Author Topic: hit a curb with rear (Read 4534 times)

slorimer · « **on:** January 13, 2009, 09:58:40 am »

Wondering if anyone has an idea of what bends first. My back end got loose on a snowy day and swung around and hit a curb. The wheel itself is straight but it looks like the camber is now positive and I have to have the steering turned now to go straight. Just wondering what I should look at to see if whats bent or broken, if anyone has had this happen before. Its a 94 Jetta. I need to learn how to drive again.

jtanguay · « **Reply #1 on:** January 13, 2009, 10:46:46 am »

its the rear sub frame that connects both wheels.

i've done it before on an old golf... the wheel was at a huge angle and would fishtail at times :lol: luckily someone was scrapping their old golf so i had a guy take it and put it on my car for me. best $350 ever spent :roll: :lol:

it was either that or get into a collision with some dufus who can't read stop signs... my insurance would have inevitably went up despite me being in the right. the other guy could have just said he tried to brake :roll: not that he stopped to see if i was okay or anything... :x oh there was tons of snow on the road too... :roll:

slorimer · « **Reply #2 on:** January 13, 2009, 02:06:33 pm »

thanks for the reply, is there any adjustability in the rear susupension to straigthen things out, or am I looking at a new subframe?

the caveman · « **Reply #3 on:** January 13, 2009, 02:57:02 pm »

no straightening it out unless you know someone who REALLY knows what they are doing.
Go to scrap yard, replace the bushings while it's out. worse thing about the job are the brake lines.

Quantum TD · « **Reply #4 on:** January 13, 2009, 03:05:02 pm »

Quote from: "the caveman"

no straightening it out unless you know someone who REALLY knows what they are doing.
Go to scrap yard, replace the bushings while it's out. worse thing about the job are the brake lines.

X2. You car will go down the road sideways if it's bent. Buy some new rear rubber brake hoses, new bushings, and maybe think about a rear brake job (once you push in those rear wheel cylinders, they start to leak).

Not a fun job, but not the worst either. You might need a 4-wheel alignment aftewards too.

jtanguay · « **Reply #5 on:** January 13, 2009, 03:14:26 pm »

yea might as well do the brakes as the replacement ones are probably shot and will leak, and as well the bushings (while everything is out, its sooo much easier)... luckily the one i got had new bushings and brakes done. car had a bunch of work done to it, then something happened with the motor and the guy wanted to junk it. too bad... it would have made a sweet ride if converted to diesel :lol:

Luckypabst · « **Reply #6 on:** January 13, 2009, 08:35:31 pm »

I bent the right rear on my old Scirocco so bad that the wheel was 45 degrees to the ground.

This happened a split second before a quick barrel roll and stabbing a utility pole.

16 years, 7 days old and dreams of being a world rally superstar does not equal "experience".

Chris

Dakotakid · « **Reply #7 on:** January 13, 2009, 09:45:56 pm »

My first rear axle beam replacement came about in the wintertime as well. I was making my way down a twisty two lane road and decided to simply straddle what appeared to be a large piece of ice in the road.

Turned out to be a nice round almost skull-sized river rock which apparently had fallen off a truck.

slorimer · « **Reply #8 on:** January 14, 2009, 02:58:26 pm »

thanks for the responses, doesn't sound fun.

gldgti · « **Reply #9 on:** January 20, 2009, 10:57:25 pm »

dont fret - changing a rear axle beam on a mk3 is not hard and should only take you about a day.

i did it on my mk1 (slapped a curb just like you) and had to do it on that aswell.

i changed the rear beam on my mk3 because i wanted to upgrade to vr6 rear beam - has an inbuilt anti-roll bar.

its a pretty basic change and the hardest part is the mega brake bleed at the end.