help - rad rod/front beam. hermiston , oregon

[vongiese]

Car is broke down in Hermiston Oregon....(not me), but my better half's kid....
I understand the Radius rod nut cam off and since it's been loose for a while, it has worn a oblong hole in the Front beam..... Shop won't/can't fix it.
So - i guess the beam has to be replaced....sounds like the radius rod may be OK - just needa a new nut and likely bushings and washers....

Anyone know a place in Hermiston who can fix this at a fair price? It's at Les Schaub now and they won't let her drive it - say it's too dangerous. I bet a new nut and washer would be good enough to drive it for a while and at least gt it home (4-5 hours).
any help would be appreciated!!!!!!!!!! ASAP :)

[86AccordLxi]

Yeah, Les Schwab frequently tries to pull that shit. When I had my 3g I took it there to get the brakes checked and they told me the rotors were too thin and it was unsafe to drive, then tried to stick me with a $600 bill.

It's too bad Hermiston is out in the middle of nowhere, OR. There's quite a few good honda shops in the valley.

Sorry I can't be of more help. :(

Alex

[vongiese]

Yeah - they say it's a liability if they let the cr leave the garage...
i think with a anew nut and washer - it'll make it home....
any othre ideas?

[86AccordLxi]

You could try forcing the issue with Schwab's. If you bitch enough, I bet they let the car go :)

Then have it taken to a shop where employees don't have a cranial-rectal problem.

I don't trust any shop that doesn't use a torque wrench, or does after using an impact gun set at 150ft lbs., to put on lugnuts.

Alex

[vongiese]

I don't normally go there either....
I just talked to the kids dad - he's going over and will tow it back to ID, if he can't get it going......

[DBMaster]

I would actually try welding a heavy duty washer to the beam over the worn hole. That might work out just fine and be a lot cheaper and easier than trying to replace the beam.

[vongiese]

That's a great idea. I'll recommend that to her dad....he's not very mechinacally inclined and the kid told me she'd rather me work on it than him....but didn't want him to know that!
I would think the the correct size washer might do the same thing! edit: i suppose it could wiggle around, and a weld would essentially create a new mounting hole......

I wonder if you can replace the front beam without removing the radius rod?? obviously woudl remove the rad rod nuts....

thanks
mike

[Ichiban]

It sounds like the shop is full of shit. I can't see how the radius rod would wear into the beam especially when the bushings are still in place. I'd have to see a picture of the damage before I could recommend anything, other than going to the wreckers and picking up a new front beam with the radius rods attached and swapping the whole thing.

[cygnus x-1]

I don't see how they can not let you drive the car away. It's your car whether it's safe to drive or not.

C|

[guaynabo89]

exactly!!

Let someone tell me I cant drive my car and theyll get the cops called for stealing my property!

[vongiese]

I agree - but I've heard they do this all the time. Aying it's a liability situation. i'd call the cops if it came to it.... In this case they said they couldn't even fix it! never cared for Les Schaub since the day the said i needed to replace ball jopints and tie rod ends on my old subaru brat when I brought it in for an alignment.... i said no thanks and later discovered nothing was rong with the front end....that and they don't blink an eye when you return a blown out tire.....blown out side wall due to cheap manuf.....

I don't wonder if the threads from the rod coulda rubbed an obling hole in the beam.... Waiting for a report.....

thanks for the input!
mike

[webmedic]

Yes you can remove the front beam without removing the radius rods. I just had a one that was smacked really bad i the front and bent the beam all up and I wanted to drive it someplace so I replaced it.

It's not to hard but you will have to pull on things to get the rods back into the wholes. But it should all go back together just fine once you get things into place.

I'm in washington but still not close enough to hermiston to be much help. Let me know if you have any other questions. Also I dont know were you can go but I got my front beam from a u pull it yard for only about 12$. They only take maybe 30 minutes to pull off. It's really pretty easy.

[Ichiban]

If the threads on the radius rod have chewed into the beam enough that there's a problem, I'll guarantee that the threads on the rod are trashed. Pulling the beam complete with rods is really not much more effort, come on, it's only four more bolts, right?

[cygnus x-1]

I agree - but I've heard they do this all the time. Aying it's a liability situation. i'd call the cops if it came to it.... In this case they said they couldn't even fix it! never cared for Les Schaub since the day the said i needed to replace ball jopints and tie rod ends on my old subaru brat when I brought it in for an alignment.... i said no thanks and later discovered nothing was rong with the front end....that and they don't blink an eye when you return a blown out tire.....blown out side wall due to cheap manuf.....
I don't wonder if the threads from the rod coulda rubbed an obling hole in the beam.... Waiting for a report.....
thanks for the input!
mike

If they can't replace a cross member they're incompetent.

If it's really a liability issue then here's what they need to do. Write up a ticket for what's wrong and an estimate for the work it needs. Then write on there, "Customer refused work". Have you sign it, and they keep a copy. This way they've done their due diligence and informed you that there is a problem (in writing) and shown that you made the decsion to not have the work done. You can now take the car and do whatever the hell you want.

C|

[vongiese]

I'll remember that next time a shop says they can't let me drive away....but I don't go to shops....:thumbdn:

I guess they towed the car home to "dads" and just got a radius rod bushing, washer and nut and put it back on and the car is fine....
I'll take a look at it next time she's here and see what the damage really is.

As far as removing the front beam without removig the radius rods - I thought the 2 bolts holding the rear end of the raduis rod could not be removed without removing the axles?.....aren't the axles in the way -- i.e. not enough clearance to get the bolts out?

thanks for all your suggestions....
mike