Smacked a curb auto xing... what could be damaged?

[eyehate]

I hit a 6" high curb with my right front and rear wheels doing around 15 going hard into a corner, the wheel was turned towards the curb when i hit.
Got a nice ding in the rim in front, none in back, but the tire went flat in the back.
I know the front right control arm is bent, what else could be messed up?
thanks in advance,
dan

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[MTP]

I bent my strut and tie rod when I did that this winter fooling in the snow in a parking lot.... (hit front wheel only, tho not both; thought I'd only knocked it out of alignment at first until I took it in....) Very low speed, very amazed there was so much damage and such a costly repair!!

Originally Posted by eyehate

I hit a 6" high curb with my right front and rear wheels doing around 15 going hard into a corner, the wheel was turned towards the curb when i hit.
Got a nice ding in the rim in front, none in back, but the tire went flat in the back.
I know the front right control arm is bent, what else could be messed up?
thanks in advance,
dan

[eyehate]

dang.... sorry to hear that. how much was it for all that?

[DrBiggly]

The control arms thankfully aren't terribly expensive. Possibly a strut, who knows.
Honestly if you aren't capable of uninstalling and reinstalling this stuff yourself, I'd put on the control arm then get it aligned. If it doesn't align properly, something else is bent and keep looking. If it does, then you're totally set.

Those arms weigh the exact same thing as the STi arm and have a built-in failure point so rally drivers often prefer them as it takes the abuse and doesn't damage the rest of the suspension.

-Biggly

[MTP]

about $800.00. All for a low curb at probably under 10 mph.

Fortunately I later decided to call my insurance company abt it, something that hadn't occurred to me at the time because when I took it in I thought I just needed re-alignment and they agreed cover it as a winter accident - retroactively, even. Kind of them (tho granted I've been with them for many years and have like no claims other than for stone-cracked windshields, they've more than made their bucks off me).

Originally Posted by eyehate

dang.... sorry to hear that. how much was it for all that?

[02subadrew]

i also did that being a dumbass this winter as well, except mine was at 20 mph and all the impact on the right front...i had some minor subframe damage, had to replace entire front right suspension, control arm, tie rod, rim, tire...after it was said and done...$1,800!!!!

needless to say, winter can blow me, and my car stays parked when the white stuff comes.

hope your's is not as severe, especially since it happened while you were not being a complete idiot like i was.

[MTP]

Not me - I was just a lot more careful abt how close I came to curbs, or tried to find places without, lol Nothin' beats gettin' out in the snow, when it's easier to slide and drift etc., to practice that "rally style" driving.... I love winter, and my car heads for the nearest big parking lot when the white stuff comes! Put up some cones and have at it! heh

Originally Posted by 02subadrew

i also did that being a dumbass this winter as well, except mine was at 20 mph and all the impact on the right front...i had some minor subframe damage, had to replace entire front right suspension, control arm, tie rod, rim, tire...after it was said and done...$1,800!!!!

needless to say, winter can blow me, and my car stays parked when the white stuff comes.

hope your's is not as severe, especially since it happened while you were not being a complete idiot like i was.

[eyehate]

there is a set of sti control arms fro pretty cheap locally.... should i just not do that and buy one new control arm for somewhere like subaruparts.com?

[Uncle Scotty]

Originally Posted by eyehate

there is a set of sti control arms fro pretty cheap locally.... should i just not do that and buy one new control arm for somewhere like subaruparts.com?

....regular arm....

Those arms weigh the exact same thing as the STi arm and have a built-in failure point so rally drivers often prefer them as it takes the abuse and doesn't damage the rest of the suspension.

[DrBiggly]

The only good thing about the STi arms are the nice stiffer rubber bushings in them. Really, you can pick those up separate (which is what I'd do if you really wanted stiffer bushings.) Beware, pressing bushings in can be time consuming and thus folks go with the STi arms for the bushings, but typically they are mistakenly thinking they are quite a bit lighter since they're aluminum.

-Biggly

[eyehate]

thanks alot for the information! should i be worried about anything in the rear as well? it pretty much just went straight over....

[Arnie]

I'm just concerned that there was a 6" high curb within smacking range on an autox course. the safety marshalls should have had something to say about that with the course designer. You could have just as easily flipped your car on the curb.

[eyehate]

it was a free auto x that a local church puts on every month

[BIGSKYWRX]

Actually the aluminum arms are ~ 1.5 lbs lighter/side- not a lot, but some. That's not the reason to go to aluminum arms though- the entire arm itself acts like a big bushing- forged aluminum is much stiffer than the oe steel bits and will deflect less.

BTW we are the only (NA) place that gets steel transverse links on the WRX- EDM's, ADM's, JDM's all get aluminum arms as oe (ofcourse our STi's get them).

The steel ones do crumple better and you can usually find one used (and cheap )

Replace the arm (or arms if you upgrade)- I've got a tutorial on scoobymods- it's a straight forward install. Get an alignment- pay close attention to differences left and right w/ caster and SIA- these will indicate if there are other pieces bent.

Good luck.

Big Sky

[eyehate]

thanks alot again! i did read your write up on scoobymods, great job btw. Ill see if i can find a used one around here somewhere :-)