A-arm bolt breaks, front wheel falls off...
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Registered User
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 11,798
From: Plano, TX
If the stud broke, there may have an ill-fit of the ball joint stud into the spindle (like one being wallowed out or something).
Upon replacement, make sure the studs fit well into the spindles and do not wobble with the nut on finger tight. It is possible the spindle may need replacing.
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Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,665
From: Maryland
Had a similar situation many years ago in a 71 T-Bird. I was driving down a country road doing about 40 mph, approaching a sharp left turn that required me to slow to about 25 mph and when I was just getting into the tunrn, BAM.....the RF of the car dropped to the ground, I lost all steering and the car was headed right toward a pole. I got the car stopped just inches from the pole. The problem was the lower ball joint stud broke in half and the wheel assembly kicked back and up into the wheelhouse. I knew a guy at a towing company and he towed the car home for me. Jumped into my other car and got a new ball joint and was back on the road within 90 minutes of the incident. Only damage was a bent lower fender. The ball joint was the factory one so no telling what happened. I sold the car about 6 months later and that guy drove it for a few years before he slammed it into a pole after a big night out at the bar. I guess my near brush with the pole was a sign of things to come for that car.
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 388
From: Crosby, TX
That same thing happened to me back in 1985 when I was 16yrs old driving my first car (1972 cutlass supreme) I just dropped my girlfriend off and when I got home I got out of my car I noticed the wheel was at a very odd angle. After further inspection I found the bolt had snapped. I told my girlfriend at the time and she said "Yeah it looked kind of funny after you dropped me off"
Anyways, could have been much worse. It seems to obviously be a high stress area where regular inspection or maybe changing the bolts may be required.
Anyways, could have been much worse. It seems to obviously be a high stress area where regular inspection or maybe changing the bolts may be required.
It was 1983 for me, and I was 17, and I was in my first car, a '72 Cutlass Supreme Convertible (which I still have). I was heading into Houston to get a stereo installed, about a 35-mile drive. About 12 blocks away from my house, BOOOM!!! and the right front of my car drops to the ground! The car didn't even have but maybe 55,000 miles on it at the time.
Hmmm.... I may just go ahead and change those bolts out again....
Lee
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