Posted on Thursday, February 02, 2006 4:13 PM
I was driving home the other night and ran over a metal post. It looked like a landscaping post when I unwrapped it from my right rear axle. Apparently it busted a “breaking assembly”, the break line, cut a hole down to the inner tube of the tire, damaged a tie rod??? and ever so slightly knocked the wheel out of alignment.
I didn’t realize the damage was that extensive since the car was driving fine and with no noise or apparent damage. This morning something must have given out, my little girl and I about jumped out of our pants when we heard what I imagined to be a blown tire when it explodes, the car shook and then the sound of metal grating on pavement. I stopped the car and looked but the tire was actually fine. I walked her to school (we were just across the road when it happened) and moved the car to a parking lot. Weird thing…the sound went away as soon as I put the car in reverse and then back into drive as I moved it.
Moral of the story: Try not to drive over black metal landscaping posts/rods that are lying in the road at night time (or any time for that matter).