RattleCan510 Posted June 23, 2015 Report Share Posted June 23, 2015 Hello all, before I get started, I searched for my problem and didn't see anything, if I did miss it I apologize. So I was on my way to work this morning, and I went to take the exit, (freeway is under construction) and where I got off the road is about 2in below the rest of the road. Once I hit that junction, I hear a loud noise and something hit the under side of the car. After that I hit the brakes, and it pulled hard to the right, and I get this wobble in the wheel and the wobble feels like it's also in the driver side rotor. Once I got to work I could only give it a quick glance because I had to be in the bay area by 9. From what I could see, nothing looked out of place. With that said I wasn't able to see the inner pads on the calipers. The brake master cylinder still has fluid. Since I'm not with the car right now, what I was hoping for is some suggestions as where to start looking because this is my daily driver and I can't take my wife's car and she can't get up early enough to drop me off at the office. Any advice would be very appreciated and agian I'm sorry if this topic has already been posted. 69 510 280zx front struts and calipers 280zx master Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted June 23, 2015 Report Share Posted June 23, 2015 Check the right side tension rod. As the name implies it's a rod anchored at the front right side under the rad and connects to the outer part of the lower right control arm. This forms a strong supportive triangle that prevents the lower control arm from moving to the rear when the brakes are applied. Without the tension rod, the LCA is unsupported. When the brakes are applied it naturally wants to pull to the rear throwing the steering toe out. Use extreme caution if driving like this. If broken, better to fix before driving. Using poly tension rod mount bushings can cause this near disaster because they are not nearly as compliant, unlike rubber. This forces the tension rod to flex as it follows the up and down movement of the LCA causing metal fatigue.. Quote Link to comment
RattleCan510 Posted June 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2015 I know that the strut rod is still attached and the hardware is still there. Quote Link to comment
Mattndew76 Posted June 23, 2015 Report Share Posted June 23, 2015 Tension Rod is the item attached horizontally from the Lower control arm to a mounting cone on the forward end of the cars sub frame. The strut rod is vertical and bolted to the strut tower in the engine bay. Quote Link to comment
MicroMachinery Posted June 23, 2015 Report Share Posted June 23, 2015 You had a potentially catastrophic mechanical failure and you didn't immediately stop and figure out what it was? 1 Quote Link to comment
RattleCan510 Posted June 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2015 I found the problem, the strut rod snapped right at the start of the threads. Quote Link to comment
thisismatt Posted June 24, 2015 Report Share Posted June 24, 2015 So, poly bushings? Strut rod is another name for t/c rod... Quote Link to comment
RattleCan510 Posted June 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2015 Yea I have poly bushings. Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted June 24, 2015 Report Share Posted June 24, 2015 I found the problem, the strut rod snapped right at the start of the threads. So to be clear, it's the strut and not the tension rod? If the strut, how the hell does it fail???? It's like 3/4" thick!! Can't see how it would pull to the right either. The tension rod on the other has has to have compliant bushings to allow up and down movement of the control arm. Polly doesn't allow much movement and the rod must bend, leading to metal fatigue. Quote Link to comment
q-tip Posted June 24, 2015 Report Share Posted June 24, 2015 You had a potentially catastrophic mechanical failure and you didn't immediately stop and figure out what it was? Ain't nobody got time fo dat!? 1 Quote Link to comment
thisismatt Posted June 24, 2015 Report Share Posted June 24, 2015 So to be clear, it's the strut and not the tension rod? If the strut, how the hell does it fail???? It's like 3/4" thick!! Can't see how it would pull to the right either. The tension rod on the other has has to have compliant bushings to allow up and down movement of the control arm. Polly doesn't allow much movement and the rod must bend, leading to metal fatigue. Strut rod is another name for the T/C rod. 1 Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted June 24, 2015 Report Share Posted June 24, 2015 Just wow. This could have had a very different outcome. Quote Link to comment
Mattndew76 Posted June 24, 2015 Report Share Posted June 24, 2015 Yeah you avoided the ugly somehow. Quote Link to comment
KoHeartsGPA Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 Mike, construction zones in California are awful, I've seen semi trucks lose driveline on a "bump", its freaking bad!!! Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 Yes but the combination of poly bushings on a tension rod... just a matter of time. Here is one way to force some compliance into the overly stiff poly tension rod bushings... my TC rod bushings coming back from the machine shop. they were modified as per the DQ issueold ones, pretty nasty, huh?old vs newnew ones going inbeautiful Myself, I would never run poly on anything. It's a race car innovation that doesn't work on a street car. On a race car things like this are maintained, inspected regularly and or replaced. A street car? Forget it. People install this stuff and think they can just forget about it. New rubber is the best all round thing for this. 2 Quote Link to comment
KoHeartsGPA Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 Ya my school of thought is, when in doubt, throw it out, those parts aren't expensive and available. Quote Link to comment
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