Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Suspension I nailed a curb...

So, the other morning I was driving to school, and couldn't see the center dividing curb I was trying to make a left turn around, and hit it pretty hard with the left front wheel. It's a tall curb, not sloped much, and I hit it hard. I mean, SLAM, toss the car up in the air hard.

I completed the turn, and the car wasn't trying to steer me off the road, so I continued on to school, pretty sure I hadn't actually broken anything.

Then I realized on the way home that I now have to cock the steering wheel to the left to make the car go straight. The car pulls right when I let go, but it did this before I hit the curb, and it doesn't seem to be much worse.

So, the question is: What did I bend, how can I identify it, and what's it going to take to fix it?

Other than the stated problems, the car still drives like it did.

Thanks

Jed

Sounds like alignment....but these guys can tell you better than i can

Alignment will definitely need to be fixed but you may also have broken some things. You may have bent a wheel and messed up a tie rod/other suspension components. Doesn't sound too bad though. Just gotta get in there and check everything.

before you can bend a tie rod, you are likely to twist a control arm... that would suck big time. driver's side is PITA to replace. but anyway, need to look and see.

And a twisted control arm would make the steering wheel be cocked left when the car is going straight?

When I look at it, how obvious is it going to be that something is bent? I mean, there's some things I have experience with, suspension just isn't one of them, though it seems like that will change before long...

Thanks for the help

Jed

Just go pay $35-$45 for an alignment, it won't take long at all, and they can probably tell you what is messed up. I hit a curb a while back pretty hard, actually, I have hit curbs several times, but once I hit one pretty hard and all I had to do is an alignment. So please go get an alignment as soon as you can.

Did you drive the dragon with it still screwed up? How was that?

Yeah, I drove the Dragon with it like that... honestly, the car impressed me... that's the first real slaying i've done on the dragon in a long time, and I really expected the car to be lacking, but I kept up with dude with the blue stripes pretty well.

Honestly, that car never seases to amaze me.

So, should I get the alignment done now, or wait untill I get new tires and shocks; what i mean is, will the new tires and shocks change the alignment at all?

Thanks for the pics, too. Visual references always help.

Jed

it's struts, not shocks

struts and tires will not affect your alignment. springs might, depending on what they are. if you end up replacing driver side control arm, you will have to do an alignment because of the way it's done. I would not try to hack around bent suspension parts w/ alignment, but that may be just me.

another thing to consider is that there is only so much an alignment shop can do on these cars. if your toe is whacked, they'd fix it. otherwise... at any rate, print out alignment specs from Suspension FAQ and take it with you. find a reputable shop.

BTW, I have a new Ford sheet w/ alignment specs which cuts toe ranges in half towards zero which I sent to Andy yesterday. hopefully it will make it into FAQ soon.