Rear ended a Lexus

Johnrag3

Johnrag3

New member
On my way home from work yesterday I rear ended a Lexus. The rear bumper of the Lexus was pretty mangled but I had no visible damage. I hit the car with my front passenger side bumper and tire. I have an LoD bumper and 35s. After leaving the scene I noticed my steering wheel was about 90 degrees off center and the traction control light came on. It was a little difficult to keep any a straight line and slightly dangerous above 50 mph. I don't have any pictures but I did a quick visual inspection and it didn't look like the tie rod or drag link is bent. However, the passenger side front wheel doesn't seem centered in the wheel well. I don't know? Does anyone have any thoughts on what could be wrong?
 
Can you post some pictures of your front end? Did you check your control arms as well?
 
Johnrag3 said:
On my way home from work yesterday I rear ended a Lexus. The rear bumper of the Lexus was pretty mangled but I had no visible damage. I hit the car with my front passenger side bumper and tire. I have an LoD bumper and 35s. After leaving the scene I noticed my steering wheel was about 90 degrees off center and the traction control light came on. It was a little difficult to keep any a straight line and slightly dangerous above 50 mph. I don't have any pictures but I did a quick visual inspection and it didn't look like the tie rod or drag link is bent. However, the passenger side front wheel doesn't seem centered in the wheel well. I don't know? Does anyone have any thoughts on what could be wrong?
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I had a Tahoe hit my driver side tire and it bent my C on that side. Steering wheel was off and pulled to the right. It wasn't off as much as yours.
 
I can't post any pics because I dropped it off at my local jeep shop. I didn't get a good look at my CAs. It's possible they are bent or maybe the C/knuckle. I just wanted to get some feedback on what I might be dealing with so I can prepare myself for the news from the shop tomorrow.
 
30 is still a significant impact. Something absorbed the hit. Sorry to hear of your bad luck. Hope the damage isnt to bad
 
A bent control arm wouldn't be too bad. I'm hoping the D 30 housing isn't bent. That would probably be worse case but then again an excuse for a pro rock.
 
Glad you came out of it okay. Would really like to see pics. (Love to see the damage our Jeeps can do to the lesser vehicles):cheesy:

Interested in the outcome of the Jeep shops inspection. Good luck.
 
With any steering geometry change it will drive like crap and the stability light will come on when going over bumps sometimes. Even if the caster is off this can happen.
 
Man I hope you have better luck than I did. A kid pulled in front of me from behind a stopped vehicle and I t-boned her. My Jeep had exact same issues you described. Setback wheel is a bent control arm (hopefully) or as 2ndGunman said - frame got pushed back on one side. Mine was a diamonded frame & I got a new one. $10k damage & months getting everything straightened out. It adds up man. Curious - my airbag did not go off (thankfully) sounds like yours didn't either. Do your doors open & close ok, especially on the opposite side that is set back? 1st page on my build thread shows the beginning of the reconstruction picks.
 
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I just got in an accident as well (like an hour ago) seems to be a pretty shitty week so far. Someone stopped dead on the highway and it was wet out so I couldn't stop, I hit her probably going about 45. Nothing seems to be wrong with my jeep besides the scratches on the bumper though, drove about 20 miles and it feels fine. I'll have to take a closer look but I think it's because her truck tailgate was so easy to push in. The good thing is that no one was hurt.
 
I got hit head on by a girl driving a grand cherokee I didn't think it was to bad the jeep drove fine just the plastic stock fender was messed up took it to the shop I had 12k in damage bent frame, axel, control arm, tie rod and trackbar. The only positive was I upgraded to a pr 44. Hopefully yours isn't to bad but at least try to find a silver lining out of it.
 
Johnrag3 said:
I wasn't going very fast maybe 30 tops and it wasn't a very hard hit
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cav♤fighter;757945 said:
30 is still a significant impact. Something absorbed the hit. Sorry to hear of your bad luck. Hope the damage isnt to bad
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Ddays said:
Curious - my airbag did not go off (thankfully) sounds like yours didn't either.
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Airbag deployment is based on several key factors, but in general they will not go off unless you are traveling over 15mph and your impact is sudden. The construction of an airbag sensor is based on a ball bearing and a magnet. So imagine what it would take to remove those two. It is based completely off of momentum.

I suspect you were going less than 20 mph and you struck the vehicle at a plane higher than their frame, thereby spreading the forces over a further distance. If it was a frame to frame hit, then certainly your airbags would have gone off.

I always hear people talk about impacts at 30 and 50mph and then see their vehicles and laugh. Nope, more like 10 and 20mph sir. At energies greater than 15mph, you are already transferring energy into the frame, as the bumpers are only designed for impacts up to 15mph. After than, frame tearing occurs at 30 mph. Anything over 45mph is well beyond any testing procedures and considered life threatening. So pretty much anytime you go over 45mph, you're on your own.

Just some things to think about the next time you wanna do over 70mph.
 
So the Dana 30 housing is bent and the control arm bracket on the axel side is broken. No other damage than that. I have the option of replacing the 30 with 4.88 and ARB or getting a pro rock. Any advice on order a pro rock? What options to get? I was thinking about getting a pro rock that is wider than stock. I think Eddie did this. Any thoughts. I would have to run spacers in the rear for a while until a could afford a pro rock in the rear.
 
Skip RCVs and Reid knuckles? Are there different brake options? Would this be a good time to get the Pro Grip brakes?
 
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