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We Are Flying Solo

March 27, 2011

Momma Ain't Happy

Why? Oh, because the universe is unkind! Like I don't already have enough to juggle. 


This is why -->

What the hell is that?  That, my dear friends, in the right forelimb of my beloved pony hauler.  And it has suffered a fracture.

On the way home from work on Friday, it all of a sudden had an epileptic seizure and tried to buck me off.  Long story short, I was down the street about 0.2 miles from the house so I just limped it home slowly and friend and I had a look at it this afternoon.  After cranking the steering wheel around and hearing a loud POP, this is what we found.

In case you are still staring at the picture in puzzlement, trying to figure out what is so wrong -- see the bit on the left side that looks like a black toilet plunger?  That bit is supposed to be attached to the end of the horizontal rod across the middle of the picture.  Not be separated from said rod by a two inch gap.

This is a rather consequential bit as this rod is what connects your steering wheel to your front tire.  Yeah, so you can turn and stuff.  When it's not connected, you get the sorry sight I was faced with this afternoon, which is your truck sitting there with its front tires pointed in opposite directions, like some poor crosseyed kid.   And you definitely do not want to drive it in this condition -- at best, you end up with a bent axle, at worst, your wheel gets ripped off your vehicle.

What most likely happened is that as I turned onto my street, the connector on the tie rod cracked, resulting in the violent "death wobble" (oh yes, that's a real term, google it) I felt.  As we cranked the steering to its maximum extent this afternoon, it snapped completely off.

On the plus side, it's a pretty easy fix and it's under warranty. The truck is ten years old, so it's a normal wear and tear type of thing. This, of course, does not stop me from staring at it mournfully where it sits in front of my house, waiting for Monday morning and a wrecker to arrive.

Moral of the story: if you are driving along and all of a sudden it feels like a wheel fell off, don't keep driving. Even if the wheels are still attached for the moment, A WHEEL MAY BE ABOUT TO BE TORN OFF, so don't push it.

12 comments:

  1. That happened to my truck too! We definitely called it the death wobble and it scared the you-know-what out of me the first time it happened. Luckily it's fixable!

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  2. I agree, TBA -- it can cause a sudden need to change one's underpants!!! :-o

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  3. Oooooo, yuck. I admit, my knowledge of cars is limited to being able to open the hood and say, "Yep, the engine is there." Actually, I can put windshield washer fluid in, too -- yeah, quite the skill set.

    I hope your pony-heauler gets fixed soon and doesn't cost an arm and a leg!

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  4. That is the saddest thing I have seen all day

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  5. Frizz, ignorance truly is bliss. Although you should learn how to change a tire, that one's awfully handy at inconvenient times. Plus the boys get ticked off when they can't be all manly and "rescue" you so the entertainment value alone is worth it.

    Paige, I cried on the inside.

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  6. Ouch!! At least it happened close to home ....

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  7. Oooh, your poor truck. I hope the 'vet' comes and fixes it soonly!

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  8. Thanks, J's! It rode the flatbed to our friend Ray's shop where he will pat its nose and heal its wounds with care.

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  9. Yuck. My sympathies. Car troubles are the worst.

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  10. They are, SB, I feel so crippled without my rumbling beast.

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  11. Confused... how is it under warranty if the truck is 10 years old? Did you buy an extended warranty? (Ask me about the guy who made mega-bucks selling those, built a $15 million house nearby, and is now bankrupt and facing prison. House is for sale, if you're interested :-).

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  12. RW, I'm a killer deal maker. ;-) I convinced the dealership to throw it in for free when I bought the truck.

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