Working my guardian angel again

Last night I was driving back from my girlfriends place, the speedlimit is 65, I run 70, on the interstate, 80. I slow up to 25 the speed limit in a little town I have to run through. All of a sudden I get this terrible shake and wobble in the front end of the truck I'm driving. I pull over and also hear a grinding, Right away I think wheelbearing or tire. I get out check all the tires and try and check the front ones for play. Can't find anything wrong so I crawl under the front end, tierod broke on the passenger side. I serviced the truck 2000 miles ago and everything was good then. I drive a lot of gravel roads and normally I'm running 65-80 on them too. If it had broke any other time I wouldn't be typing right now. Someone upstairs either likes me or hates the thought of my company. Guess it just wasn't my time yet. Dave

Be sure to thank your guardian angel to night when you saying your nightly prayers. Jim

Yep, yer stickin around a while I guess............ I had an out of body slam back down to earth experience many years ago and haven't been right since so I understand..........Enjoy each day as if it WERE your last..............

Lucky save! Upon first reading the post I thought your 605 Hemi tried to kill you

Live to race another day

Thats called positive caster(and luck)... I was on the track
and came down from a normal wheel stand and the outer tie rod
heim broke.... at the time I didnt use high angular heims..
I was doing about 70 mph... drove great due to 10 degrees of
caster... a few guys on the starting line (fiends) told me they
couldnt watch figuring it was all over for me.. they said the left
tire was flipping back and forth... I pulled over to the wall
with no issue... I changed the heim for the eliminations but
bought the new joints

That evil old truck tries to kill me just about every other time I drive it, I'm used to that. It handles a lot like a AA/FA when it starts getting twitchy. Yep I thanked God right after I found the problem! A cat has nothing on me, I've had so many brushes with the grim reaper I hate to count them.Dave

Yep, someone's looking out for you!

Dave.. how much caster do you have on that straight axle
if its still in there

And I'd do it again tonight too! Glad you caught it and everything is ok.

Glad you lived to see another day.

I jokingly tell my wife, when it's time to meet my maker, my guardian angel is probably going to slap me around a couple times for all the extra work he had to do to keep me alive.

Makes one wonder, what it is your mission is to fulfill in this life.

PS Your truck looks like a riot to drive. I'm sure you GA disapproves of it.

I think most things, good or bad happen for a reason. I think God tests us now and then and put things on our plates the things he knows won't kill us and then laughs as he watches us react
My life got a lot better when I ask God for help and salvation through his Son Jesus

Good to hear you kept the shiny side up!

Glad you are OK Dave; be careful with that 605 when you get it on the dyno.

I bet your girlfriend backed the nuts off the tie rod ends while you were napping. Now she has to come up with another plan to do you in.

yep been there a few yrs ago 70 mph slowed to 55 mph for orange barrels got him a few hrs later heading to the store went to pull out and boom broke tie rod , but i didnt have a wobble or any thing but dam it coast me $70 to get it towed back to the house about 600 ft

Hay Mike I remember that. I was right behind you waiting to do my burn out.

Mike... I don't know, it's never been aligned. Heck it still has it's factory original shocks on the front axle. It's always driven straight and true and I've never had an issue with unusual tire wear.Dave

Heck she really likes me....., but seriously, she's the best thing to come into my life in years. My ex would be the big loser, I die no more alimony, but I'm no planning on dying to spite her. Dave

Yep, you had some luck and positive Caster on your side.

You can actually steer a vehicle with Only one tie rod attached if the positive caster is enough. One wheel will steer and the other will follow.

But add in any Bumps or Braking, the unconnected wheel can flip flop. But will try to follow the directional groove the steered wheel is pointed to when the brakes or bumps decease.


EDIT; I know this from experience: My new/used truck with the 100 safety inspection from FORD, Dropped a tie rod on the passenger side on the way to the grocery store.

I noticed it when hitting the brakes or over some bumps. But mostly on any brake apply. Stopped at a red light and got out and checked. "Dropped" the passenger side tie rod, no connection.
Realized that I just steered through two mild turns with the symptoms up to that point.

At the red light in the Turn lane. After the green, I turned a mild 90* turn to the left and then further down the road a mild 90* turn to the right into a parking lot, all with only one wheel connected. Once in the lot, Snapped the passenger tie rod back on and drove gingerly home. Didn't really have to, but it made me feel more safe.

I didnt even know it broke till I felt a shake in the
steering wheel... the shake got worse so I shut down
and pulled over