Gut feeling - avoiding an accident

Remember the last time an idea popped into your mind seemingly out of nowhere? Despite it's rash, sudden appearance, this feeling is also peculiarly compelling, and it is easy to find oneself acting in its accord without relying on a rationalized wall for definite support. It might not bear any relation to your past, have nothing to do with the present, or miss the mark completely in regards to the foreseeable future, and yet we find ourselves heeding its call. Perhaps we sense something hidden under the unassuming layers, but simply lack the perception and understanding to evoke and capture it by words?

One wintry Finnish morning, I was confronted by a rogue idea en route to work: "Do a handbrake turn at the parking place. Show some style (even though there won't be any witnesses)" it whispered. Tightly packed snow provided the floor for my '95 Civic to glide on, and having done it before - although not in recent months - I confidently tugged the handle and sent the rear into a sophisticated, controlled slide by a row of cars. In the middle of the turn, as the parking spot was straight ahead, neatly waiting for my skilled arrival, the sideways movement came to an expected halt and... the left front corner slumped on the snow-covered pavement.

There had been this ominous creaking sound I had been hearing every now and then, usually driving over bumps whether sharp or mellow, and I immediately thought of it. It had gone on for months, but upon closer inspection, I thought it to be a failed rubber bushing. Now the car won't budge, as the left front wheel is firmly planted into the fender, and the car looks like it fell from the sky onto that wheel, it being all splayed out like those ultra-camber tuning setups. It seems I have a problem. I wish I had taken a picture of it, as that was a funny sight even if it didn't seem like that at the moment.

Others arrive at the scene, we jack the car front end up, remove the wheel and set the front on a trolley. The drive axle was ripped out of its socket, tearing the inner joint rubber boot in the process as the wheel was pushed far enough from the differential, and the culprit to this destruction was readily visible:

Destroyed balljoint.

The lower balljoint had snapped! I would never have thought the creaking to come from the balljoint, since there was no play in it. They only - with exceptions, it seems - fail through wear, and begin clonking in bumps. It in itself is no safety hazard at first, but it could be possible for the joint to pop out of its socket if neglected long enough, but that would take a very long time of listening to its racket indeed.

Just on my way to work I had driven over 80 km/h, so I was extremely lucky for it to fail right there because of a stray idea of handbrake sliding. The car would have been uncontrollable if this had happened at speed, quite possibly injuring or killing someone. It was a chilling realization, to say in the least. Do not ignore creaking sounds from your car, as they can lead to a potentially fatal flaw. When either the upper or lower balljoint comes free, the wheel is free to move sideways. It is rare for sure, but for anyone in a similar situation I would wholeheartedly recommend they check their balljoints even if they do not have play in them.

Drive axle out of its socket, torn rubber boot.

A bit of pushing, and the crippled vehicle could rest until later. Did the day's work, got the necessary parts (balljoint just 20 bucks or so), and then set at work. The old balljoint, as expected, was in very tight and required removing the steering knuckle, a torch and a heavy hammer. Installing the replacement was even more arduous: normally you'd simply use a hydraulic press to press it in, but since the knuckle curves over the joint and I had no special pressing parts for the task at hand, I hit it in. After 2,5 hours of hitting, the new balljoint was installed, still working - use a driver, don't hit the part itself - and certainly tight for the future mechanic to struggle with.

The rest of the job was without surprises, and I was able to reinstall the drive axle, knuckle and all that. The next day - took a work car home and left a bit for the next day - after completing the job and fervously circling the parking lot, listening to any possible sounds, I happily, safely drove home, no creaking whatsoever to be heard.

Whether it was simply a crazy coincidence or a touch of magic in an otherwise mundane scene, I am now left with a more attuned ear for the strange whispers from the shadows of my mind. After all, perhaps coincidence is just a blanket term for whatever we cannot deeply comprehend and absorb; that's what my gut feeling tells me!

Thank you for reading,
kuura