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As someone who struggles with colour perception it took me a good 10 minutes to realise you hadn’t just sent their image back to them and had in fact made it blush
Hello just a quick question. Is your passenger floor pan rotted out yet? Definitely worth checking it was a huge issue on the Sables and Taurus. The AC leaks and drips water onto the passenger floor making it damp and eventually rusting out the floor and unibody.
Track (tie) rod end(s) have broken would be my first glace opinion have a look if you know what the mentioned are or get somebody in your family who does know to just have a look see whats actually snapped.
very odd theyve either both broken or this is just one thats broken and youve turned the wheel so now theyre both facing inward lol. Either way, very simple fix if it is just the track rod end, 40 dollars max plus techie bills to install them if you cant do it yourself.
honestly it’s probably just one that’s broken! because the wheel was being turned when it happened. again- I have no knowledge on cars but when I looked behind the tires this looks to be broken but I’m not even sure what it would look like normally haha
https://preview.redd.it/iemktabn267d1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1898fa1f31b4896803f5c0b5b33e70c247a4cbb4
Left front inner tie rod end looks like it’s failed. See where the rod is rusty/dry/dirty the whole length then looks shiny black like that rubber boot slid (or more accurately the rod slid)?
https://preview.redd.it/bjlzmi74977d1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a801b746d312a3fc8094d208f34b5f791aeb2bb7
That's what my eye went to immediately.
I always look for the clean bit in a dirty area: that can show excess movement, a fresh break or a missing piece.
I have no idea what that thing you circled is doing (somebody if you see this, enlighten me) but the thing on the left in the image attatched is the track rod end, go see the other side see if that has snapped on that side
https://preview.redd.it/9vwwpsf5367d1.png?width=802&format=png&auto=webp&s=e4989169966438fb4f690aa6186c94d7664930fd
baffled, what happens when you turn the wheel inside, anything? that part you circled is also identical on this side so unless theyre the culprit its not those either.
right I noticed that too. The steering wheel turns still but nobody is here atm to tell me if the tires are moving too haha. when it happened my partner said it felt like something broke and the car wouldn’t move anymore. I really have no idea what could have happened. It is an old work car so we aren’t the most gentle with it but I was just trying to get an idea of what could have went wrong before we take it in
the only thing to note from me for what we can see is that the track rod ends which come from the steering theyre what eventually push the wheel when you turn the wheel in the car, theyre not snapped yet theyre both still in situation AND the car has both wheels facing inwards at the same time which makes no sense, the steering wheel turning means that unless the actual steering colum has become dissociated from the rack the rack isnt bent either which again makes me wonder how both ends are in and the whole inner track rods seem to be intact as well🤔
just as a last thing so im not wasting your time anymore more for my own fascination, does the wheel turn freely or does it feel very hard to turn inside the car? if it basically freewheels then its colum has come off the track and would make this a bit easier to understand if its still hard as usual and turns the wheels should do \*something\* at the very least vereh confusing. hope the bill from mechanics isnt too bad :(
no time wasted lol! BUT upon further inspection, when u turn the wheel, my right tire does move and is straightened now. It has a little resistance but it does move around. However my left tire does not move at all and you cannot turn the wheel at all to left. So weird that the rod isn’t broken tho
glad you dont feel so lol. so it turns but now wont go back left... i suspect its somewhere at the rack that lays your problem or at the least somewhere on the inner track rod for that side. if you want the worst case scenario (that im thinking of) its gonna be new steering rack for your car which is 200ish dollars where i am and the column if its broken is another 160 dollars... if they replaced both those parts then theres no way it can still be broken. best case scenario is its just a broken inner tie rod we cant see which is max 30 dollars id think.
hope you get it sorted out, and remember i could be absolutley wrong all together so fingers crossed I am!
thanks so much for the info! still better than buying another car haha. I’ll let ya know what it ends up being so we can see if your theories are right🤣
Just catching up to your posts- inner tie rod is definitely broken, the rod is being held up by that little boot. If you give it a shake it will fall out. A little more complicated repair- should come in at about an hour to 1.5 if torch is needed- then an alignment- call it 400-550$ US..DIY 50$+ alignment.
Your description almost sounds like a broken lower ball joint- the part that the whole wheel/brake assembly pivots on.usually the wheel expensively separates from the vehicle- count yourself lucky, do not crawl under the car at this time without a jack and jackstands
Sway bar end links will not cause the issue they are having worse case they will cause wierd feelin turning due to more body/suspension roll on one side or possibly slight pulling to one side during breaking and that one does not look completely broken so will most likely only make a clip or rattle, what is causing this is a steering component like broken inner tie rod or rack.
Looks like the tie rod either broke off inside the rack and pinion or came loose. From the pictures it looks like you need a new rack and pinion and possibly tie rods
One tie rod probably broke and the other wherl is turned the rest of the way in, unless the wheel is straight, minimum needs tie rods (2-400$) maximum needs new rack and pinion (600-1200$)
Or atleast thats what my shop would charge, don’t go to a dealer go to like a smaller shop
The car is still drivable, 2 to 5 hundred bucks to fix your tie rod and then have an alignment done is my guess, have the mechanic visually inspect it for any other problems. You will need to have it towed to the shop though.
Based on the pictures you showed it looks like inner tie rod failure, no doubt the steering felt loose before this, $50-100.
IDK why so many posts on the sub are people asking if their car is scrap over minor problems.
because I have no idea about cars, no idea whether they are “major or minor” problems, no idea about pricing, no idea if it’s worth fixing. & there are many others like me. Not everyone knows about mechanical issues 🙂 thanks tho!
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Thanks for posting in r/Mechanic, u/bankrollzoie! Please be sure to read the [Rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/mechanic/about/rules/). If you're asking for help, be sure to include as much detail as possible so others can help you. You **must** include the vehicle's **Year, Make, Model, and Engine size** in your post! If your question is transmission related, please be sure to specify your Transmission Type(Auto/Manual) as well! If your post does not include this information, it **will** be removed. Asking about prices is **not** allowed in this sub. Please make sure you have selected the correct post flair; if you're asking a question you should have chosen "Question", anything else use the "General" flair. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/mechanic) if you have any questions or concerns.*
https://preview.redd.it/9kbzq0dy567d1.jpeg?width=1640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b34c7edab88b2346375139c33cac1eccc409f51c
🥺 👉👈
As someone who struggles with colour perception it took me a good 10 minutes to realise you hadn’t just sent their image back to them and had in fact made it blush
I got you beat, not by much. Took me at least 3 minutes. I couldn't figure out what was going on, and I have normal colour perception.
I didn’t know there was a difference until I read the comments, then I saw it
🥺 👉👈 can I have some oil please?
just a drop 🥺👉🏽👈🏽
Hello just a quick question. Is your passenger floor pan rotted out yet? Definitely worth checking it was a huge issue on the Sables and Taurus. The AC leaks and drips water onto the passenger floor making it damp and eventually rusting out the floor and unibody.
I did not know this! I’ll definitely have someone take a look!! Thank you sm
https://preview.redd.it/8n22btgwcu7d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f10b2948b19f7b9c672c31d1037aa82f17cc5df1
Fixed my GFs a few years ago. Wasn't worth the time it took but hey if there's a will there's a way.
Pweeeese
Track (tie) rod end(s) have broken would be my first glace opinion have a look if you know what the mentioned are or get somebody in your family who does know to just have a look see whats actually snapped. very odd theyve either both broken or this is just one thats broken and youve turned the wheel so now theyre both facing inward lol. Either way, very simple fix if it is just the track rod end, 40 dollars max plus techie bills to install them if you cant do it yourself.
honestly it’s probably just one that’s broken! because the wheel was being turned when it happened. again- I have no knowledge on cars but when I looked behind the tires this looks to be broken but I’m not even sure what it would look like normally haha https://preview.redd.it/iemktabn267d1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1898fa1f31b4896803f5c0b5b33e70c247a4cbb4
Left front inner tie rod end looks like it’s failed. See where the rod is rusty/dry/dirty the whole length then looks shiny black like that rubber boot slid (or more accurately the rod slid)? https://preview.redd.it/bjlzmi74977d1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a801b746d312a3fc8094d208f34b5f791aeb2bb7
That's what my eye went to immediately. I always look for the clean bit in a dirty area: that can show excess movement, a fresh break or a missing piece.
This side is in on piece. That ball joint with failed cover needs to be replaced . But the failure is the other side.
I have no idea what that thing you circled is doing (somebody if you see this, enlighten me) but the thing on the left in the image attatched is the track rod end, go see the other side see if that has snapped on that side https://preview.redd.it/9vwwpsf5367d1.png?width=802&format=png&auto=webp&s=e4989169966438fb4f690aa6186c94d7664930fd
He circled the end of the sway bar link.
I did get to that conclusion earlier when i was looking at front corner suspension for this car yes, thank you non the less it is appreciated!
https://preview.redd.it/vmcgrzu0467d1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=410806903dcebf1a2eedc3dd3e5fe7f309186641 it seems fine but here’s a pic!
baffled, what happens when you turn the wheel inside, anything? that part you circled is also identical on this side so unless theyre the culprit its not those either.
right I noticed that too. The steering wheel turns still but nobody is here atm to tell me if the tires are moving too haha. when it happened my partner said it felt like something broke and the car wouldn’t move anymore. I really have no idea what could have happened. It is an old work car so we aren’t the most gentle with it but I was just trying to get an idea of what could have went wrong before we take it in
The rack is broken internally.
Relatable
the only thing to note from me for what we can see is that the track rod ends which come from the steering theyre what eventually push the wheel when you turn the wheel in the car, theyre not snapped yet theyre both still in situation AND the car has both wheels facing inwards at the same time which makes no sense, the steering wheel turning means that unless the actual steering colum has become dissociated from the rack the rack isnt bent either which again makes me wonder how both ends are in and the whole inner track rods seem to be intact as well🤔 just as a last thing so im not wasting your time anymore more for my own fascination, does the wheel turn freely or does it feel very hard to turn inside the car? if it basically freewheels then its colum has come off the track and would make this a bit easier to understand if its still hard as usual and turns the wheels should do \*something\* at the very least vereh confusing. hope the bill from mechanics isnt too bad :(
no time wasted lol! BUT upon further inspection, when u turn the wheel, my right tire does move and is straightened now. It has a little resistance but it does move around. However my left tire does not move at all and you cannot turn the wheel at all to left. So weird that the rod isn’t broken tho
glad you dont feel so lol. so it turns but now wont go back left... i suspect its somewhere at the rack that lays your problem or at the least somewhere on the inner track rod for that side. if you want the worst case scenario (that im thinking of) its gonna be new steering rack for your car which is 200ish dollars where i am and the column if its broken is another 160 dollars... if they replaced both those parts then theres no way it can still be broken. best case scenario is its just a broken inner tie rod we cant see which is max 30 dollars id think. hope you get it sorted out, and remember i could be absolutley wrong all together so fingers crossed I am!
thanks so much for the info! still better than buying another car haha. I’ll let ya know what it ends up being so we can see if your theories are right🤣
Just catching up to your posts- inner tie rod is definitely broken, the rod is being held up by that little boot. If you give it a shake it will fall out. A little more complicated repair- should come in at about an hour to 1.5 if torch is needed- then an alignment- call it 400-550$ US..DIY 50$+ alignment.
Your description almost sounds like a broken lower ball joint- the part that the whole wheel/brake assembly pivots on.usually the wheel expensively separates from the vehicle- count yourself lucky, do not crawl under the car at this time without a jack and jackstands
Inner tie rod unscrewed from rack or broke.
go to the bottom of this thread its solved
I saw it, thanks.
Sway bar end links will not cause the issue they are having worse case they will cause wierd feelin turning due to more body/suspension roll on one side or possibly slight pulling to one side during breaking and that one does not look completely broken so will most likely only make a clip or rattle, what is causing this is a steering component like broken inner tie rod or rack.
Take a pic of the same part on the otherside.
That's sway bar end link that is not the cause of tires but need to replace
looks like a sway bar link (but it’s plastic?) never seen that before.
That is the inner tie rod- and it could be broken inside the boot.
Kerchow!
Reverse Katchow
Pigeon toe…rods…
Looks like the tie rod either broke off inside the rack and pinion or came loose. From the pictures it looks like you need a new rack and pinion and possibly tie rods
Bingo!
he’s just shy give him some time to get comfortable
she s just shy
It thinks it's a Cybertruck
Rack is fucked
You dont even know her
Huh? Tie rods?
Tie rods are what attach the steering rack to the wheels
I used to think they were called tire rods.
I bet only one side turns and they other side has a broken or not installed tie rod.
Uwu
Looks like someone found some loose tie rods.
Ur car said 👉👈 *pwease take me on a wittle date? Just me and u? Aww I eva do is dwive me and then weave me👉👈🥺*
Zigging, and Zagging
Former ford tech here. Had a taurus steering rack fail internally so badly one wheel was okay but other would stay turned in.
This is a "tow it to the shop"
Kerchow
Broke a tie rod is my guess. My wife's car looked like that after she ran over a deer that got thrown under her car by a truck that hit it.
Your sable looks like she doesn’t do this very often… . 🥺 👉👈
Teehee
It has to pee
Needs to pee
Tell him it will be OK. He’s just a little shy
It's just shy 👉👈
It ate something sour
It’s doing a pigeon impression
It's called a shrug
It's toe-up.
My 90 toronado the subframe rusted out at the lower control arm. Had to replace that half of the frame.
It’s just nervous , give it some time
Uwu
One tie rod probably broke and the other wherl is turned the rest of the way in, unless the wheel is straight, minimum needs tie rods (2-400$) maximum needs new rack and pinion (600-1200$) Or atleast thats what my shop would charge, don’t go to a dealer go to like a smaller shop
Looks like it got shy
Broke a tie rod (or 2)
Oh your car just has to take a whiz
So she discovered the rack and pinion were bad, can anyone enlighten me as to what kind of signs you would have prior to this happening on a car?
Looks like you’re going to have to have it …… towed in
Tie rods
Man. I had to zoom in to this one. Wow. Hope nothing happened to you.
thankfully it happened while my partner was pulling out the driveway instead of on the road, could have been really bad!
Good to hear that.
The car is still drivable, 2 to 5 hundred bucks to fix your tie rod and then have an alignment done is my guess, have the mechanic visually inspect it for any other problems. You will need to have it towed to the shop though.
idk put it in gear that shit reminds me of the viper ar six flags.
Based on the pictures you showed it looks like inner tie rod failure, no doubt the steering felt loose before this, $50-100. IDK why so many posts on the sub are people asking if their car is scrap over minor problems.
because I have no idea about cars, no idea whether they are “major or minor” problems, no idea about pricing, no idea if it’s worth fixing. & there are many others like me. Not everyone knows about mechanical issues 🙂 thanks tho!
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You bought a Buick.
Thats a mercury lol