30 replies to this topic

[Burgerdale]

Hi all,
Approaching a bend I had a sudden loss of breaking and steering which put me up an embankment and into a hedge.
Thanks the everyone at barnsley mini club who rallied round to help.
From a line on the road it looks like a ball joint has gone and cause the caliper to move with the disc and take out the tie bar.
The question id like to ask is in that situation, what is the most appropriate reaction? Ie, gear down, brake harder, handbrake etc.
I know there isnt a definitive answer but if a discussion and a thread can help anyone in the same situation not be a passenger I think it's worthy.

[jb93]

Glad to hear you're okay. As for my reaction, I think I'd be something along the lines of OH ****!!!!!

[petehuws]

Why do ball joints break like this?  Is it because the ball becomes solid in the cup resulting in the shaft snapping?  Is this from lack of greasing?  One would expect them to get looser & sloppier rather than tighten up (assuming correct maintenance is performed).  Glad you're OK Burgerdale....

[mk3 Cooper S]

Off the brakes and little steering movements if it is a straight road.

 

If you are approaching a bend you need to get speed off the best you can and aim at the softest landing point.

 

Can break from lack of maintainance or overtighening

Edited by mk3 Cooper S, 28 November 2013 - 11:09 AM.

[welshdan]

this happened to my old man last year, at 70mph on a duel carriage way!

 

the actual hub gave way - the threaded part snapped off inside the ball joint.

[Ethel]

It's not the first, perhaps we can have some close up photos or even arrange to have it analysed? Is its origins known?

 

As for the best course of action, chances are there's very little you can do. Steering towards the damaged side and coasting to halt would be the best way to keep it from ploughing into the ground, but that's unlikely to be practical unless you're luck enough to be in the middle of a deserted car park. You're also unlikely to be aware there's a problem until you're digging a groove in tarmac, you could try braking but there's a fair chance the hydraulics have already been ripped off.

 

 

Welshdan,

 

Can you say with any certainty that was the cause or just an effect of the remnants hitting the road at speed?

[mk3 Cooper S]

this happened to my old man last year, at 70mph on a duel carriage way!

 

the actual hub gave way - the threaded part snapped off inside the ball joint.

Happened to me in the 80's, Analysis determined thet it had been overtightened

[Fast Ivan]

glad your ok, that's the main thing.

 

I'd be interested to know the history of the ball joint, lots of discussion on them be over tight, poor quality, lapping etc. etc.

Have they been replaced recently?

[firstforward]

The appropriate action is to crap yourself, inspect the damage, then find out who supplied/makes the ball joint.

[Burgerdale]

Only had it a couple of weeks. The ball joint itself is shattered, im not sure if its from the resulting crash though.
There is a long groove in the road that is a straight line to where I hit the hedge.
Its starts where there is a change of surface.
We had to drive through an area with new and the harshest square edged speed bumps ive been over in a long time that day too. I suspect that had something to do with it. They were too close together to fir through and even though I slowed to a crawl they were still harsh.

[Burgerdale]

Not checked the extact date of the mot certificate yet but the tax runs out in feb so its maximum 8 month since it had one.
Thank god for roll cages.

[cal844]

i double checked the tightness of the balljoints, when i buy my cars and also before an MOT when i take the wheels off and wash the arches etc and have a good look at all components 

[sledgehammer]

When you look at the state of the roads it isn't a surprise 

 

I wish they would fill the pot holes with the speed bumps

 

as to the fault - maintenance / poor quality parts / too tight / too loose , there are many reasons

 

that area of the car does take a battering , with heavy shock loading

 

In a perfect world ...

If that happened to me I would use the brakes (to light the brake lights) , yank on the hand brake (should be un affected)

and try to steer with the remaining good wheel to a soft spot , where there is lots of soft fluffy things

 

In reality ...

stomp on the partly deflated brake pedal (assuming brake pipe gone), forget anything wise and safety related , & cry 'MUMMY'

 

glad your ok

Edited by sledgehammer, 28 November 2013 - 12:26 PM.

[mini13]

Pics of the broken bits?

[adam26y]

I've had it happen to me in my postvan, the joint had seized not given any noise away. Then it snapped clean through the shaft. 20 seconds earlier or later I'd been doing 60 on little country lanes, luckily it was in a 30mph housing bit. Glad ur okay and hopefully won't have to go through it again.