When I went to the doctor last week, I was within a few feet of my mechanic/garage. However, I thought their entrance was blocked by a massive wreck, so I just turned the other way and came home. With the rain and the apparent wreck in the driveway of my garage, I just came home.
Friday, I finally took my car in for a diagnosis of the problem. When I back up and turn the wheel, it seems the tire is mushy and slips off something, sort of like rolling an ankle off a root or object over which you are walking.
I asked about the wreck. It seems someone ran into the ditch. The car did not wander off the road. It did not brake. No one was even near the car and driver. However, the tire tracks made a 90 degree turn right off into a 40 ft. ditch with no evidence of braking. They surmise the driver was texting. The wreck did happen next to their driveway and emergency vehicles and the police were parked in the driveway. So, it is a good thing I did not try to get there.
This strange feeling in the car wheel happened lots of times, but mostly when I backed and turned the wheel as I got out onto the road or backed from a parking place. Once, I got out of the car in a rather dangerous place and checked to see if had a flat tire. This was not in traffic, just a place I should be moving from, not parking.
Well, it is something called a sway bar. He told me this and I asked what was wrong with the sway bar. "It's not there. The sway bar is gone and so are all the bolts." In my head I am trying to process this information, wondering how dangerous this could be, what else would it ruin by being gone.
The owner said it would take four or five days to locate one. I have places to drive and things to do. So, I looked this up on Wikipedia. It seems this stabilizes the car, making it less likely to roll over. Now, I am not sure if I should drive to the doctor in Birmingham or not.
Your turn
Have you ever lost a sway bar or had problems with one? Is this very dangerous? Will it ruin something else driving it like this?
what did your mechanic say about the safety of driving it like that? I've heard of it but don't know anything about it either.
ReplyDeleteOne,
ReplyDeleteI asked if it was safe to drive. He said it was. But, then I read the Wikipedia entry. When I read it prevents rollovers, I became worried. I think he meant that if I drove like a person should, I would be okay. But, what if I hit one of those potholes that throws the car or barely ran off the pavement due to an accident. I do not want to roll! This is stressful. I don't like to drive to Birmingham when stressed.
Is your Doctor around UAB? Traffic gets crazy there.
ReplyDeleteAnne,
DeleteNo, St. Vincent. I know the UAB hospital area. St. Vincent, not so much. Someone has driven me there every time because I still cannot face going to the oncologist. I drive down 65 to University to get there. Everyone else takes me over the flyover that I cannot drive to get to St. Vincent. It frightens me just to be in the car. I close my eyes. Exbf is taking me.
I would probably use the Red Mountain expressway just because it is a little quicker, but they are doing a lot of road work on 65/59 now so it might not save too much time.
DeleteWhen I was a child my parents had a trailer with some odd brackets on it. They eventually found out it was for putting sway bars in and we got a set of bars. i was too young to understand much but I know they thought it made towing a trailer a lot easier.
ReplyDeletekylie,
DeleteInteresting. I wonder if my car will drive better.
Just replaced the swaybar and struts on the front of my car last month (2002 Toyota. Drives much nicer now. Will have to replace back struts before winter.
ReplyDeleteJean,
DeleteI think I will have them check the rest to see if they are loose. I remember thinking I ran over metal with that tire. I wish I remembered where I was when that happened. Thanks for the info.
wow I have never heard of a sway bar. good luck.
ReplyDeleteurspo,
DeleteThanks. I am having someone drive me to the doctor tomorrow--50 miles.