[Greenstarrr]

So today I slid into a curb going round a roundabout in my Skoda Fabia. It was really wet on the roads and, though I was going 20-30mph I could feel the car sliding across the road and straight into and up the curb. The passenger-side front tire hit the curb with all the car's force and is now bent against the fender so that it will not roll without grinding against the inside of the fender. I got my friends Dad to come and drive the car back to my house. He fixes cars for a living but can't fix my car atm. He said that its a bent wishbone... Which I kind of understand.

He said it'd be somewhere around £50 to repair plus a couple of hours of labour fee. Has anyone else had a similar experience? And what about the shock absorber?

[CurlyBen]

Is there anything in particular you want to know? The damper may or may not be damaged, but if your friend's dad knows his stuff and has looked at it you should be OK.

[JC.]

Sounds about right.
Cost me 40 quid in parts when a pal of mine managed to do the same thing to a car I'd leant him.
2 hours labour to change a lower wishbone is about right too.

Hopefully you've not mullered the wheel / tyre. It'd be worth checking the wheel bolts / studs to make sure they haven't been damaged.

-JC.

[Greenstarrr]

Yeah somehow I managed to dent the actual tyre? But my friends dad reckoned I could just use the spare and that wheel would be JUST usable as a spare until I got a new one.
This was posted from The Student Room's Android App on my GT-I9100

[Nuffles]

Pretty much what these guys said. Although I might want to check your tyre tread too - you shouldn't be in a position that you'll just slide at 20-30mph, even in relatively deep water. If your tread is in good condition then you really need to consider the speeds you're going at in different road conditions.

I've never had any of my cars feel the least bit unbalanced on wet roads unless I hit deep water at motorway speeds. I could sometimes get the Morris Minor to step out on wet roundabouts but that had really skinny tyres and I was giving it some welly too.

[Greenstarrr]

Yeah see thats the thing. My tyres were coming up to needing to be changed. My Dad said in the 'next few weeks' but I insisted that we changed them this weekend on Wednesday. Humphhhh... better late than never I suppose.

[div curl F = 0]

I slid into a kerb at 15mph many years ago, the result of which was a 9 hour session on a jig, a new alloy and a new ball joint and wishbone. Needless to say it was a lot more than £50 to fix it.

You won't know that the chassis is/isn't bent until all the damaged and removable parts of the car have been replaced and the wheel is still not where it is supposed to be.

[Nuffles]

(Original post by div curl F = 0)
I slid into a kerb at 15mph many years ago, the result of which was a 9 hour session on a jig, a new alloy and a new ball joint and wishbone. Needless to say it was a lot more than £50 to fix it.

You won't know that the chassis is/isn't bent until all the damaged and removable parts of the car have been replaced and the wheel is still not where it is supposed to be.

I find it slightly hard to believe that you tweaked the chassis after a 15mph bump. I know stranger things have happened, and sometimes even the slightest bump can write cars off, but I still find it unlikely.

I guess it might be because the only bump I've ever had was when I put a bit of a hole in a hedge with the Defender when I was being a dick in the snow. I reversed out and dug some snow out of the spotlights and we were good to go. Dad took out a dry stone wall in that same snow too and there was no damage then either. Modern cars are pansies

[div curl F = 0]

(Original post by Nuffles)
I find it slightly hard to believe that you tweaked the chassis after a 15mph bump. I know stranger things have happened, and sometimes even the slightest bump can write cars off, but I still find it unlikely.

I guess it might be because the only bump I've ever had was when I put a bit of a hole in a hedge with the Defender when I was being a dick in the snow. I reversed out and dug some snow out of the spotlights and we were good to go. Dad took out a dry stone wall in that same snow too and there was no damage then either. Modern cars are pansies

Well that is what happened, the front wheel was still about 2 inches further back than it should have been after a new front wishbone and ball joint. One of the front chassis legs, which is connected to the engine subframe, which is connected to the wishbones, was bent. Bonnet was out of line and all panel gaps around the front end were not as they should be. A session on the jig later and all was in line again.

[Greenstarrr]

Just to let anyone who's interested know the outcome:
I got the garage to have a look on Tuesday. They quoted me £130 which I gave them the go ahead on and the bill worked out like this:

Replacement wishbone: £46.71
Tracking: £24.00
Labour: £45.00
VAT: £23.14
So £138.85 but they did it for £135.00

[JC.]

Sounds pretty fair to me?
Next time ask if they'll nock the VAT off if you pay cash.

[Greenstarrr]

Haha well fingers crossed there wont be a next time! :P But if there is I may well do that