12-07-2012, 03:15 PM | #1 |
Private
14
Rep 79
Posts |
Unibody/subframe Damage?
Hey guys, i'm a first time poster but have been a long time follower on this forum. This is a bit of a long story but i suppose it's got to start somewhere..
i picked up my 2013 335xi m-sport this fall (late september) and she's been a joy to drive since! The only issue is i made a real stupid mistake early October when i drove my car through a milled section of the road. The road in question at the time didn't have any construction signs so i wasn't aware. After this i went back to the road and checked out the milled section of the road and there was probably a 4" drop from the milled section to the actual road surface. As a result of all this, I got a damaged tire (bulge in the sidewall), bent rim, and now supposedly a bent steering knuckle from this damage. All the parts are being repaired/replaced by my BMW dealer, however i'm worried about the impact of the damage to the rest of my car's components. I hit the milled section of the road at around 80-100km/h (50-62mph for our imperial friends) so i believe it's consistent with the damage to my wheel, tire and suspension, however my real question is; could there be possible unibody/subframe damage to the car as a result of this? I'm currently having my dealer check all the suspension and chassis components, however i'm super paranoid now that there's more that is damaged and my worst fear is that i ended up damaging the unibody/subframe. Anybody care to weigh in on this with their experiences? I know that this car also has an aluminum/steel body so it should theoretically be less susceptible to these kind of things, is this true? |
12-07-2012, 04:45 PM | #5 |
Private
14
Rep 79
Posts |
|
Appreciate
0
|
12-07-2012, 04:48 PM | #6 |
BimmerPost Supporting Vendor
171
Rep 1,397
Posts |
|
Appreciate
0
|
12-07-2012, 05:12 PM | #7 |
Member
55
Rep 249
Posts |
|
Appreciate
0
|
12-07-2012, 05:19 PM | #8 |
Colonel
485
Rep 2,197
Posts |
heartbreaking isnt it? i did the same thing as you, just on a lesser scale
i might be paranoid, but i think i hear a very little rattle at the beginning of acceleration. Not sure if its a interior noise or a engine/chassis noise.. but for now I'm gonna let it slide and turn the music on |
Appreciate
0
|
12-07-2012, 05:36 PM | #9 |
Private First Class
5
Rep 121
Posts |
Sorry to hear that.
Calgary roads can certainly be complete garbage, in far too many places. Calgary roads, construction and traffic are some of the reasons I'm happy to be near rather than in Calgary. |
Appreciate
0
|
12-07-2012, 07:53 PM | #10 | |
Lieutenant Colonel
349
Rep 1,684
Posts |
Quote:
|
|
Appreciate
0
|
12-08-2012, 04:13 AM | #11 | |
Banned
205
Rep 7,298
Posts |
Quote:
|
|
Appreciate
0
|
12-23-2012, 02:26 AM | #12 |
Private
14
Rep 79
Posts |
so i finally got the car back from the shop after almost a month, the dealer had diganosed some issues with the alignment that couldn't be corrected so they had to replace the wheel hub and the swivel bearing camber.
The alignment was corrected to the factory specs after the parts in question were replaced, however i noted there was some ominous line in the service record saying that more parts may need to be replaced. Do you guys think there are further suspension or subframe/unibody damages? I'm taking my car into a body shop next week but i'm wondering if i should get another shop to check out my suspension. The dealer tech also noted there were no visible suspension damages however it didn't go into detail what they checked. What do you guys think? |
Appreciate
0
|
12-23-2012, 04:31 AM | #13 |
Lieutenant Colonel
54
Rep 1,544
Posts |
If the alignment is correct then u're fine, cos if there are any damage still exist then the alignment will be off.
Visually if the suspension parts are straight & not kinked then they're not damaged (the steel ones are easy to see cos they're all U-sectioned). The subframe is much stronger than items such as tie rods & camber links, those will bend/break before the subframe does. I think the most important thing is how it drives. If the alignment is all correct then the car should track & brake straight on a level road. Also take note of the tyre wear pattern, the alignment is off if there's uneven wear on any of the wheels. |
Appreciate
0
|
12-23-2012, 06:41 AM | #14 |
Brigadier General
101
Rep 3,566
Posts
Drives: F30 M-Sport 328i Estoril Blue
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Melbourne Australia
|
Which suburb did you do that in? Or was it on the terrible Western Ring Road roadworks?
__________________
328i M-Sport, Estoril Blue, Carbon XP 35 Tint, front heated seats, black Dakota, Sports Suspension, Anthracite Headliner, HUD, Pro Nav, Sunroof, hk 600w, Bi-Xenon, 19" 403M wheels, Reversing Camera, DAB+, Xenon, BT Ext Connect, MST turbo intake pipe, MST Cold Air Intake, JB4 on Map 2 with Catless DP produces awesome performance in Sport.
|
Appreciate
0
|
12-23-2012, 07:00 AM | #15 |
Colonel
485
Rep 2,197
Posts |
|
Appreciate
0
|
12-23-2012, 02:26 PM | #16 |
Brigadier General
101
Rep 3,566
Posts
Drives: F30 M-Sport 328i Estoril Blue
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Melbourne Australia
|
Oh, ok. Very nice place. Need to change your location description in user settings. Cheers.
__________________
328i M-Sport, Estoril Blue, Carbon XP 35 Tint, front heated seats, black Dakota, Sports Suspension, Anthracite Headliner, HUD, Pro Nav, Sunroof, hk 600w, Bi-Xenon, 19" 403M wheels, Reversing Camera, DAB+, Xenon, BT Ext Connect, MST turbo intake pipe, MST Cold Air Intake, JB4 on Map 2 with Catless DP produces awesome performance in Sport.
|
Appreciate
0
|
12-23-2012, 02:46 PM | #17 |
Brigadier General
1588
Rep 4,553
Posts |
Can you file a claim with your local/province government? In the USA each State has risk management and they handle road claims on a case by case basis. Many are turned down, but its worth a try. Also, if construction was underway and the contractor did not place appropriate signage they may be liable. At least that's the way it works in most US States. May be too late in your case since the claim is over 1 month ago. You can always try. If not, I hope your auto insurance covers and doesn't jack your rates.
BTW, ask dealer for alignment report. Also ask to see shop foreman and ask him what that line means about possibly needing more parts. |
Appreciate
0
|
12-23-2012, 07:06 PM | #18 | |
Private
14
Rep 79
Posts |
Quote:
I have the alignment specs from the BMW kinematics machine, however i'm not the most knowledgable in suspension so i dont know what all the numbers mean. The service manager did say that all the alignment specs were within factory standards so i assume all is well? |
|
Appreciate
0
|
12-23-2012, 07:28 PM | #19 | |
Brigadier General
1588
Rep 4,553
Posts |
Quote:
Your local gov't should pound sand. They work on roads and let people drive on them in conditions that will damage their car. Idiots. What does Canada law say about liability for road work and citizen vehicle damage? |
|
Appreciate
0
|
Post Reply |
Bookmarks |
|
|