Hit a kerb in the ice.....

[Ray Singh]

Taking my daughter to the doctors this morning and lost control at about 10mph. Car slammed into a kerb, with the passenger side front wheel taking the impact.
My car is a B6 shape Audi A4 with 16" 5 spoke alloys.

The alloy has been kerbed, but no other visable damage. The noise was tremendous, so how can i check if anything major has been damaged?

Would i have to get a laser alignment done?

Also - can anyone repair alloys?

[jaibk]

alignment doesn't cost much, and well worth it for peace of mind, as for the alloys, if you are close by:

http://www.wheelrefurbishing.co.uk/

they seem to do a lot of VAG wheels....

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

Worth getting the alignment checked. There will probably be an expert in the area. Shouldn't cost the earth either. Similarly there will be a wheel refurbisher.

[white90]

I'd suggest getting the car checked by a garage that can get the car in the air to check the underneath properly, my wife hit a kerb at walking pace side swipe and the resultant damage was well over £1500, wishbone, wheel,tyre, hub and a bit of body work where the wheel moved and caught it.

Edited by white90 on Thursday 2nd December 20:53

[bigdods]

My Mrs did the same in her Golf last year. Told me she had 'got away with it' but when I took it out for a quick test the steering felt vague. Put it up on the ramps at the Geo place and one of the steering arms was bent.

Suggest you get it to a proper geo place for an alignment check even if nothing is bent.

[poo at Paul's]

Alloys are repairable if the damage is kerbing style damage, but a side blow like that could easily have tweaked the wheel on its hub. But a specialist like BJV engineering will be able to tell you quickly if it is reparable, a bodyshop who will paint it may not be able to tell!

It's strange, a side blow like that can bend quite a lot of stuff, even the hub and uprights on audis are not that strong with uch a loading applied. Gets pretty pricey. But tbh, you should be able to tell yourself if there is any such damage. Take the front wheel off and measure from the hub face and them from the track rod end bolt to the chassis leg on the inside of the wheel well. Then do the same the other side, it should tell you if there is any damage or anything bent.

Hopefully it is just a wheel needing repair but I tweaked a steel wheel on the back of a Megane co car in a similar accident at lower speed. And the back end ws never quite rigth so I susspect i had bent the rear beam a bit too.

BTW you are not too far from BJV engineering up near Hemel. There is also Wheel In Motion not that far away either who are very good, and if there is something bent on the wheel I know they deal with BJV direct too.

Edited by poo at Paul's on Thursday 2nd December 20:57

[Jasandjules]

I would definately get it down to a garage to get it on the ramps to make sure all is well with the wishbones etc as you don't want something like that to let go.

[WhoseGeneration]

Ray Singh said:

Taking my daughter to the doctors this morning and lost control at about 10mph. Car slammed into a kerb, with the passenger side front wheel taking the impact.
My car is a B6 shape Audi A4 with 16" 5 spoke alloys.

The alloy has been kerbed, but no other visable damage. The noise was tremendous, so how can i check if anything major has been damaged?

Would i have to get a laser alignment done?

Also - can anyone repair alloys?

Get it checked, as others have said.
However, leave the wheel, as long as it isn't out of true or structurally damaged, until winter has passed.
Sod's law will apply.
Carefully check the tyre though.

[Ray Singh]

I was hoping that i had 'got away with it', but i will get it checked as soon as possible.

[EX51GE R]

happened to me as well today, citroen new berlingo van, resulted in a bent wheel,buggered tyre, bent lower wishbone/arm, bent track control arm, bent steering arm, new ball joint. Cost for all that plus labour and vat plus another front tyre to match new one £690.

[Jasandjules]

Ray Singh said:

I was hoping that i had 'got away with it', but i will get it checked as soon as possible.

Well, you might well have done. BUT if you didn't then you might end up far worse off when it eventually lets go.

Better safe that sorry is the bottom line.

[matt 2LT]

get it up in the air, so it can have a proper check over, it could have bent wishbones Etc.

i think the angle you mount the kurb makes quite a bit of difference.

i had a slight accident before the snow, where i lost the backend going around a sharp bend, ended up going up and over the kurb almost square on at 15-20MPH, it didn't even knock the tracking out of the BMW, although i did loose all the air ducts.