Tie rod snapped

[lowda9]

Has this happened to anyone else? My drivers side tie rod snapped while I was driving on the freeway and I lost control of the car. The car swerved to the right and then to the left into the median. This kind of mechanical failure was totally unexpected and dangerous.

 

[SteveS]

Scary. You have any enemies?

 

[TyphoonFiST]

How many potholes have you hit?

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[Ford ST]

I'm sorry that happened to you but it really does look like some prior damage.

My brother had a CV axle snap in half on his car in a parking lot odd shit does happen.

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[TyphoonFiST]

How's the rest of the car and You & passengers?

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[LionsTooth]

From the angles you shot it at, it appears to me that the rod is bent and broke on the threads. I would expect it to break at the threads. That's common with enough force. But the bend is not. Any idea how it got bent? That bend indicates the wheel likely took a hit to the back of the wheel (3 o'clock) placing the rod in compression/tension. A hit to the front of the wheel (9 o'clock) would snap it or bend/crumble the front arm of the lower control arm. Maybe this happened to a previous owner?

Glad, I assume by lack of mention, that no one was hurt.

 

[lowda9]

No passengers and no one got hurt. Needs a new bumper, grill, broken headlight tabs, and dented intercooler. I haven't done anything to it bodywork wise yet, but it's mobile now with new Moog inner tie rod and Moog tie rod end. I did hit the other side not too long ago and bent the tie rod there. That passengers side rod was replaced. My coworker said it could be stress from that hit.

 

[Intuit]

Someone may have backed into it sitting out on the street. They *NEVER* assume responsibility here, let alone stop. All of my Brother's trucks have been hit and my prior car got hit twice; one of the times literally with a two week old fender. Not unusual to see cars with driver-side dents. Happens so much I'll park around the corner just to avoid parking across from a driveway where it can happen.

Anyway, this car on stock geometery is *really* sensitive to poor alignment... you should've noticed different left vs right turning, bump-steer and/or a rough ride. If some 'chanic aligned it after the fact, they should've flagged that straight-away.

 

[PunkST]

Randomly happened to my moms 97 f150 in the driveway once. Just all of a sudden boop, both front wheels arent connected.

That said the bend may have happened as it was failing and splitting.

 

[kivnul]

The break looks rusty: how long between the accident and the photo was taken?

 

[slopoke]

I think that the bend ended up getting stress cracks and they propagated and formed a big crack and finally failed.

 

[lowda9]

The photos were taken 3 days after the accident. It happened Sunday and it didn't get on the hoist until Wednesday. I took the bumper off and the damage is worst than I thought. The rebar is damaged and the rad support is pushed in a little. I didn't want to make a claim, but I think I might. This car starting to give me headaches now; I just went to top off my coolant and the reservoir cap broke 😤

 

[PunkST]

Rad support is all plastic. It did what it was designed to do ( bust apart to deflect energy because pedestrian safety stuff) its easily replaced and re aligned. It more than likely saved the frame horns from getting bent up.

 

[Intuit]

Oh that's great news. One less thing that the excessive road salting will chew-up this Winter.

 

[M-Sport fan]

Oh that's great news. One less thing that the excessive road salting will chew-up this Winter.

Yeah, I wish that our actual honking heavy bumper (the steel thing UNDER the outer cover which is a rust magnet, front AND back) was made of some sort of honeycomb internal structure composite, to avoid the winter cancer, and maybe save a little weight.

 

[Alkoran]

Yeah, I wish that our actual honking heavy bumper (the steel thing UNDER the outer cover which is a rust magnet, front AND back) was made of some sort of honeycomb internal structure composite, to avoid the winter cancer, and maybe save a little weight.

Don't worry, after a few salty winters, it'll be swiss cheese and won't be as heavy as new . Natural weight saving!

 

[PunkST]

Yeah, I wish that our actual honking heavy bumper (the steel thing UNDER the outer cover which is a rust magnet, front AND back) was made of some sort of honeycomb internal structure composite, to avoid the winter cancer, and maybe save a little weight.

Could always figure out a euro nose swap. They dont have that big dumb beam. Dunno what they use instead. Maybe the intercooler? Maybe more plastic... Not sure to be honest.