Pop Quiz, hotshot!

(Note: This really did happen to me last week, and it was pretty scary. I was able to diagnose properly what happened during the ordeal. I'm sure the more experienced, such as Blue Bowtie, MT2500, etc will also pick up on this right away so they don't have to reply if they don't want!)

Suppose you're entering a freeway. You notice traffic is light, which is unusual for this part of freeway (and for which you will later be grateful for), so you punch it to gain speed quickly, and when safe to enter, you do. So, you come off of the on-ramp and switch into the first through lane. You straighten the wheel and the car keeps moving left, entering the next lane. Noticing the car is not behaving as it should, you apply a slight right-hand motion to the steering wheel to correct. The car now darts right. You bump the wheel to the left again to straighen up, the car overcorrects, and you now find yourself sliding nearly sideways while modulating the brake pedal to keep from totally losing control as well as bring the speed down to safely pull off the freeway.

What just happened?

The moral of the story? Don't assume that just because a part was new 3 years ago that it doesn't need to be inspected periodically.

No one is biting here, not knowing the vehicle ( the 88 c-1?) I would stab a ball joint.

No one is biting here, not knowing the vehicle ( the 88 c-1?) I would stab a ball joint.

I noticed that.

Nope, it was the -_-_- -_-.

Idler arm or pitman arm loose? My guess would be something along the drag link, but it could be other things as well, like the gearbox lash, rag joint, etc.

Idler arm or pitman arm loose? My guess would be something along the drag link, but it could be other things as well, like the gearbox lash, rag joint, etc.


You win the nachos!

http://www.silicon212.org/nachos.jpg

what happened?
did one end come loose?

The idler arm separated and that allowed the center link to do its own thing when I either turned the wheel or went straight. It didn't completely separate, there was still about 1/8" or so of the frame part that was still inside the socket. Therefore, I didn't completely lose steering ability, but it came damn close.

The idler arm separated and that allowed the center link to do its own thing when I either turned the wheel or went straight. It didn't completely separate, there was still about 1/8" or so of the frame part that was still inside the socket. Therefore, I didn't completely lose steering ability, but it came damn close.
Hey didn't you say it broke. LOL

You win the nachos!

http://www.silicon212.org/nachos.jpg

Oooh! Is somebody missing a chihuahua?

Hey didn't you say it broke. LOL

It came out in two pieces!

And no chihuahua, but there might be some mystery substance in there, hahaha ...