I in my 30 years of restoring and driving, I have never seen or experienced anything like this in a front end suspension:
Driving friday and went over a small depression at low speed, when I heard a quick thump. Nothing else, everything seemed ok. The ride home from the thump was about 70 miles. No probs, car seemed to track fine
Got home, and my wife said my drivers side wheel looked pigeon toed (bottom of wheel too far out). It was, big time
Raised car on lift.....
The drivers side upper control arm: The upper ball joint had jumped right out of where it screws in and seats in the upper a arm.
The ball joint was sitting about 2 inches or so above where it should seat into the upper a arm. The only thing holding it in anykind of place was the upper ball joints crown nut holding it on the lower spindle.
Upon removal, the upper ball joint threads, and the upper a arm threads that hold it in place, were completely stripped out.
Not sure how it happened, but I guess the original a arm (original to the car) had finally just wore the threads out over time, and a very slight wobble got worse and worse until the threads just gave out. (And I just rebuilt the entire front end, new ball joints/bushings, not a year ago)
Ill bet the threaded metal on the a arm was soft and already worn, (I just didnt catch or look for it), or maybe I over-tourqued the upper ball joint in place (Very soft stamped metal we are dealing with here)
I had been feeling a vibration, drivers side, that seemed to be in/around the drivers right fender area, while driving that I couldn't isolate or completely eliminate over the last 300-500 miles or so (A whole other post).
I replaced both upper a arms this weekend. Haven't drove it yet, but Ill bet that vibration is now completely gone : Ill know when I go for a new alignment this week
I cant believe I didn't feel any kind of drift in the steering when driving home after that thump and with that serious pigeon toe
Anyone else experience this?
