FocusCanada Forums

So a couple nights ago im driving home from work, its about 12:30 at night, not soul anywhere. Im going about 80 km/h and these guys in a truck pull up beside me honking the horn. I look over and this guy has the window down with this i just smoked 6 pounds of weed face and waving like a goon.

So i give him the head nod and show him the peace symbol. Well these guys just keep driving beside me for like 2 km, honking the horn and waving. So i get annoyed and speed up a bit, and by the looks of it, they gave up. So im going rougly 100 km/h (in a 80 i belive) and coming up on a light thats green and heading to go through it. I see this truck coming speeding up beside me in the far lane on the left, and just as he gets pass me, he swerves like hes trying to hit me dilberatly.

He came so close to my car, that i thought he already was gonna hit it, when i pulled the wheel to avoid him. I hit the brake as i swerve right and my car just slides sideways.

Im now sliding through the green light sideways, at a good speed, heading for the divider, and traffic light pole. And ill tell you the truth, its like i saw my life flash before my eyes. Sort of, all i saw was my ex-girlfriend, my brothers, and my best friend. I then just started turning the wheel as fast as i could. Just before i hit that median (im sliding right) my car snapped back left, and i ran into the median/curb head on and launched off it. I know i got some air.

I sat there in my car. With just the thought that my car is totalled. The guys in the truck went through the light and disappeared. Never got the plate, just an old brown rusted truck, which is common around here.

But when i got out, all i could see was a flat tire. Thank god, it could have been much worse, like me dead!!

So anyways...ill get some questions out of the way.

I filed a police report, they will try, not keeping my hopes up.
Insurance wont cover it. Why? Cuz i dont have it, my temporay card i had ran out last week, and i was due this week for it to be inspected for insurance here. Thats a lesson learned.

So i get the donut on the car, and drive it, and the steering is messed up.
In order to drive straight, i have to steer a bit right.
Thats what it looks like driving.
and my new mad tyte shoes.


Not to mention my sunroof is messed, i guess the impact from hitting the curb, got it off the track. And im pretty sure my rim is bent.

So what could be the cause of the steering, im hoping an alignmnet, but i heard it could be a strut, control arm, or bent frame :o which if it is, my car is done. And i just through everything out the window.

Sorry for the long post, had to vent, any help is appreciated.

my bet is tie rod... my buddy smacked the curb with his wagon in the winter and all that was bent was his tie rod.

holy crap, that sucks, good to see your alright

It's not a bent frame. Tie rod ends would break, tie rods would bend, and control arms would crunch long before your frame does.

However, forgive me if I feel no sympathy, as although it's not your fault -- this is what insurance is for. Assholes with no respect for anyone else on the road.

Good luck and I hope you get this matter sorted out with minimal damage to your wallet, but chalk this up to a lesson learned about driving without insurance.

well u obviously have to go to an alignment shop to see what are the damages to the front as well as the back. as for the steering, i think its what Steve had said. Most likely bent tie rods, they are the weakest link. they shouldnt cost must to replace.

best of luck to you and I'm glad that you are alright

Mo

I hate to sound like an ass, but why didn't you slam on the brakes while going in a straight line? It's easier to brake and drop right behind the dick, especially if he's in a pickup, than to attempt some derring-do maneuver at speed.

You were going too quick for a turn / maneuver like that with those tires, obviously. I've tried on more than one occasion to break my Focus loose like that without luck. You must have either been moving, or really reefed on the wheel.

At least you're in one piece, dude.

:blink: Geez at least you're okay but man that's messed up and then some...

Those dudes were probably higher than kites and you're the one who suffers for it, sucks :angry:

NefCanuck

This happened, ohhh let me guess, on the West Side of the city..... perhaps on Idylwyld? Just guessing.....

Just be glad things weren't worse.....

Fingers,Jul 12 2005, 04:20 PM Wrote:It's not a bent frame.  Tie rod ends would break, tie rods would bend, and control

However, forgive me if I feel no sympathy, as although it's not your fault -- this is what insurance is for.  Assholes with no respect for anyone else on the road. 

Good luck and I hope you get this matter sorted out with minimal damage to your wallet, but chalk this up to a lesson learned about driving without insurance.
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Im glad your alright man just like every one eles but I have to agree with finger's there.
Hope its cheap to fix. :angry:

I expect no sympathy, get that out of the way. Whatever can go wrong will go wrong. The days surrounding the incident, i was working both jobs, from 9 am to 12 am...so i needed a car to get back and forth on time. Bad choice on my part.

To tell you the truth i dont know why i reacted like that. Like i said he was already so close to hitting me, that i though that he already did, and my first instinct was to steer away. Its one of those things where you sit down afetrwards and say "why didnt i just do this..."

So ill chalk up 2 lessons learned.

S2,Jul 12 2005, 08:31 PM Wrote:This happened, ohhh let me guess, on the West Side of the city..... perhaps on Idylwyld?  Just guessing.....

Just be glad things weren't worse.....
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Right on the nose...

Glad you're alright.


Get to a proper alignment shop and have them inspect for you.

I here OK Tire on 8th does good work.

I'm soooo sorry to hear that! Totally sucks.
Good thing to hear your okay though!

sorry to hear that... but if you did get air when you hit the median then chances are something could be bent ... and make sure they check the frame just to be safe

sorry to hear that man.. i totally feel your pain working those long hours.. i am glad i have never encounted anything like that before on the way home at least.. i hope those guys get what's coming to them..

before you start spending money.. start with the basics first.. move your back tires to the front, get a full sized wheel to replace that donut, get an alignment done and see what happens from there

i slide my integra into a guardrail going like20mph in the wet and i had that steering pull and vibration too and i thought i messed up a ton of stuff for sure... i got an alignment, moved the wheels that were on the rear to the front, got the azenis sport it just order put on the car.. bam.. back to normal.. if it wasn't for the scuffing on the bumper i wouldn't even know it happend.. hope it works out the same for you!!

Phil .. its normal man ..

When my car was all done a guy swerved into my lane on bloor and almost sideswiped me, I drove to the side purposely to avoid him and protect the car and went into a curb and bent a tie rod.

No biggy.. happens to all of us.

Thanks for the advice guys.

Im going to order some new tires ( i was already planning it anyways)...and get an alignmnet done hopefully soon, and see what happens. I hope its not too bad, but thats life i guess...kick ya in the nuts when your down.

hope ya get it all fixed properly.

FociPhil,Jul 12 2005, 08:10 PM Wrote:So a couple nights ago im driving home from work, its about 12:30 at night, not soul anywhere. Im going about 80 km/h and these guys in a truck pull up beside me honking the horn. I look over and this guy has the window down with this i just smoked 6 pounds of weed face and waving like a goon.

So i give him the head nod and show him the peace symbol. Well these guys just keep driving beside me for like 2 km, honking the horn and waving. So i get annoyed and speed up a bit, and by the looks of it, they gave up. So im going rougly 100 km/h (in a 80 i belive) and coming up on a light thats green and heading to go through it. I see this truck coming speeding up beside me in the far lane on the left, and just as he gets pass me, he swerves like hes trying to hit me dilberatly.

He came so close to my car, that i thought he already was gonna hit it, when i pulled the wheel to avoid him. I hit the brake as i swerve right and my car just slides sideways.

Im now sliding through the green light sideways, at a good speed, heading for the divider, and traffic light pole. And ill tell you the truth, its like i saw my life flash before my eyes. Sort of, all i saw was my ex-girlfriend, my brothers, and my best friend. I then just started turning the wheel as fast as i could. Just before i hit that median (im sliding right) my car snapped back left, and i ran into the median/curb head on and launched off it. I know i got some air.

I sat there in my car. With just the thought that my car is totalled. The guys in the truck went through the light and disappeared. Never got the plate, just an old brown rusted truck, which is common around here.

But when i got out, all i could see was a flat tire. Thank god, it could have been much worse, like me dead!!

So anyways...ill get some questions out of the way.

I filed a police report, they will try, not keeping my hopes up.
Insurance wont cover it. Why? Cuz i dont have it, my temporay card i had ran out last week, and i was due this week for it to be inspected for insurance here. Thats a lesson learned.

So i get the donut on the car, and drive it, and the steering is messed up.
In order to drive straight, i have to steer a bit right.
Thats what it looks like driving.
and my new mad tyte shoes.


Not to mention my sunroof is messed, i guess the impact from hitting the curb, got it off the track. And im pretty sure my rim is bent.

So what could be the cause of the steering, im hoping an alignmnet, but i heard it could be a strut, control arm, or bent frame :o  which if it is, my car is done. And i just through everything out the window.

Sorry for the long post, had to vent, any help is appreciated.
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As long as your still standing it is good.

BTW, what is your suspension set up? I find it hard to believe a focus lost it at that low speed.