18 replies to this topic

[DeadSquare]

Picture of car on recovery truck, this was the position of the rod post failure ,  

 

 

IMG_3401.JPG IMG_3401.JPG

 

 

I'd have tied that back in place with some "baler twine", and driven home.

[carbon]

Tonight I was driving along and on slowing down from c40mph heard a loud bang then the car veered to the side , pulled over and found my offside tie rod had come free with nut bush and washer gone! Thread stil dirty to the end so don’t think it backed off , simply seems to have failed catastrophicly! Has anyone seen this before, could have been nasty !

Good to hear you're OK, could have been much worse.

 

Can you please post close-up picture of the threaded front end of the nearside tie-rod, and also a similar picture of the offside tie-rod.

 

Struggling to understand how a nyloc nut would come undone.

[CityEPete]

Lots of confusion in this thread, excuse the pun.


The nut has come off that's all, either a non nylok nut was fitted or an incorrect one was fitted or reused to the point that the nylok wasn't locking anything.

[Spider]

Looking at your Photo, it's not the bolt that's broken or come out but the Nut at the front where the Caster Rod fastens in to the Subframe.

 

There should be some rubber bushes here, a 'captive' washer and a thick load bearing washer. The Nuts are normally a Nyloc and that's what the factory fitted, but personally, due to the very high loadings here(especially under brakes), I fit a 'normal' grade 8 Nut and a Lock Nut.

 

If yours has broken the end off the Caster Rod then usually that's from fitting Hard Rubber Bushes on both sides or in same cases, from Poly Bushes. Also, if it has broken it off, you'll need a new Caster Rod, it looks like yours are the (after market) adjustable types. I think you can only buy them as a pair and given what's happened here, I'd suggest replacing both as well as giving the whole front end a good looking over (or having it looked over by someone with long Mini experience).