So What Am I Likely To Have Bent?! Cti

[lagonda 42]

Avoiding some berk, I clipped a kerb. Fortunately at no great speed, but the tyre is badly holed. I'm hoping the rim isn't buckled..it seems OK, but will obviously stick it back on the hub to check properly.

 

I'm concerned though that the steering wheel no longer centres properly..to go straight on, the wheel has to be turned slightly left. So obviously I've bent something...what's it likely to be? Remember this is a CTi so has base model suspension. I'm thinking there's not much to keep things straight, so am wondering if the suspension arm ball joint pin is likely to have bent....or is something else more likely to have distorted? Really annoyed about this as I set the tracking with a friend's gauge back in England a couple of years ago, and my tyres had been wearing nice & evenly, up till now!

[Henry Yorke 269 3 Cars]

I would just get it retracked and go from there. I would be surprised if you have bent a track control arm, but these are relatively cheap and worth replacing anyway if not done recently. You'd need to get it tracked anyway after doing those, so it may be an opportunity

[Toddy 7]

Avoiding some berk, I clipped a kerb. Fortunately at no great speed, but the tyre is badly holed. I'm hoping the rim isn't buckled..it seems OK, but will obviously stick it back on the hub to check properly.

 

I'm concerned though that the steering wheel no longer centres properly..to go straight on, the wheel has to be turned slightly left. So obviously I've bent something...what's it likely to be? Remember this is a CTi so has base model suspension. I'm thinking there's not much to keep things straight, so am wondering if the suspension arm ball joint pin is likely to have bent....or is something else more likely to have distorted? Really annoyed about this as I set the tracking with a friend's gauge back in England a couple of years ago, and my tyres had been wearing nice & evenly, up till now!

 

Check the anti roll bar mounting plates near the bulkhead, also check the TCA.

[lagonda 42]

Many thanks. By track control arm, I take it you mean the suspension arm, ie the part with the steering swivel ball pin on the end, that bolts to the hub mounting?

 

I replaced the o/s one a couple of years ago, the n/s one ball pin is (was!) fine, but the rubber bushing where the anti-roll bar bolts through is pretty shot, so replacing it would be worthwhile anyway.

[Paul_13 212 1 Cars]

When I hit a kerb in the snow, the tie bar move over in its mount by an inch. Worth checking its central

[trogboy 17]

I agree with Paul and Toddy in that you have probably pushed the anti-roll bar across.

 

When I walloped a kerb in my old junior I actually bent it as well as pushing it right across. There is a tie bar that located the anti-roll bar on the subframe which is held to the ARB by a clamp. If you've pushed yours across you should be able to see scrape marks on the bar where it has been pushed through.

 

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[lagonda 42]

Hmm, no, hadn't thought of that, will check as well.