car damaged during tow?

[Smokey Eddy]

I was towed on friday, which i accept fault for, but when i went to pick the car up the CV wouldn't engage the transmission or the wheel. one of the two.
The company isnt accepting fault and they are going to take me to court if i try to make them fix it/pay for repairs/towing. The driver who towed the car started pulling on stuff in the engine bay and pulled out the power wire to the starter solenoid and the vac line to the booster.

Is there anyone in vancouver or near vancouver who can help me asap in getting the joint back in the tranny or hub?
I took my tools out while i was installing an amp and speakers otherwise i wouldn't be asking. I still have the bottle jack though.

OR

can someone please tell me what size wrench and ratchet socket i'll need to loosen off the strut to manuever the CV back into the hub/tranny.
im lucky enough to stay at a friends on their floor down town.
please message me and i'll reply my cell. I'll be at work until 5 tomorrow so ill be checking here regularily.
thank you,
Ed

Drake's towing is the company. They said they would make me have a BCAA vehicle inspection which i already have actively on my car and it expires by the end of the month.
There is a lordco downtown i think so i can get the tools tomorrow on my lunch i just don't remember the size. i know its big...
mk2 jetta
the lot is on the corner of Clarke and Powell

Commuter boy saved the day!

[theman53]

I believe the ball joint pinch bolt is 17mm. that will let you drop the a arm out of the way and get your CV moving in and out IIRC. 30mm on the big axle nut

[BAM]

Just to add to theman53's post if I understand correctly you broke an axle.  I this is the case you will also require a 8mm ZXN bit for the inner joint.

What was the tow company doing under the hood they should be responsible for any damage over and above the reason for the tow, which I am assuming was for the axle problem.

[Smokey Eddy]

I phoned the manager this morning and he said he'd take me to court over it and my car is in rough shape and already has a vehicle inspection order of notice on it so i think i'd get screwed. I told him that i wanted to fix it so he has towed it to the side of the road outside his lot.

I really hope someone in van can help me. =( I don't know anyone here ... just the other pencil pushers i work with.

BAM, why do you think it's broken? How could it have broken...?
The tow was because i was parked somewhere dumb.

[Smokey Eddy]

He claimed he rolled it out of the stall and lifted it up from the front tires.
My car is slightly lifted. Perhaps this attributes to it?
The tires would have needed to be full lock to get it out of the stall? but i've done that several times and i've never had the axle come out...

ps. welcome to the forum!

[gnavs]

It seems a bit strange that the owner is threatening legal procedings already, he must know they fcuked up.  I personally wouldn't let them get away that easily, they have obligations when it comes to the vehicle they're towing.

[Smokey Eddy]

He just kept pitching this speel about how there is no way towing the car can damage the shafts or joints... and that if i was going to try and make them pay for the repairs they would have BCAA asess my car to see if its even fit for the road.

[745 turbogreasel]

If you put the J hook around the axle, then fire up the #20K winch to drag the car out of a tight spot, you will probably bend something.
If you open the car, it is B&E, a half competent tow operator does not need to be in the cab or under the hood to get a car loaded.
How much pull does a tow company really have with the state inspectors?  You have to get the inspection anyway, so why do you care?

Recently my friend blew the tranny on her Camry.  Bummer  for her, as she didn't really have $3K for anther one.  She calls a tow truck and...
they dropped it.  Part of the cradle  caught the fender, kinking it to where it bound on the drivers door.   Also, they tore the bottoms off the exhaust extensions lifting the nose too high.
Well , they tried to pass it off as nothing, but I had the body shop  write up an estimate to fix the body damage, and had a chat with the owner.
Next day, we had a check for $750, and bought a used tranny.

Also, Ive seen a few trannys broken in such a way they will not retain the inner end of the CV.

[Smokey Eddy]

Also, Ive seen a few trannys broken in such a way they will not retain the inner end of the CV.

So you reckon it's broken?
I don't want to go through the inspection because it will be deemed unsafe (likely) and then the damages will be waived and furthermore i'll have to pay the court fees. PLUS it doesn't solve the issue of me being stranded somewhere i don't live.

[745 turbogreasel]

If they broke the output bearing retainer, damage will be substantial.
How would they not be liable for anything they broke?

Really, you are going to have to go to the car, and look for scars from the big meathook.
My guess would be somebody at the tow co has a MK2, and is hoping you will leave them the car.


Another example, the F250 I'm working on, a tow driver destroyed the handbrake cable, and both rear shocks.  I think it was a repo, so they don't have to care.

[commuter boy]

Drake's are pretty cover your ass kind of guys.  "We didn't do nothing, and you're going to have prove it, piss off".

There's also no reason why one of them would be screwing around under the hood pulling wires and hoses either, unless it was to disconnect the battery to stop the alarm going off.  Something stinks.

I can get tools and jacks out there after work today.  I'm worried it will be either a broken CV joint or something in the tranny. You don't think it had anything to do with your wheel falling off the other day do you?

Ed, did you want to order up a CV joint assembly from VM Autohouse for installation if that turns out to be the problem?  I could pick it up on my way out with the tools and you can always return it if not needed.  If you do let me know, I get a discount from them.

There's also the BCAA thing, renew your membership and get it towed back home the same day.  I've done that before when I forgot to renew my expired one, they didn't care.

[Smokey Eddy]

The wheel falling off was the otherside.
Let's have a look this evening and if it's nuked I'll hit up the BCAA or my friend's trailer tomorrow morning (day off tomorrow).
regarding the short axle, sure may as well right. It's like insurance.

Also, equally important, what's your favorite brew David?

[commuter boy]

Took a look at it and the driveshaft was spinning freely.  Not good.

Jacked it up, pulled the inner CV joint and the whole assembly just
rolled out.  Balls, circlip, cage, etc.  Noticeable wear inside, odd
because they were fairly new.

And the part we got was a 100mm axle, not a 90mm one.  Which we didn't
notice until we had already packed it full of grease  

Was it mid year 1990 that VW changed flange sizes?  Anyone know what the
stock flange size was for a  Canuck 1990 1.6?

[Vincent Waldon]

Noticeable wear inside, odd
because they were fairly new.

Not saying it's the case here specifically... but I do know that EMPI CVs / driveshafts have the exactly the same quality rep online as a certain North Carolina purveyor of discount VW parts...for a lot of the same reasons.  

Darn shame too, cause in the old Beetle days EMPI was the bee's knees.  

And, still doesn't explain how it suddenly grenaded while sitting by the side of the road.  

[745 turbogreasel]

Jacked it up, pulled the inner CV joint and the whole assembly just
rolled out.  Balls, circlip, cage, etc.  Noticeable wear inside, odd
because they were fairly new.

Remanufacturing involves machining the harface of the bearing surface?