Glad to hear your ok and the police treated you ok. A reminder to us all that accidents can happen.

that wedge gets easily destroyed.. and may be a PIA to remove..they cost more than you may think..........Ron

You can pull out the A arm and strut together w/o removing the ball joint. Am I missing what your problem is here? It should be really simple to remove the cross member after the strut/A arm assemblies are off, the sway bar is loose and the steering rack is unbolted. Now that I think of it, are you sure the A arms need to come off? I believe once the rear A arm support is removed you should be done as far as the A arms are concerned. Don’t make me get out the Bentley’s.

Glad to here you’re OK Supper. I’m thinking about leaving my car in the garage for the rest of the year, just in case.

You know, I think you may be right, Doc. I've been struggling with that wedge bolt but perhaps if I just remove the bolt that holds the a-arm and the crossmember on, then it can all come apart.

Ron is certainly right. That wedge bolt is pretty stubborn. It has resisted nearly all my hammers, including a 3-lb sledge.

The reason I still need to get a look at that a-arm is that it is now positioned 3/61" rearward of where it is supposed to be located. It just slid straight back that distance. Partly it crushed the rear bushing. And partly it moved the end of the a-arm further into the crossmember.

Sorry to hear of your misfortune, Super - don't be TOO hard on yourself. Alot of us have been there and done that: wet road, maybe some fall leaves, unfamiliar curve in the 911 after a couple of beers - I'm glad no one was hurt. I'm sure, like alot of us, you have gained a new respect for driving a 911 under those conditions. Fatigued, impaired, or talking on the cell phone - they all similarly increase the chance of an accident and have caused loss of loved ones. Super, you are right, you are a great guy...

Personally, I think the Armor-All on your tire treads probably had a LOT to do with the incident....:cool:

Seriously, Superman; you are a great sport to take all the "opinion" here in a positive way, don't know if I would handle it as well...

Many years ago I was returning home from a party with a buddy, I was the designated driver, we were in my 69 targa, I had had two beers total in over 4 hours.. I got pulled over, roadside exam (he said I was weaving, actually I changed lanes in broad sweeping curve), etc. etc. 1 year and about $10,000 later I was acquitted, but I NEVER get in a P car, OR on a cycle after even one beer to this day..

I'm off my soapbox now, back to car repair topics..:D

Totally agree.

Super Jim,

Dr. Ryan (what's with all the SC doctors, did I miss something?) has you on the right track. You don't need to remove the A-arms to get the crossmember out. Just remove the belly pan, remove the sway bar, unbolt the steering rack, and I dunno if the SC's have the cheesy factory alarm like my Carrera, but there's a small horn for the alarm which is bolted to the crossmember as well. Might need to separate the tie rods from the knuckle too if they're in the way. I dropped every piece of the suspension when I did this, so i'm not exactly sure what needs to be disconnected in order to get only the crossmember out.

Anyway, then remove the two big rearward bolts which hold the rear of the A-arm and the crossmember itself to the body. You should then be able to muscle the crossmember out of there. Might be easier to get it out if you slide the t-bars out as well. Just remember which one is left/right.

You should be able to snag a replacement crossmember from PartsHeaven. My buddy got one from there for $75. Ask 'em, "What's that go for? About $50?" And see what they shoot you! ;) Or see if JW has one lying around? It'd give you a reason to pay a visit and learn some new tricks.

If you decide to pull the A-arms, the slotted nut tool does work to get the buggers off. But, it gets a little boogered-up when you use it with an impact just like RoninLB said. Too many removal jobs will definitely destroy this $45 socket! I tried the hammer and chisel method but I kept moving my workbench around with the heavy blows. Impatience got the best of me and I cranked up the compressor. The tool is better suited for install work.

You should probably use this time to refresh your A-arm bushings as well. Mine were pretty misshapen at 64K mi. Yours can only be worse.

Good luck

I had to use a punch and hammer on the wedge bolt and it took a while. I could not get the ball joint nut off while it was on the car so I had to take the strut and A arm off, pull the wedge bolt to separate them, and then take A arm over to the vice to get the ball joint off. Don’t reuse the wedge bolts, and follow the torque specs when putting them back together, which I know you will.

I got the wedge bolt out but the ball joint seems welded on. I guess I really need the tool for that big goofy nut. I really don't want to remove the strut if I don't have to. I think I could get the cross member out now, but it was the a-arm taht took the hit, and it is the a-arm that is pushed back, so I need to get it back into position or take it off. I'll fight with it later. I appreciate all the info and good wishes.

Oh, and it looks like I scratched the wheel. I guess that just means I need to toss the 6" wheels, put the 7" wheels in front and get 9s for the back.

hmmm, if I get to put 9's in the back I might have to Scratch my wheel.

I have the special tool and would gladly mail it to you. It probably will not do much good taking the nut off but will help to properly put it back on. After getting no results I used it on an impact wrench and compromised the notches on the removal side, their no longer square. Their still square on the installation side. I ended up using a dremmel to remove.

Send me an e-mail if you'd like me to UPS it to you.

Thanks, Rob. I'm still scrounging for it locally, but may send you that e-mail.

Super,
I also have the crossmember if you need it.
Rob

Thanks, Rob. I'll let you know when I get the darned things off.

maybe that's why our 911's don't have cup holders.

Glad to hear you are ok, and you are correct in saying that it's a car and cars can be fixed. Good luck with the repairs.

Damn right it keeps getting lower. I'm down to 0.02 in Australia now. Even a few throat lozenges or breath freshener can put me over the limit!

Jim

I'm late to the party, must not have seen this thread. Glad your okay and that the car can be fixed.

I think it takes alot of guts to post your accident and mention that you believe you were slightly impaired by alcohol. If by mentioning that, it makes anybody on this board think twice before drinking and then driving thats great.

I wonder how many other people have hit a curb or ran off the road believing that they weren't the slightest bit impaired after "Just two beers." I'm sure most people on this board wouldn't hop in there cars and go for a drive when they are falling down drunk, but not being legally drunk, does not mean your decision making and hand/eye coordination are not impaired enough to effect your ability to control your vehicle when faced with an unusual or extreme situation.


Good luck with the car, I'm sure it will be back up and running in no time.

Hey, leave Superman alone! He was man enough to admit that he had been enjoying himself - and that takes quite a lot.

Hey Steve.. Mike was not bashing Super.. and that's not Mike's style, period.. but he was trying to add years of experience watching friends grow up.. I could have commented on a friend that has totaled 7 cars in the past 35 years and is still walking.. or the friend that has has been in a wheel chair since Super Bowl nite of 1971.. years ago it was somewhat politically acceptable.. and the local PD would come in for a 3am taste and give some guys a ride home.. times have changed, and the legal system now has a different attitude.. I have a friend who did 4 years in the can because he met another drunk in the center divider head on.. the MADD group was protesting outside the court house and the judge wouldn't allow the blood test of the dead drunk, go figure..........Ron

Steve

I dont know if that was for me, but I'm not bashing Jim at all. Like I said, takes alot of guts to admit that you had been drinking and driving and that it was probably a factor in an accident. and I'm not gonna preach to him about it.

When I said "I'm sure most people on this board wouldn't hop in there cars and go for a drive when they are falling down drunk, but not being legally drunk, does not mean your decision making and hand/eye coordination are not impaired enough to effect your ability to control your vehicle when faced with an unusual or extreme situation". I wasnt addressing Jim, when I said "your" I was addressing those who already posted that believe that they are not the slightest bit impaired by a couple of beers. The fact that Jim came on this board and said himself that he was slightly impaired means he already knows what I'm talking about.