Our First Accident...
 

Today is a gloomy, shitty, rainy day. So on my way to the gym i went around a turn and the rear end swung out, i attempted to correct and as all of you may guess, that just put me into a bigger spin in the opposite direction. Resulting in me slamming up a curb and side-swiping a light pole. I'm fine. I wasn't going very fast. I am incredibly pissed at myself for letting this happen to my car. Damage is major curb rash on drivers rear rim, smashed drivers fender and crooked steering.

Sucks :(

Rear tire tread low? Front looks good.

i don't think so and i'm not going to check. i cant bare to look at it.

I know how you feel... :(

Yeah. I ask only because most RX-8 accidents on here in the rain where the rear suddenly and unexpectedly snaps free, it's low or no tread on the rear tires.

With some owners, it's just plain bad tires, as they aren't cheap to replace, and some owners will cheap out on tires. If it's cold and wet, cheap summer tires aren't going to grip for anything.

BC.

well i know they have grip cause i recently did a rotation and they all had plenty tread. So i know they aren't bald plus their Al weather tires. This was simply shitty luck. Maybe i caught a slippery patch on the pavement or another cars leaked fluid. I don't know. could of been anything. All i know is once she is fixed, rain driving is a thing of the past. I feel like i just got dumped.

Sorry to hear this. But the worst is now over; it will be fixed soon and you'll feel much better.

Did you get caught in some of the freezing rain that's working its way across the country? Could have just been a small patch of ice.

Find a good body shop and hope your insurance company treats you like a valued customer. Ask folks in your regional forum if they know places they can recommend. Good luck.

Ken

Get some. Glad you are okay.

nah i'm in Louisiana. Doesn't freeze down here. Wasn't necessarily cold either. just rainy. was about 45 degrees.

haha, get some? I'm just scared everything is going to start breaking. once u wreck it, nothings ever the same. I'm terrified of that. thou this isn't very bad, it still has me worried.

Find a good shop and everything will be fine. You'd be amazed at what a body shop can do.

Ken

yup, its getting fixed Tuesday. Anyone know what could be the cause of crooked steering? Is my steering rack messed up?

Nah, probably an alignment. Maybe a little worse, but I don't think it's the rack. Could be a bent arm. It may be fixed on the cheap, I can look at it for ya. I'm in Nola though and never out that way.

Your car should be okay, I work at a body shop department at a Chevy dealership and I've seen cars in worse shape that were considered "an easy fix". :ylsuper:

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yeah im in lafayette, and thanks jazz. gives me hope. i just hope everything doesnt start fucking up cause of this. it really wasn't that hard of a hit. so hopefully its nothin crazy. i am fully insured so it will be getting fixed. I just don't want any after effects.

That sucks... Sorry to hear about this, hope it gets repaired right as new!

Just calm down, and get a grip on things, and everything will be fine.

First thing, you smashed into a curb, so that will have either damaged suspension/steering parts, or if you're really lucky, just knocked out the alignment.
That can be fixed easy as pie, as all you have to do is replace any damaged parts, and have the alignment checked.

Now, if the alignment can't be properly set after broken parts are replaced, then you will need to have the car put on a chassis alignment machine, to see if you can put the car back into its proper place. Once that's done, then back to the wheel alignment shop.

Replacing a fender is replacing a fender.
Old one gets taken off, everything gets inspected to see if the damage is more than just superficial, and a new one gets put on the car. Fender gets painted, and if done by a good paint shop, blended in well with the surrounding hood and door panels.

Honestly, the car shouldn't drive any worse after the repairs are done, it was just a minor accident. Don't get all worked up about it.

BC.

You'd be impressed at how far out of whack the steering can be and still be just an alignment. I hit a mother of a pothole a few years back, had the steering wheel cockeyed by 20 degrees. Alignment brought it back, no structural damage. Drives fine, like nothing ever happened.

Ken

Aweosme thanks guys. ill update tomorrow night. Going to get it checked out at 3.

i have it sometimes too. I have a sport so no T/C DSC. it's always at the same intersection. rain snow or shine. just a slippery patch of asphalt. I turn left there and sometimes the rear steps out. no crazy driving. a lot of semi's turn there so it's probably oil and coolant soaked into the road. you can drive the RX-8 just fine in rain snow or shine no problem year round. just stay awake. once you find the point where it gives up it is fun to do it on purpose once in a while.

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yup, ill stick to empty parking lots and the track for fun. didn't even try to kick the end out and it happened. not worth another accident.

This is how it looks as of right now. I took out the plastic wheel well thing and bent the fender back out as best i could to prevent rubbing. Also noticed rear wheel is toed forward. so might have bent something there when the back tire hit too. leaving now to take it for estimate.

Is that a nice big hit on the door, or a reflection of something?