AAA brought me home

[Rolex]

I left with my newest camera to go "Spring shooting" with all the local trees in full bloom. I saw a huge white and red barn down a side road and pulled into a parking lot to make a U-Turn. While pulling out I heard an incredible slam and the car started rocking and scraping, even though I was barely doing 5 MPH. I thought I had hit a pothole and blown a tire, but once I got into a bank lot I looked and all 4 tires were fine.
I wanted to back it up to see if something had gotten under the car, but as soon as I backed 6" the front left corner collapsed.
Something broke on that wheel and the A-Arm was on the ground and the wheel laid out at a 45 degree angle pushing the front of the fender out.
A 5 hour ordeal between the police report and the flatbed, but it's home. Now I have to make an appointment and get it towed out for some major front end work.
I was 12 miles from home, but only 5 days ago I did 225 miles round trip, sometimes doing 75 in the 70MPH zones.
I've been paying for AAA Premier since '08, and today it finally paid off.
I'm too beat to retrieve the pics from the camera, but maybe tomorrow I'll post them.

 

[Rolex]

Here's a few pics of my carnage.
Pretty much got my fender and bumper jacked pretty good, also.

 

[HPI-Killer]

As soon as I saw this thread I knew it wasn't RC carnage but I pondered if you misplaced your Polosh and dust mop jk!

That is some crazy good timing on your car breakage Ralph would have been bad if it happened during your 225mi journey!!

By the way is that a Ford Taurus SHO 5.0?!?! If that is that is an awesome car and has some real huevos under the hood!! Even today with all these new expensive rice burners, nothing could really come close to the HP of the SHO...

 

[SMaxxin]

WOW that's sucks Ralph, glad it happen in a parking lot and not out on the road!

 

[Rolex]

That's the '93 Thunderbird LX and that's the REAL 5.0 HO engine in there. That's the first car that engine went into and in '94 they put that engine in the Mustang GT and reduced the chip and the fuel injection in the birds. Still had the 5.0 in the LX, but with a lot less horsepower.
I bought it in 2000 and this is the first time it ever let me down.

 

[hamz9561]

Sorry about the mishap, Ralph. Glad to see carnage pics, though. I'd hate to see that happen at speed.

 

[Racer 1966]

Wow,that's a close call. Looks like a ball joint blew out. Glad you weren't at speed and you're ok Ralph.

 

[Rolex]

It really scares me to think of doing 75 and instantly having the car go off in a direction of its own. I don't even know if I could have caught it in time to stay in control.
Trust me, as soon as I looked at it I thought about the long ride I did on Tuesday and I was EXTREMELY thankful it happened in the parking lot exit at only 5 MPH and so close to home.

 

[NCNitro]

Must be a ford thing. Same exact thing happened to me back in NY, I was driving my Ex's crown vic, had been doing 55-60 for quite a few miles, pulled in to a parking lot, and bam! a-arm snapped, had to get it home on a flatbed. Glad to hear yours waited till you were at a safe speed as well.

 

[Rolex]

I've NEVER had a wheel let loose like this and I've had about 40 cars.
The irony is that last Monday I went to Jiffy Lube and had them balance the front for my trip since it had a shimmy between 72 and 75. After the work they pointed out a loose connecting rod on the right side. It caused the steering to pull after making a hard left, but with a tap on the brakes it would center itself. I was about to take the car in to have that done.
Totally unrelated to what happened today, but I think I'm in for a pricey job.

 

[godale03]

Just glad to hear you are ok Ralph!! Glad that didn't happen at speed! Our cars are generally something we all take for granted will always be there. Sounds like you kept up with your maintenance... it was just one of those freak things. I keep up with my maintenance too... but I always take for granted that when I get in my truck and turn the key its going to start and ride on down the road.

That is a nice looking TBird too man.... It reminds me of my teen years working at a local Ford dealership. I loved test driving the TBirds once they were unloaded and the DX trips were awesome!!

One thing though... your TBird isn't as shiny as I figured you would have it!

 

[Rolex]

One thing though... your TBird isn't as shiny as I figured you would have it!

LOL. The hood, roof and trunk are all flat black primer. The car is waiting for a new paint job after being destroyed in 2 separate hail storms. All the dents are gone, but why wax when it only has to get stripped for paint?
It's kept clean, just not shiny. I've saved a fortune on wax.

 

[hamz9561]

I just remembered that something similar happened to my F150 several years back while on a business trip except mine was caused by a mondo pothole and basically ripped the ball joint out of the truck on the driver's side. Cost me over $1500 and 2 extra days in a Denver hotel room.

 

[HPIguy]

Glad you're alright Ralph, that would have sucked at 75mph.

 

[godale03]

LOL. The hood, roof and trunk are all flat black primer. The car is waiting for a new paint job after being destroyed in 2 separate hail storms. All the dents are gone, but why wax when it only has to get stripped for paint?
It's kept clean, just not shiny. I've saved a fortune on wax.

Oh man I feel your pain... I hate hail!!! I have been known to leave work and park my car at home in the garage when a hailstorm is called for. I also tried to shield my Honda civic with myself once... bad idea by the way.

 

[savage24x]

Must be a ford thing. Same exact thing happened to me back in NY, I was driving my Ex's crown vic, had been doing 55-60 for quite a few miles, pulled in to a parking lot, and bam! a-arm snapped, had to get it home on a flatbed.

Ford :

 

[hamz9561]

At least it isn't like all of the dead Chevys I see rusting by the side of the road with the florescent tow-tags on them....

 

[Rolex]

Just an update.
I got the car back on Tuesday and it was only $160 to replace the ball joint. It felt like I was driving a new car. Obviously the joint had been drying out and getting stiffer for a long time, so I never really noticed how bad it was. I knew there were a few other problems in the front end, and they gave me a detailed estimate. $1,400. That's bushings, control arms, rotors and brakes.
I've decided to do it since this is the first time it's had a problem since I bought it in 2000, but the brakes I'll do myself. That should keep it around a grand for the front end but the car is worth it.

 

[hamz9561]

Yeah, a Taurus 5.0 is a pretty rare bird... =devil

 

[Rolex]

It's not a Taurus, it's the Thunderbird LX.