www.chirpthird.com: MY RELATIVELY NEW SS ALSO SMASHED (long....but Questions at end)

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Posted by NiravSS (Member # 778) on :

I was driving with my best friend and was in the left lane of a three lane freeway at about 9:45 PM. It had been raining all week, but it was only sprinkling today. I was going about 45-50 in moving traffic (it is southern california after all), when a huge tarp flies off a pick-up in front of me. It looked like something else fell along with it, but I wasn't sure. As it was blocking the entire lane, I swerved into the center median and tried to dodge the tarp.

As I tried to get back into the lane, I lost traction and my back started sliding out (I had ASR on, but it wasn't an acceleration thing at all). My tail hits the center divider and I bounce off, spinning in the other direction. The car does a 360 and I'm trying to regain control. My left rear tire breaks off completely during this time, and I realized this as the car just doesn't turn or move and has this scraping sound comeing off the rear axle.

So, I'm stopped in left lane. Luckily nobody hit me, and me and my friend were okay. I didn't have a cell phone so it took forever to get somebody out there. Sadly nobody stopped for about 30 minutes....even though I was blocking an entire lane of traffic! Sad.

I finally got the car home, but I don't think it is in good shape. The wheel is destroyed with all of the 10 spokes of the rim gone and the center hub still attached to the axle. The axle is bent. The exhaust system looks damaged. The side is all scraped up. The front and back bumper is probably also scraped on the undercarriage as the car was loaded and unloaded from the tow truck.

Thankfully my friend and I are okay! If something had happened to her, I don't know what I would have done!

Questions:

1. What should I do with the car?
2. Why did the wheel break? Shouldn't it be able to survive a 360?
3. Anybody know any good body places in Southern California?
4. Any other advice?

Thanks for everyone's support!

NiravSS
(former SS) - 2000 SS #6471

Posted by 99 HOSS (Member # 109) on :

Just have your insurance agent take over. He should come out to appraise it and then the estimates and the work begin.

As far as the wheel, if it caught a rut or something while slidding sideways, it could break. And you wouldn't necessarily feel it.

Sounds like everything , except the possible bent axle, is superficial. If the car is 3 years new, then your entitled to all new parts, no used pieces.

Good luck.

Posted by Jim Mac (Member # 113) on :

quote:
Originally posted by NiravSS:
.....
Thankfully my friend and I are okay! If something had happened to her, I don't know what I would have done!
.....

You nailed it right on the head: this is far more important than any damage to your car. Cars can be replaced. I'm glad both of you are unhurt.

That's interesting that the spokes all broke away from the center of the rim - I've never heard of that. I would think that that shouldn't happen under any circumstances: you should make sure that your insurance agent or adjustor is informed about this. I would also bounce this off of the SLP Lounge Forum to get other people's input on this.

------------------
Jim Mac
'98 Silver SS #108

Posted by Mark IXZD 150 (Member # 235) on :

The wheel probably broke when it hit the divider wall.

Posted by Wreckman (Member # 890) on :

quote:
My tail hits the center divider and I bounce off, spinning in the other direction. The car does a 360 and I'm trying to regain control. My left rear tire breaks off completely during this time, and I realized this as the car just doesn't turn or move and has this scraping sound comeing off the rear axle.
The wheel is destroyed with all of the 10 spokes of the rim gone and the center hub still attached to the axle. The axle is bent.
Questions:
2. Why did the wheel break? Shouldn't it be able to survive a 360?
Thanks for everyone's support!
NiravSS
(former SS) - 2000 SS #6471[/B]

If the center divider was concrete, it is probably what is known as a Jersey Traffic Barrier. These devices are designed to channel traffic back to its own lane and have a wider and tapered bottom section. This would cause the wheel to stike ahead of the rest of the car and absorb the biggest part of the energy in the collision. A wheel failure is not uncommon under these circumstances. Another possibility depending on which variation of barrier was in use is the tire being knocked from the rim, with the wheel still intact, and the subsequent rotation of the vehicle allowing the rim with no tire to catch in an expansion joint or roadway crack and cause the wheel to fail. In either of the two cases the forces would be much greater than the wheel was designed to take.

If I've told you how to build a watch when all you wanted was to know what time it is I appologize. It does seem that our cars do allow us to survive a crash rather well, by absorbing a great deal of the forces themselves. Good luck with your car and hopefully the police and insurance company will make note of the unsecured load that was the primary contributing factor in the accident.

Posted by NiravSS (Member # 778) on :

Thanks for all of your support and feedback! I really appreciate it. Wreckman: I appreciate your insights. I think the "Jersey Traffic Barrier" is exactly what I hit and that probably resulted in my wheel being destroyed. I'll see what the insurance person says today in regard to what is going to happen with the repairs.

NiravSS

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