What caused an accident. Broken half-shaft?

[markH70]

I had an accident a couple of nights ago and what happened is a complete mystery to me. I was driving down a local road and needed to pass a parked car, so I pulled out. There was a car approaching but there was PLENTY of time to complete the manouver.

As I was just about to pass the parked car, there was a huge BANG, and the next instant I was on 2 wheels (it almost rolled), slewing across the road and into a garden wall on the other side. Fortunately the airbags went off and I managed to get out of the car, albeit with a hell of a thump on my chest from the airbag.

My first thought was that I must have clipped the rear offside corner of the parked car, but that would not explain why the car went up on 2 wheel (I wasn't speeding). There was no damage to the offside rear of the parked car, and no damage to my nearside front wing. The impact seemed to be "Wheel to Wheel".

My nearside front suspension was completely collapsed, wheel completely off and someone picked up a broken part which they said was the half-shaft.

The parked car ended up with both front wheels on the pavement and the offside rear wheel sticking out about 6 inches.

I really don't think I was driving badly and looking back it seemed I was driving normally and within an instant there was the huge bang and my car was on 2 wheels......

Any explainations what would cause this?????

 

[just pumps]

The wheel with the broken half shaft has taken a side impact previously. Had it on an XR3i

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Stress fracture developing over the years, it finally broke when you made wheel to wheel contact with the parked car, but I would also suspect a suspension component snapped first on contact, perhaps leading to the final breakage of the half shaft.

 

[Lower]

Was the parked car facing you? If your front wheel was turned, as was the parked car's front wheel, you may have hit tyre to tyre. Under those circumstances there is no bodywork damage, but the friction of tyre against tyre can flip a car off its wheels.

 

[markH70]

No, the car was parked correctly, it seems first contact was my front NS wheel to the other OS rear wheel

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

No, the car was parked correctly, it seems first contact was my front NS wheel to the other OS rear wheel

How can that occur with no body damage to ether?

 

[HERTS P&D]

Has the wife driven the car recently?

Andy

 

[Burnerman]

The bottom ball joint gave out just at that crucial moment.....what vehicle is it?
John

 

[Mottie]

The bottom ball joint gave out just at that crucial moment.....what vehicle is it?
John

Yep, thats what I was going to say too. Ball joint popped, driveshaft came loose at gearbox on that side, dug in the road, flipped the car.

 

[markH70]

It's a Honda CRV, 20 years old but only 79K. I think whatever came loose must have contacted the rear wheel of the parked car and that caused the car to nearly flip. The parked car was a Fiat Punto

 

[Burnerman]

Any suspension advisories from the last MOT? Some ball joint play is acceptable but they put the fear of God into me so I replace them immediately.
The last ones I did in the summer were on a Qashqai, 2013 model with 58k which shocked me big time. I actually put complete arms on as the rear rubber bush was delaminating.....far too early, I thought.
John

 

[markH70]

From the last MOT

"Subframe mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive Central rear (and connecting components (5.3.6(a) (1) (i))"

"Shock absorber of oil or has limited damping effect Offside Front ( 5.3.2 (b)"

Mileage at MOT was 77291 and is to date just over 79000

 

[Burnerman]

No particular clues there.....If you can access the wreckage it will be clear if the joint has parted.
(I've never seen a drive shaft snapped.....for sure, rounded off splines but never disengaged other than in a prang.)
John

 

[markH70]

You'll have to forgive my lack of knowlege, I can just about change a spark plug. There was a piece lying on the road which was approx 25mm diameter with splines on the end. This section was approx 75mm long and then went into a 75mm metal cylinder which again was 75mm long. It was broken behind the larger cylinder

 

[Burnerman]

Your description identifies the driveshaft.....it’s splined into the gearbox and also splined into the wheel hub, together with the CV joint that allows transmission to drive at an angle courtesy of the steering.
If the bottom suspension joint gives way, the driveshaft will pull out of the gearbox and its likely that the CV joint will part too.....the splines are there to accommodate drive with suspension movement and aren't permantly fixed.
So pleased you weren’t hurt with this....the outcome could have been vastly different!
John