First Time....my diesel left me stranded (sorta)
 

300SD...
Here is the skinny,

Was driving home from work on I-5 south...mergeing into an exit thing to continue on I-5 South. I was running the inside of the corner (as I usually do) turning slightly left and just barely caught the edge of a drain grate (saw it...wasn't enough to feel it).

Anyway after that instant. All hell broke loose. The wheel started shaking and had I not been going straight, would not have been able to maintain control. Was defintely in the steering...so I downshifted and tried to merge over into the right lane...all the cars that were pissed at me for actaully MOVING at the speed limit and put on my flashers...crippled at the side of the road in not enough room.

I watched the mirror and hopped out at first chance to have a look over things...all looked well...tires inflated...sorta straight...nothing bent, stuck, or broken. (Or so I thought)

I continued driving (about 45-55mph in the right lane behind some slow people) and exited as soon as I could. Pulled into a store parking lot...well tried to...my car was pulling so hard to the right that I could barely get in there...was nosing hard.

Got out and looked again...drivers side wheel was pointed in about 20 degrees while passenger was straight ahead. GAH! :mad:

Long story made shorter, continued to taco bell for some dinner (not much furthur and at low speeds) and inspected with help of friends dead flashlight. Found out a bolt was missing from the arm that the tie rod connects to on the drivers side. Its one of the bolts that is easily confused for a caliper retaining bolt and I imagine I loosened it in the past and retightened...but apparently not enough.

Bolt gone, I decided to call it quits, espically when my car almost spun its tires VS. moving forward against the heavy toe in. Called AAA+, and they towed it home.

Now it sits in the drive, awaiting a new arm deal (the old one was hold in by the remaining bolt and thank goodness it did not break...espially while I was driving just 30 seconds ago at about 85 around a corner on the freeway.

I will snag one at the yard, and two more correct bolts. I figure why cut corners and try to reuse the bent one when it held out for so long and basically saved my life/semi-good health. :D ;)

So technically it made my trip difficult, but I guess I was not stranded. And to think...I just changed the oil 200 miles ago :)

Pictures tomorrow with the daylight...

Charmed
 

Lucky,Lucky,Lucky!

"Glad the E.R. physicians didn't get a chance "To brighten up your Day".

Oh I know...I have pretty good strokes of luck when it comes to things like this...like putting both hands on the wheel for no reason just before this happened...I almost never drive with both hands when below 95...

I heart quality german steel :)

I think after all the effort/time/love I put into my bug and it failed me, the other german cars I own are trying to cheer me up. :) (Or scare the crap out of me)

Yeah...glad the worst didn't happen as it could easly have.

Funny thing is I have had gut feelings something was wrong before a problem reared its head like yours did....and a lot more than once.

Here are some photographs...

...btw I did not touch the steering wheel between the two wheel pictures :eek:!!!

Basically allowed the wheel to be wobbled/severly towed in however much it pleased...

This picture taken on the 200mile drive I just was leaving work after...

with the photos I can see exactly how that happened.....luckily no other harm was done.

Wow you got lucky!:eek:

It could happen to anyone. I don't remember how many times I would be on I-95 right after suspension work and between to tractor's thinking "did I double check that bolt":o

Sunday night I pulled my snow car (4wd Subaru wagon) into the garage for oil change and to look at the front end. I don't drive it often anymore-prefering the 300SD-but I had noticed a scary tendency to veer right when I let off the gas. We were due for a good dump of snow Monday, and I wanted to make sure it was safe to take into the mountains. When I jacked it up I could move the tire back and forth more than an inch on the vertical axis. The tierod end was stripped; the only thing holding me on the road was the cotter pin. Not quite as scary as the thread starter, but worthy of an honorable mention on "Pucker Factor" I think!

Damn!!

That one would have got me a bit too. I keep stainless steel safety wire in the trunk for any roadside emergency repairs...though if that fell out I bet it would be more than a "roadside repair"...more like a salvage heh

Glad you caught it early.

You busted out a camera and took a picture of your dash while going 100+!? Thats crazy! you're gonna kill yourself.

I had a similar incident when my sway bar broke off from the knuckle link. 17 New England coastal winters will do it eventually, afterall.

100 + mph is easy to do in a W126. Its just as easy to hold the camera steady and to fall asleep if the road's wide enough.

FWIW, I hit 100 + mph, I'd say at least every other day. Look for either a black 350SDL(borrowing) or a blue 300SDL. Maybe my 300SE in the passing lane of I95 Southbound between exits 60 and 50(MASS) chasing down a rabbit.

Yeah I know how this goes...its just uncommon becuase you don't often see a 300SD doing it too!! :)

The freeway was empty and its flat, empty, and anything thats gonna run onto the road you will see in advance. Obviously I was not lining up the shot...just quick snapped it and set it down :)

Its all fixed now...picked up a used arm from the wrecking yard and installed with the two bolts from it. I figure that other bolt has done enough work for its lifetime :)

Looks like it had been loose for sometime...I blue locktited and used the 18inch breaker bar 1/2 drive to make it "tight" but of course not "too tight"

Should work just dandy. :)

hardest part was getting the tie rod end off without using the pickle fork...used the press instead. :)

If you were going much faster you may have lost all steering controll. That was a close one.!