 40mph now... and the last thought I have before hitting is, "what would happen if I threw it in reverse and floor it?"
!!!!BAM!!!!
We hit the island's curb and land hard almost perfectly in the middle.  The island is covered in river rock, and the impact has dug the car in a good 3 inches... only the rear passenger tires is touching solid ground (sitting perfectly atop the curb).

I get out of the car to see how bad my car is, and at first glance, I think it's totalled.  The driver's side front wheel is pushed so far back into the wheel well, it had dented in the inner body panel about 3 inches.... lookin inside the car again, the dead pedal is about 3 inches closer to the driver's seat.

brand new TC rod with poly bushings - cracked in 2
lower control arm - bent 45 degrees back
AGX shock - bent about 5 degrees at the threads
sway bar  - unknown, but most likely bent
weather liner (in the wheel well) - torn out, found 5 feet from the car
fender - large minor dent where the wheel slammed it
Nice almost new Enkei rim - destroyed
both driver's side tires - destroyed
main suspension mount - bent on the driver's side control arm mount
tie rod & ball - fractured in several spots (believe to be the old-ass stock part that caused all this mess)

we had to get a friend to yank me off the island, since the car was lliterally buried in rocks. &nbsp;We went back to my garage and grabbed spare rims, tires, and tools. &nbsp;Spent the next 4 hours tearing my suspension apart and surveying damage... only way to get the car home would have been to drive backwards alll the way, so I had to get a tow. &nbsp;The guy was really nice tho, didn't laugh at me or anything (to my face at least <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''> hehee). &nbsp;We DID note that the island was the ONLY thing without sloped curbs in that whole area... go figure.

So with my wedding in a month and 2 days, I can't take the chance of spending all my $ fixing my car when I know there will be surprised unplanned expenses for the wedding (that's how it always works). &nbsp;So my car sits, broken on jack stands in my garage <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''> &nbsp; I have no $ to fix it....

This means I'm going to miss my free all day track day at the AutoX track, as well as the event my friends had planned for me for my bachelor party at that same track <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''> &nbsp;it's been a shite weekend for me <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''> &nbsp;

No car.
No track day.
No bachelor party.
No $ <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>

All you would-be drifters out there, this happened just ON MY WAY to do a lil drifting... I could have done this EXACT thing hitting a curb drifting, so be prepared for the consequences!
<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>
I'll post damage pix later tonight when I'm done crying <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>

[nrcooled]

Sorry to hear about your misfortune. Keep your head up and enjoy your wedding Don't take it out on your fiance like I would

Edit: What do you think caused the clunk and the understeer? &nbsp;Just curious 'cause I was looking into getting the AGX shocks but won't if there is a problem

[kanekz]

Sorry to hear the bad news. &nbsp;This is a very unfortunate time for you. &nbsp;Just curious but did this take place in the afternoon or night. &nbsp;I hope everything works out and take care of the S13. &nbsp;I will be extra careful now on the way to my nightly drifting events.

[s13cruzer]

sorry to hear about that man , it's gotta suck , expecially money wise , everytime i get money to buy something &nbsp;, something else comes up , but good luck and BTW was it the tie rod end when those go you have practically no steering , whichever way your headed you basiclly stay headed that way

[Sundi595]

If I read that correctly, were you seriously thinking of slamming it into Reverse going 40mph and flooring it to avoid a collision? &nbsp;Not only would you still hit the thing but you would destroy the tranny completely.

[hopeful]

yeah he really cared?

So what taught you that little nifty fact? Experience? J/Ks. <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/crazy.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':crazy:'>

[coolerow]

I feel your pain <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''> *sniff*

[SR20Fastback]

damn Yoshi, Im really sorry to hear that. I gotta watch my ass now when I go do my parking lot sessions. Especially since I got my car back today after its been sitting for 25 days... The clutch feels like shit, it engages way to quickly unline before <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''> Oh well at least I get to drive it. Post some pics of the car if you can. Maybe we can start something in the For Sale/Wanted/Group Buy section to donate like 5 bucks each to you <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>

[dr2if4ta0sx]

I feel your pain dude... i know how it feels to not be able to drive your car and especially NO MONEY TO FIX THE GOD damn P.O.S (sorry for this language, just expressing my frustration.. <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='???'> ) but still i LOVE my P.O.S. and will someday find some money and fix it and drive it once again... oh how happy i will be when that day comes... &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/inlove.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''> &nbsp;

Dont worry im sure youll recieve some handsome gifts during your wedding... &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''> &nbsp;lol...

Oh and tell us all about your bachelor party... hehe &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>

[240 2NR]

Hey Yohsi &nbsp;Your symptoms sound like a loose TC rod, which led to the car's instability. &nbsp;When we installed our suspension kits, somehow uiuc240's TC rod nuts were on, but never tightened on one side and he said the handling just from the small amount of play, was very sketchy.

Sorry to hear about your loss. &nbsp;I'm still slowly getting used to the handling characteristics of the new kit and am always worried about doing something like that.

[sil80]

Keep your head up yoshi! I had the same thing happen to me when I was ass dragging my 91 civic hatch around. Well ok I was doing it in the rain but damn I dont know where the curb appeared from.
If it wasnt for that though I would have probably got my 240 as soon. I fixed the hatch, sold to my roommate and bought the 240... happy as a boyscout.
Well good luck in the repair process.

Just think how those cats feel that get featured in option videos wrecking there cars... eeekkkk that would suck.

[Yoshi]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (nrcooled @ July 15 2002,4:42)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Sorry to hear about your misfortune. Keep your head up and enjoy your wedding Don't take it out on your fiance like I would

Edit: What do you think caused the clunk and the understeer? Just curious 'cause I was looking into getting the AGX shocks but won't if there is a problem</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
I know it has nothing to do with the shocks, so feel confident in getting them... the clunk was there long before I installed the AGX and GC's, it's just never done anything like what happened... &nbsp;I always attributed it to a tierod with play in it, but it never stuck like that before.

We went back and looked at the skid pattern and determined taht only the passenger side was trying to turn, the driver's side looked to be going straight on <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''> &nbsp;1 wheel steering was what I was dealing with, so I was lucky to get the car around as much as I did.

[CoasTek240]

that really sux.. man.. i feel ur pain. but think of it this way. this happens to everyone.. so u got ur accident out of the way earyl and u'l upgrade ur suspension soon enough, and have ur car on the road..
p.s. good luck with ur wedding!
stop thinking bout your baby(car) and think bout ur baby(fiance)
late

[Yoshi]

Thanks to everyone for their sympathy.

Here's the damage pix:












Anyone feeling generous can donate to the "Help-Yoshi-not-have-to-walk-to-work-anymore" fund to my pay pal account [email protected] <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''> hehee
Seriously tho, thanks for all the sympathy everyone, while it doesn't fix my car, it acutally does make me feel a little better.

anyone got an old TC Rod they could send me? &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>

[Natty]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Yoshi @ July 15 2002,2:04)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Thanks to everyone for their sympathy.

Here's the damage pix:












Anyone feeling generous can donate to the "Help-Yoshi-not-have-to-walk-to-work-anymore" fund to my pay pal account [email protected] <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''> hehee
Seriously tho, thanks for all the sympathy everyone, while it doesn't fix my car, it acutally does make me feel a little better.

anyone got an old TC Rod they could send me? <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''></td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
Man, I really feel for you.
On an off topic note, what kind of wheel is that broken one?
Jeff

[uiuc240]

those are Enkei wheels.

Oh man, Yosh, those pics just make me want to get my tie rods fixed like RIGHT NOW! &nbsp;i feel like i'm running on borrowed time. &nbsp;can you describe what the clunk sounded and felt like? &nbsp;when did it happen and what would you have to be doing to make it clunk? &nbsp;cuz mine's baaaaaad.

Eric

[Yoshi]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (uiuc240 @ July 16 2002,12:56)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">those are Enkei wheels.

Oh man, Yosh, those pics just make me want to get my tie rods fixed like RIGHT NOW! i feel like i'm running on borrowed time. can you describe what the clunk sounded and felt like? when did it happen and what would you have to be doing to make it clunk? cuz mine's baaaaaad.

Eric</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
Get them fixed asap!
The clunk sound came from right behind the brake pedal far as I could tell... definitely drivers side in the suspension/steering linkage somewhere. &nbsp;It happened as soon as I was on the brakes for about 3/4-1 second, then the car started to plow as I tried to turn the wheel.

[uiuc240]

oh damn. &nbsp;my paycheck can't get here soon enough. &nbsp;damn money. &nbsp;why isn't everything free?

Eric

[Loren]

I did 8200$ worth of damage to my maxima when i drifted it right into a tree. perfect 90degree turn, plus sand on the road, plus something else, and 80mph before braking, hit the tree going about 50.

[Yoshi]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Sundi595 @ July 15 2002,11:30)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">If I read that correctly, were you seriously thinking of slamming it into Reverse going 40mph and flooring it to avoid a collision? Not only would you still hit the thing but you would destroy the tranny completely.</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
When you're flying at 60mph toward possible serious injury I think you'd do whatever you needed to try to avoid getting hurt.

flooring it in reverse (since my wheel were already locked) may have killed the tranny, but It WOULD change my angle (open diff = tire w/less grip spins) and possibly spun me out rather than hitting a rather tall, very sharp curb... and looking at cost, a new tranny would be less damage than my current expenses.

So I stand by my idea, even though I didn't have enough time to implement it.

[drift freaq]

Yoshi, I feel you man . What happened to you reminds me of a experience several years ago when I had just installed my 3.90 gear LSD in 240z with konis and ST springs . I punched around a corner off charleston rd leading to San Antonio rd yes Palo Alto. I was young and my rear end came around quickly and I drifted into a curb . Yup been there done that hahahaha. The down side was I managed to bend a frame rail on the 240z which cost me around $800 to have straightened at the time. All I can say is drop me a line I will try and see if I can get you some suspension parts for free like TC rods. I will talk to my boys back in the bay area .

dave

[sil80]

Tranny would not only be cheaper but easier to repair... to bad we always respond as quick as we think &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>

[Yosho]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (sil80 @ July 17 2002,12:47)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Tranny would not only be cheaper but easier to repair... to bad we always respond as quick as we think <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''></td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
Or it could of caused you to hit the curb sideways and flip... &nbsp;you never know (and always have less time than you need in situations like this).

Anyways, I'm very sorry to hear about it... at least everyone walked away. &nbsp;That's the really important part.

[Alias]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (uiuc240 @ July 16 2002,1:56)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">those are Enkei wheels.

Oh man, Yosh, those pics just make me want to get my tie rods fixed like RIGHT NOW! i feel like i'm running on borrowed time. can you describe what the clunk sounded and felt like? when did it happen and what would you have to be doing to make it clunk? cuz mine's baaaaaad.

Eric</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
Mine are bad too. I feel the same way also. LOL. I'm doing mone on my next day off. Got the stuff to do it right here, just need to make an apointment at the alignment shop.....

[thoraxe]

why didn't you pull the ebrake? <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>

If the dead pedal is really pushed back, you've got some serious damage that you need to attend to there. &nbsp;All the other parts are very cheap to get (junkyard), and rims are rims, shit happens.

My car clunks so bad all the time, it's not even funny... but I don't think anything is broken, and it doesn't really affect my handling at all. &nbsp;I'm pretty sure my balljoints are gone, and I know both my TC rod bushings are toast haha!

Did you have aftermarket swaybars? &nbsp;Actually, if the front link broke it would've made the car oversteer, not plow. &nbsp;Clunk coming from the front eh... not sure what that could've been. &nbsp;Sorry bout your loss <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>

[Yoshi]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (thoraxe @ July 17 2002,03:38)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">why didn't you pull the ebrake? <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''></td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>

hmm... e-brake... since I had all 4 tires locked, I don't think that would've done much good.


</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Actually, if the front link broke it would've made the car oversteer, not plow. &nbsp;Clunk coming from the front eh... not sure what that could've been. </td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>

Explain to me how having only 1 wheel actively steering would in any way induce oversteer... &nbsp;I don't see how that's possible

[Yoshi]

Thoraxe?

[srJOEYdet]

If anyone wants spme anti-clunk for their T/C rods... Go to pdm racing. Solid poly_ bushings. I sure as hell don't want any. When I hit a curb, mine broke, as it was meant to. When you strengthen something, you usually just pass the stress right onto something else. In this case it would be the lower arm, or the frame. Maybe the shock. I'll take a $50 tension rod over the alternitives any day. A T/C is a tesion right? Tension/Controll rod? (not to sound like a TOTAL moron)

Joey