[Rolf]

Hi Everyone,

2015 Suzuki Jimny. FYI, terribly uneducated with mechanical things.

While backing out of a car park shortly before dark, my right wheel was stuck full to the right whilst the left was straight .. causing the right wheel to drag. The steering for the left wheel sort of works .. it seems to take a lot of turns to make it move somewhat? It doesn't seem to reach full lock(?). Looking behind the right wheel, there's something running across the car, a bar with a female threaded end hanging loose and a male connection of a similar size behind the tire with a nut about 8 inches up? I'm guessing that these should be screwed together? It looks like if I just lined the wheels up at the same angle and threaded the female end back onto the male connector (by rotating the bar) that the problem will be fixed?

I can freely turn the right wheel (with some effort) so obviously the steering is disconnected from that wheel? It seems like a fairly loose connection if I did make it so I was wary to "just try something" not really knowing what to do?

It was getting dark so I left it there in the grass by the side of the car park entrance to return tomorrow.

I'd appreciate any advice.

Thankyou.

[alien]

Sounds like a tie-rod end broke... But that is also terrifying. Imagine if that happened at highway speed!!!

[Rolf]

I guess that's the rod I was looking at? The tie rod end seems to have come out. The threading looks somewhat deformed. I wonder if it was caused by the suspension travel knocking at the tie rod as I was driving? There doesn't seem to be much clearance?

To get it back in, it looks like the whole hub(?) that the end is attached to will need to be removed? I don't think I'll be doing that myself.

[Fatzook]

Any chance you can take a pic? Sounds to me like the ball joint has fallen off the knuckle.

[missmyljdaze]

Rolf is in Kinglake Victoria - anyone nearby who can help??

[Rolf]

Dang .. I can't believe I forgot to take a photo.

The ball joint seems to be fine, but I wouldn't really know. It's kind of difficult to imagine the tie rod end deforming and coming loose though without the joint having some sort of problem.

Yes, I'm in Kinglake .. how did you know that miss ljdaze? .. is there a drawl to my speech? lol.

[Gwagensteve]

Aaaargh! I was in kinglake yesterday and had been for months but left yesterday.

[Rolf]

Gwagensteve wrote:

Aaaargh! I was in kinglake yesterday and had been for months but left yesterday.

My luck seems to be holding .. I'll have to keep an eye out of especially slippery clay, lol.

[missmyljdaze]

Rolf wrote:

Yes, I'm in Kinglake .. how did you know that missmyljdaze? .. is there a drawl to my speech? lol.

nah mate, I clicked on your name and it takes you to the page with some of your details.

giving a rough location can be a real advantage on this forum when you are looking for advice, calling for help or trying to sell stuff.


not trying to rub salt into the wounds - but Steve [one of the most knowledgeable and helpful blokes here] was twiddling his thumbs within spitting distance of you, when you first posted your steering woes on Saturday evening.
If you had used a heading like "steering broke in Kinglake Vic." you would most likely have been back on the road on Sunday morning.


With a bit of luck there might be someone else local to help [I hope]

All the best,

Stephen [Perth W.A.]

[Rolf]

Okay, thanks Stephen. I'll keep that in mind.

I've teed up a local mechanic to help me out. He seems to know what he's talking about. I'll get it towed up to his shop tomorrow. I'll see if he can cast a knowledgable eye over the rest of the vehicle while he's at it .. make sure someone hasn't loosened by brake lines or some other crazy thing that could kill me.