View Full Version : ramped a curb pretty good
So I wasn't gonna post about it and make a big stink but I hit my first curb the other day while drifting... I was mid drift coming through a section where there was a curb on both sides of me and very little room for error. I hit a wet spot (it had just rained and dried up a little) which sent front end into the curb on the left. I ramped over it at about 25 with both wheels on the left. It took a good chunk out of my front wheel but there is no other visable damage. It did however change the toe a little...
Ever since I hit the curb the wheel seems like it doesn't want to spin it self back around in drifts. You know how you start to slide and you let go of the wheel and it points itself the way you're going? You kinda had to wrench on it to get it to go the right way.
Today I got an alignment and it was pretty bad (i had done the orig. alignment myself by eye so this was expected). Now that it's aligned properly (0 toe on the front and everything else to spec) the wheel still doesn't want to turn itself back as easily as it did before. Its a good bit better with the alignment but still not as good as it was before.
My question is, could I have damaged the steering rack or something else that would cause this? Does 0 camber have this effect? I'll post my alignment numbers later today since I'm sure that will help. Most everything went pretty close to spect except one side's caster which was just outside spec...
babowc
05-04-2007, 03:17 PM
hm..
last time i hit a curb, i bent a tie rod..
you didnt bend/break anything else?
hm..
last time i hit a curb, i bent a tie rod..
you didnt bend/break anything else?
Nothing that I could see but I haven't had it up in the air. The guy at the alignment shop didn't say anything either. I'll put it up in the air tomorrow at the install day i guess...
Decker
05-04-2007, 03:22 PM
that sux man. we'll take a look tomorrow.
I did that a couple years ago but it was my rear and the curb was really tall so I didn't ramp of it, I just came to an abrupt stop. I chunked my wheel, cracked the spindle in 2 places and bent the lower control arm. I'd get under there and check to see if anything is bent.
that sux man. we'll take a look tomorrow.
good deal. i'm not too worried... I've got a ton of spare parts and know where to get more :).
is your rack leaking ?
I don't think so but i haven't checked... Probly a good idea.
I did that a couple years ago but it was my rear and the curb was really tall so I didn't ramp of it, I just came to an abrupt stop. I chunked my wheel, cracked the spindle in 2 places and bent the lower control arm. I'd get under there and check to see if anything is bent.
Yah we'll check tomorrow. I jacked it up and pulled the wheels off when i did it and didn't see anything but i didn't look TOO hard.
The funny part is that I think i bent the wheel back into place. It was already bent and used to vibrate at around 70. Now it doesn't :).
v-empire
05-04-2007, 03:55 PM
check sway bar, brackets and sway bar links...... unda unda undar!!!! ftl ...
The Marty
05-04-2007, 03:57 PM
Yay for Street Drifting!!!! :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
Wedge
05-04-2007, 04:16 PM
Did anyone else think this was the STi before they got about half way done?
v-empire
05-04-2007, 04:41 PM
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f369/redempire16/sti.jpg
The Marty
05-04-2007, 06:10 PM
Must....have.....rearmount......radiator......
Joshua
05-04-2007, 06:17 PM
I just want a Yukes body wrap.
v-empire
05-04-2007, 07:03 PM
cusco wing, mudasucka!!!!.....tandem tandem tandem!
mo_jo
05-04-2007, 09:17 PM
Weak points would be tie rod and tension rod... those normally the first to go.
Casey
05-04-2007, 09:57 PM
yeah if its a minor bend then an alignment should have done the trick.
what is caster anyways?
is it the angle that the tension rod controls?
I'm gonna drive it more tonight and see how it feels. When I drove it home the alignment felt great as far as regular driving so thats why I thought I might have damanged the rack...
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f369/redempire16/sti.jpg
thats awesome :)
(i can't afford to drift the sti) :(
v-empire
05-05-2007, 01:12 AM
yea you can. its up to you......tandem tandem tandem.
^ lol ok lets go. bring your white car...
Last night I went out and found that drifting to the left the wheel doesn't turn itself back but to the right it does... I'm leaning torward bent control arm and possibly tie rod end on the left side... (thanks Dave for the input and everyone else) We'll see what we find today.
frosty_spl
05-05-2007, 08:47 PM
Curbs scare me. I stay far away.
IF something is bent, just get aftermarket parts.:D
Curbs scare me. I stay far away.
IF something is bent, just get aftermarket parts.:D
Heh it is a pretty good excuse :). Looks like I'll be getting some aftermarket LCA's. I put it up in the air yesterday and I can see where the bolts moved. The wheel is pushed back about an inche from where it should be in the wheel well... Everything else looks ok tho. We'll see...
v-empire
05-06-2007, 07:41 PM
^^^ ooooooooo ikeya formula!!! lca ftw. for you i rather spend it on a good diff before after market lca. good luck, klip!
shawn shawn
05-06-2007, 07:51 PM
I had a run in with a curb a about 3 years ago. I was seeing how close I could get to it and next thing I knew I was sitting on the center console haha! I managed to mangle the hell out of the rim. I laughed the whole time though, its all part of the game.
I miss the days when cops had no clue what we did in empty industrial areas and we could stay there for hours on sundays.
^^^ ooooooooo ikeya formula!!! lca ftw. for you i rather spend it on a good diff before after market lca. good luck, klip!
Haha i'm gonna price them out and see what I'm lookin at. I'd have to buy a b $40 ball joint to use the stock LCA that I have right now so... I haven't decided 100% tho...
And you're right I do need a good diff...
Infinite
05-06-2007, 08:03 PM
yea based on how your wheel looked it was impossible that something wasnt tweaked.
if i hit a curb id be in a bit more trouble than bent suspension parts, lol
yea based on how your wheel looked it was impossible that something wasnt tweaked.
if i hit a curb id be in a bit more trouble than bent suspension parts, lol
Haha yeah. I'm lucky I don't have really nice wheels yet... I still need to get that one wheel repaired. I wonder how good of a job they can do.
Anyone know how they repair a wheel that is bent in and has a good bit of curbage?
Infinite
05-06-2007, 08:13 PM
they straighten them with heat and pressure, and as far as the lips go they weld material back onto the damaged portion and then smooth it back out.
i know one place you mail it off and its like 50 a wheel or something
v-empire
05-06-2007, 08:46 PM
lol....you will be shocked at prices for an adjustable lca.... you will see. a nice one will cost almost the same as a good diff...
Infinite
05-06-2007, 08:56 PM
the orange version are 405.75 plus shipping
the tc sportline (copy of orange from waht it seems) are 449.00
with the spl being 612
or just get an oem replacement for 25 bucks
lol....you will be shocked at prices for an adjustable lca.... you will see. a nice one will cost almost the same as a good diff...
Yah i just noticed :thinking:
Ok I found something that answers my question about if caster 100%.
Caster (or castor) angle is the angular displacement from the vertical axis of the suspension (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suspension_%28vehicle%29) of a steered wheel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheel) in a car (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile), bicycle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle) or other vehicle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle), measured in the longitudinal direction. It is the angle between the pivot line (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pivot_line&action=edit) (in a car - an imaginary line that runs through the center of the upper ball joint (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ball_joint) to the center of the lower ball joint) and vertical (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertical_direction). Car racers sometimes adjust caster angle to optimize their car's handling characteristics in particular driving situations.
The pivot points of the steering (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steering) are angled such that a line drawn through them intersects the road surface slightly ahead of the contact point of the wheel. The purpose of this is to provide a degree of self-centering for the steering - the wheel casters around so as to trail behind the axis of steering. This makes a car easier to drive and improves its straight line stability (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stability) (reducing its tendency to wander). Excessive caster angle will make the steering heavier and less responsive, although, in racing, large caster angles are used to improve camber gain in cornering. Caster angles over 10 degrees with radial tires are common. Power steering is usually necessary to overcome the jacking effect from the high caster angle.
The steering axis (the dotted line in the diagram above) does not have to pass through the center of the wheel, so the caster can be set independently of the mechanical trail, which is the distance between where the steering axis hits the ground, in side view, and the point directly below the axle. The interaction between caster angle and trail is complex, but roughly speaking they both aid steering, caster tends to add damping, while trail adds 'feel', and returnability. In the extreme case of the shopping trolley (shopping cart in the US) wheel, the system is undamped but stable, as the wheel oscillates around the 'correct' path. The shopping trolley/cart setup has a great deal of trail, but no caster. Complicating this still further is that the lateral (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lateral) forces at the tire do not act at the center of the contact patch (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contact_patch), but at a distance behind the nominal contact patch. This distance is called the pneumatic trail and varies with speed, load, steer angle, surface, tire type, tire pressure and time. A good starting point for this is 30 mm behind the nominal contact patch.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f8/Caster_angle.svg/250px-Caster_angle.svg.png
I replaced the LCA today and it feels a tad better i think but not significantly. I'm wondering if maybe the front support thing that the tension rod attaches to or the center support thing that goes all the way across might be bent... I kinda had to push the tension rod really hard to get it to go back into the LCA so i'm thinkin that might be where the problem is...
Casey
05-11-2007, 09:37 AM
hmm
my tension rods dropped right in when the car was jacked up and suspention was all the way out...
well think of it this way
you hit a curb and your tire was pushed toward your firewall...
so the tension rod was PULLED along with the LCA
the tension rod would have bent very slightly inward... probably at the joint. soo whatever the weakest part of the tension rods is.... is where it would have bent... im guessing at the large round section where its welded at on there...
if youre gonna get aftermarket tension rods then just wait for that
=D
but it could be more serious like the part where the tension rod touches the frame. that could be bent a tad...
idk about that tho...
babowc
05-11-2007, 04:40 PM
is it the.. tension bracket orsomething?
Tension rod bracket?
i just took the entire front suspension off my recovered car..
i was surprised there werent too much involved... couples of bolts here and there
and the front suspension members just dropped off.
back on topic..
are you talking about the bracket that holds the tension rod @ The bushings?.. something like Nismo Brace/Nismo Tension brace?, right?
Added some Megan pillowabll adjustable tension rods. Got it aligned and it aligns to spec now! Still having some trouble with steering to the left so I think I might replace the steering rack. I'm betting I gummed some of the teeth on the left side of the rack since I was at full lock when I whacked it. Until then I think it's bearable.
hmm
my tension rods dropped right in when the car was jacked up and suspention was all the way out...
well think of it this way
you hit a curb and your tire was pushed toward your firewall...
so the tension rod was PULLED along with the LCA
the tension rod would have bent very slightly inward... probably at the joint. soo whatever the weakest part of the tension rods is.... is where it would have bent... im guessing at the large round section where its welded at on there...
if youre gonna get aftermarket tension rods then just wait for that
=D
but it could be more serious like the part where the tension rod touches the frame. that could be bent a tad...
idk about that tho...
Well the tension rod wasn't pushed, it was pulled since it connects to the front of the car then to the wheel. When I hit the curb it pulled the wheel back, pulling the tension rod, pulling the bracket, and whatever else is in line...
is it the.. tension bracket orsomething?
Tension rod bracket?
i just took the entire front suspension off my recovered car..
i was surprised there werent too much involved... couples of bolts here and there
and the front suspension members just dropped off.
back on topic..
are you talking about the bracket that holds the tension rod @ The bushings?.. something like Nismo Brace/Nismo Tension brace?, right?
Yep. Thats the bracket but I the tension brace is what goes in between those two brackets.
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