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I bumped a curb :-(


gjscott

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I was going very slowly <10 mph around a tight 90 deg right hand corner in some slush, the car understeered and I bumped the curb. 

Result is I have some medium rash on my NSF wheel edge and the steering wheel was rotated approx 5 to 10 degrees CW from straight when I'm going straight, indicating that the impact has given the NSF wheel some toe-out. 
 
I had the wheel alignment checked, and the technician stated that the steering arm on the wheel bearing housing is bent.
I've yet to take a look myself but I find the idea that the cast iron arm got bent, and that easily, hard to believe. 
They also suggested I may have bent the wishbone. 
 
To align the front he stated that he lengthened the NSF track rod six turns. This I also find hard to believe. Six turns on an M16x1.5 thread is 9mm.
9mm is a lot, and I'm sure my steering wheel would have been out a lot more than 5-10 degrees.
Maybe six half turns? 
 
After alignment the car feels OK, but obviously something moved, so.......
 
Has anyone here had a similar accident who can provide any insight into what may be the issue?
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As I answered elsewhere, it is perfectly possible to bend a cast member, plus it mountings, so I can quite believe what has been said.

There may be someone here, but not there, that has had this experience. 

 

I'm aware cast iron can bend, just is it likely, and has it happened to anyone here in a similar scenario ?

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Not surprising, I have seen many cast iron tie bars on agricultural equipment bent over the years before they go pop. I would have the car checked on a Hunter 4 wheel alignment set up to see if anything has been done to the camber and castor settings too.

Ian

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Not surprising, I have seen many cast iron tie bars on agricultural equipment bent over the years before they go pop. I would have the car checked on a Hunter 4 wheel alignment set up to see if anything has been done to the camber and castor settings too.

Ian

I agree, by 'technician' I hope you don't mean you had it checked by a 'Kwik Fit Fitter' or similar grease monkey who did a front wheel alignment check. The car needs a proper 4 wheel alignment check. Go to http://www.alignmycar.co.uk/ and find the nearest place to do a Hunter alignment check.
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Is the lower control/wishbone adjustable at the inner end by a cam-like arrangement?.

It may have (also) modified your camber spec perhaps.

No, there's no adjustment on the wishbone.

 

Personally I'd be finding out what got damaged/bent and getting it replaced, rather than trying to mask it by winding the track rod in/out.

 

Whatever is bent could now well be weakened, and it's likely the rest of your geometry (camber, castor) will be out too, so there's a fair chance you'll be getting odd tyre wear and possibly odd handling effects too.

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I took the front wheels of and did a little measuring. 

 
So the steering arm is bent towards the brake disk by 1.5 to 2.0mm, this is confirmed by a similar amount of clean thread where the trackrod was lenghtened to compensate. 
As for the six turns the technician said he made to the track rod that's clearly and observably not true, he lengthened the track rod about two threads = 3mm. 
He obviously made around six partial turns.
 
The lower arm looks OK, but as I'm sure you can imagine that's very hard to quantify. A camber check should show any misalignment up there.
 
Question is, should I change the cast iron bearing carrier? 
The engineer in me says yes just because it's bent, but, technically the track rod should be able to compensate for any differences.
 
Looks like the part number of the bearing carrier is : 1K0407255AA
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I took the front wheels of and did a little measuring. 

 
So the steering arm is bent towards the brake disk by 1.5 to 2.0mm, this is confirmed by a similar amount of clean thread where the trackrod was lenghtened to compensate. 
As for the six turns the technician said he made to the track rod that's clearly and observably not true, he lengthened the track rod about two threads = 3mm. 
He obviously made around six partial turns.
 
The lower arm looks OK, but as I'm sure you can imagine that's very hard to quantify. A camber check should show any misalignment up there.
 
Question is, should I change the cast iron bearing carrier? 
The engineer in me says yes just because it's bent, but, technically the track rod should be able to compensate for any differences.
 
Looks like the part number of the bearing carrier is : 1K0407255AA

 

Personally, unless it had been heat re-treated, I would not trust a cast component that had been bent - particularly one as critical as this.

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Having looked at images of that part I would be concerned that the point where your has bent could be at the area of the bearing housing which could cause all sorts of problems in the future?

 

Jim

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OK, looks like In should replace the front left bearing carrier. Now how to identify the correct part and get an OEM quality replacement.

 

My investigations suggest the part number is 1K0407255AA

 

Any suggestions on suppliers ?

 

Additionally, I see the wheel bearing bolts into the hub, can I simply move it to the new hub or is it pressed in ?

Edited by gjscott
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If it was mine,  after a clout like that I'd replace the bearing as well while it was off the car..... might it be available as an assembly?

I'd second that, an impact sufficient to bend the steering arm could well have dimpled the bearings - new bearings well worth the likely small cost.

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Any ideas on the correct part number, I've found part # 1K0407255AA ?

 

Does anyone have the eurocarparts part number, I can't find it ?

Edited by gjscott
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Any ideas on the correct part number, I've found part # 1K0407255AA ?

 

Does anyone have the eurocarparts part number, I can't find it ?

 

 

Go to a skoda dealer parts department ask for quote on parts they give you the quote with part numbers on then look around on the net thats what i did for a tow bar

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  • 2 weeks later...

So  the parts i want to replace are the front left:

 

Suspension arm # 1K0407151BE  - Genuine £100
 
The aftermarket cost of these arms varies wildly, and I don't know which of the manufacturers are good or bad ?
See attachment: onlinecarparts.co.uk.pdf
 
Bearing Carrier/hub # 1K0407255AA  - Genuine £220 (europarts don't carry)
 
The aftermarket costs are all similar, but again I don't know which of the manufacturers are good or bad ?
See attachment: buycarparts.co.uk.pdf
 
 
 

 

 

Edited by gjscott
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