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Wheel bent inwards, hit ditch.

26K views 44 replies 15 participants last post by  Showbread50 
#1 ·
So I slid into a ditch while loose gravel was on the road, and it bent my wheel inwards like so:

Later after looking at it I found that the endlink and control arm were gone, so I replaced both of them. However, it is still bent inwards a little bit. did I bend a tie rod or somthing? Help! Here's what it looks like now:
 
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#3 ·
Yeah i'm afraid something else is bent. I smashed it pretty hard but thought the control arm took most of the force. I don't have a camber kit or anything and i'm just dropped on a 1inch aspec drop. Can they fix the camber that much? I'm afraid to drive to far but the nearest shop is like 30 mins from here. After I try fixing myself I planned on getting a good aligment anyway
 
#11 ·
Oh try taking some pics of the back of hub, by turning the wheels all the way right and taking a pic from the front of the car, and also the same from the back except with wheels turned left.

If it were me I'd take a ton of pictures of all parts of the subframe including mounts so people with a known to be normal car can compare if they've got the drive and goodwill to do so.
 
#15 ·
on the strut tower of the damaged side, do the three bolts look parallel or do they point in different directions?


else, your probably looking at frame damage. time for a trip to a body shop regardless
 
#16 · (Edited)
So you think subframe damage if not the shock? I will look if they are parallel later on, I have access to a subframe to buy. Is it to hard to install? I hope its not the shock cause I don't think you can buy just one aspec shock.

And I wanted to try and fix it myself and then take it to get a good alignment
 
#18 ·
Your knunkle needs to be replaced. The impact was hard enough to bend the lower ball joint which is why its positive camber. Also if that's not the case, did you order a base control arm by mistake? Type s control arms are longer
 
#19 · (Edited)
Alright, I got the control arm used and and said it was for a type s just asked him... Are you sure there is a difference than front base control arms? I'll go ahead and order a knuckle after I figure out that.could a bad knuckle cause that much camber?




Compare both sides(passenger and driver side) and see if the shocks look like they are in the same position and if they aren't then maybe you bent the shock somehow cause honestly everything else looks good to be just that your passenger shock looks like its out of place. Hope this helps man and goodluck with it :thumbsup:
Thanks will do!
 
#20 ·
IMO, the knuckle is cast and it is very unlikely that it is bent. The ball joint would come mounted in the LCA and most likely came in the junkyard one that you installed. If the strut was bent, it would either have to be the rod, which would really cause severe drivability probs or the strut mounting and your pics don't show anything although you should look very closely at the strut mounting and make sure. Get it up and take both front wheels off and compare closely to the other side. My bet is the sub frame is bent. Again, compare both sides measuring carefully and you will find it.
 
#22 ·
Thanks guys, yeah gonna start looking for body shops maybe even go to Honda shop if not to expensive? I just noticed something while looking at my pictures, in this pic, look at the bar below the radiator, looks like its bent. Will check for sure tomorrow when I go home.

But what is that bar? Car totaled? :(
 
#23 ·
I think that bar is called the front sub frame but I'm not too sure and don't worry your car isn't close to being totaled so don't think that. I still think it might have to do something with the shock cause I'm pretty sure that pot hole blew your shock. Try to play around with your shock and push the piston down and if your piston doesn't come back up on its own then your shock is blown. And also check if your A-Spec springs aren't broken
 
#25 ·
More than likely its the strut assembly. Can't be the steering knuckle looking at the pics. Like mentioned above, remove the strut, and do a visual inspection. Could be that the 3 studs on your top hat are bent or something. Also how is your steering wheel. Turn it so that the A or H (whatever you have) symbol on steering wheel is centered and examine your wheels. Worse to worse comes you might need a new subframe.
 
#26 ·
Ok so control arm is good I beleive, while looking just then though, I found this:

under the radiator

Also noticed this was higher than the drivers side:

Drivers:

Tear on the left side near shock

Tell me what you guys think
 
#27 · (Edited)
Bingo! We found out the problem. Don't worry about your radiator support being bent right now, your gonna need a new top hat for your shocks, and most likely a new passenger side shock(can get them for like $100 at a local autozone) and your gonna have to fix that dent somehow where the top mount bolts on too. But at least we found the problem right and the good thing is that new oem Top mounts cost like $30 and your gonna have to hammer that dent back in somehow maybe a body shop can fix that.
 
#28 ·
all those things you just found screams "this car needs to be straightened out on a frame bench".

hammering the dent does not fix the problem. That problem being that the whole upper and lower front clip on that side has been shifted.
 
#29 ·
^ this

and the lower radiator support is welded on. It can be replaced but it would need to be welded

If the strut tower is bent like that, the wheel won't align, and the radiator support are bent you definitely bent the frame

EDIT: and the engine does *not* need to be removed when replacing the subframe...
 
#32 ·
OK So update, they say they can try to pull it out (but can't gatentee that will work) for 400. Or they can get a new engine cradel(or subframe I guess?) For 770 installed. They said it didn't look bent up top but its all down low. What do yall think? Buy a used subframe and do it myself? Or let shop do it for 770. They won't let me bring in a engine cradel either they have to get one for 375 but I can get it cheaper.
 
#34 ·
TS I'd have them pull it. The body is definitely bent regardless, I'm 100% sure of this from your pics (the lower rad support and the top of the strut tower)

Then, if you need the subframe replaced do it yourself but either way that body needs to be straightened out
 
#35 ·
I took it to another body shop and they said knuckle was defiantly bent and needs to be replaced first, so he ordered one and I installed it. Wheel is pretty much visualy straight now but it still looks more sunk in than the other side and the toe looks a little off. Gonna either try to get a alignment and if not gonna have to get that subframe and maybe some pulling. I'll post pics and update.
 
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