Swisher

Be jealous you didn't have to experience this s**t today!!

Just thought I'd cruise on over and share these awesome survival shots with the civic forum dudes.

50 mph, lost control, went over center line, through a sign, 180 down embankment, fish tail-whip into one of the fence posts (I think that might actually be the worst thing mechanically), the front end bumper & passenger headlamp were destroyed initially....and that rear passenger tire that's bent.

After the police left and Mr. Red Bud (This happened right in front of Red Bud race track) got his card for his insurance to cover the fence damages and I am sitting in my driver seat waiting for my tow straps and truck, I laid back in my now reclined seat and shut my eyes to wait. No more than 5 seconds go by and I hear the exact same screeching tire sound I had heard the moment I lost control. I looked up.....and all I see is black heading right for my driver door
Another driver (with daughter) lost control in nearly the precise spot I did, and if it wasn't for the embankment, would have been head on in to my door, luckily that embankment pushed her sideways nearly completely just before she struck my previously unharmed portion of my baby. After that one I can add a driver side mirror, perhaps a new door, and new front end all around.

Point of this post is to just say be careful out there. I've been driving a long time and damn this makes me feel like I'm getting old....cause there's no way I'm losing my skill of driving
And also, I know you forum guys like seeing some stuff like this now and again.

Like I said, be careful out there. Think I lucked out here...could have been a lot worse. And if my only mechanical problem is that rear passenger tire out of alignment, I will puma-pants. In these pictures you can see where I have my side mirror and drivers side is undamaged and then the after :/

thanks for reading,
swisher

ezone

Ouch! Glad you are ok

GolNat

iTrader: (7)

Crazy story!! Glad no one got hurt.

Swisher

Thanks guys

Hey, ezone...remember me? Probably not...but ahh yeah...what's up.

ezone

Had to look at your posting history but now I remember some LOL
Wassup?


I'm replacing 3rd gear in an Accord 6 speed trans today, and maybe part of the next day if my work keeps getting interrupted.

Swisher

Haven't been able to even get to the issue until recently.

The back passenger wheel is bent from hitting that fence pole, I don't think I'll be able to bend it back into place or hammer it out :/

The way I'm looking it might be easier to just replace all the rear arms & rods together.
Not a big fan of big name companies, but stopped in to Zolman's 8 this morning to get her tires lined up straight, but they refused the work as the rear arm was bent and apparently from having too weak a brake pedal as well. Car's currently eating my rear tires for breakfast, lunch and dinner. After finding out they won't work on her I'm sitting here with the rear jacked up trying to fix this myself. Woohoo

ezone

Yup. Pointless to try to do anything if that corner is all effed up.


Junkyard/you-pull-it visit, just purchase all of the suspension for that entire corner and replace it as a big chunk? Or buy whatever pieces you need and replace.

Swisher

I haven't been looking forward to spending the time or money. But I need to get this done soon and as softly on my wallet as possible. Was going to try and bend the arm back out with hammer and torch, but I'm not sure I even know where it's bent at. So I guess I'll just pull the arm off and analyze.
I'm hoping it didn't bend the chassis where the arm connects to the underbody :/ This should be able to be fixed up so long as that didn't happen. Though I'm uncertain I would be able to see whether it's bent or not after I take the arm off...so I'm just hoping it's not frame related and just one of the back suspension parts and preferably not the trailing arm as those seem to be a few hundred bucks new. The trailing arm bushing is torn (I'm guessing from the crash) so I'm guessing perhaps a new one of those at least if the arm is salvageable. But I can see the back plate that's connected to the arm is bent inward (if you were holding the wheel and pushed inward with your right hand on the wheel) that's the angle it's bent.

See a hole in my back brake line (explains the low pedal)...guess I'll have to do that too And perhaps the other side as well :/

Hooray, money!

Anyone seen one of those money tree's around?

Swisher

I would like to re-purpose this thread (if able).

I would like to start posting some pics and get some expert help here on the forums on the work I'm doing.
I have the rear of the car up on stands, back tires off, I was in the middle of removing the trailing arm to see assess why I have a lot of play in the rear in the rain (even worse in snow). It wants to fishtail even on a rainy surface. While removing the tire, and eventually the backing plate, I noticed the trailing arm bushing is torn/ripped. The initial relief I felt thinking this could be the issue was nice....reality quickly sunk back in by default now days as a precaution. After-all how lucky could I be? So I broke a bolt torquing too hard and now I'm screwed.

I know these bushing can affect a lot with suspension and the rear control of the vehicle...but I was almost certain the impact perhaps bent the frame where the lower control arm connects to the frame. Does someone with a profound knowledge of 96 Civics know if a sliding impact could have bent that? Perhaps there are too many variables too safely say or not...I don't know. I guess I'm just hoping that simple little $20 bushing is the sole reason for so much loss of control in the rear of the vehicle.

Anyone have detailed experience on this specific issue? Thanks in advance!

ezone

If both tires do not point exactly forward, that's more than enough to lose control...and it doesn't take a lot of error to make one feel squirrelly even on a dry road surface .
Far too many variables. Each situation is different.
They all do that sooner or later and it was probably bad prior to your accident. That alone isn't the cause of your concern IMO.

Swisher

Wow...haven't seen those pictures in quite some time...

Haven't finished the job either :/
This ended with me putting that back end up on stands...and starts right where it ended. Still got her jacked up to this day. Picked up a passenger real trailing arm for a pretty penny...probably gonna try and glue her back together this spring, I said. Now she won't start...left her low on gas. This story was doomed from it's beginning lmao...

Anyways. It's that time of year to drive safely and be cautious