I was turning onto a small bridge today and my wheels locked, courtesy of a drizzly morning and new asphalt. I slid into the low wall on the edge of the bridge, hitting it pretty hard on the front left corner, shattering the corner of my bumper, denting a wheel rim, and blowing a tire.

Popped my spare on, and noticed that the wheel was no longer located correctly in the wheelhouse. It's been displaced so far to the rear that the tire rubs on the fender lower body panel.
I looked at the suspension, doesn't look like the LCA is bent—although it's hard to tell looking at it from the front. The sway bar is displaced about an inch to the rear, the inner bracket is bent, and the bar has slid in the outer bushing (I can see shiny metal on the bar). The alignment is also biffed; I have to turn the steering wheel about 20° right to keep the car heading straight.


I can't really drive it in this state, or I'll shred the tire in a matter of miles. The front eccentric on the LCA has quite a bit of scoot in the direction I would need to pull the wheel away from the fender. Would this be an acceptable fix just to get the car driving again, or do I risk screwing up the front alignment so badly as to cause further problems?

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RIP:
2011 E350 BlueTEC, Schwartz 81k (totaled by uninsured drunk driver)
1964 Unimog 404.1 (wrongfully towed by the city)
1994 E320, Brilliantsilber 208k (transmission shuffled off after sudden catastrophic fluid loss)
1982 300D, Silberblau under a blue repaint 256k (sold for parts)
1995 E320 Polarweiss, 131k (sold for parts)
1995 E300D Polarweiss, 287k (totaled by drunk driver)

I'd say an entire new LCA would be in your future.

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http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z...-RESIZED-1.jpg
1991 300E - 212K and rising fast...

Okto: Find a place that does "COLLISION REPAIR" in your area...NOT a body shop or paint shop...a "COLLISION REPAIR SHOP"...

They'll have the tools and expertise to straighten the front end out. Tell them, exactly, what speed you were going and the conditions of the "hit" and let them do the rest.

Also, ask around and check with truckers...they hit enough crap on the roads that they'll get you to an affordable/reputable place right away.

Good luck with the repair...I've got to wait at least 3 weeks before I can get mine in due to the hail damage we were inflicted with last Sunday afternoon...

Me? Not hail...just a schmuck in a parking lot...about $3K worth on read 1/4 panel...just missed nailing the DS door by....thissssss much!

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M. G. Burg
'10 - Dakota SXT - Daily Ride / ≈ 172.5K
.'76 - 450SLC - 107.024.12 / < .89.20 K
..'77 - 280E - 123.033.12 / > 128.20 K
...'67 - El Camino - 283ci / > 207.00 K
....'75 - Yamaha - 650XS / < 21.00 K
.....'87 - G20 Sportvan / > 206.00 K
......'85 - 4WINNS 160 I.O. / 140hp
.......'74 - Honda CT70 / Real 125
.
“I didn’t really say everything I said.”
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ Yogi Berra ~