What Else did I break?

[Paul R. Luevano]

So, I'm on my back from the parents place in Florida.  The trip has been going
well, car is running well, traffic has been light, and I'm on track to make the
1300 mile trip in under 18 hours.  Averaging 23+mpg, 75mph, and only have had to
make 2 gas stops.  On the last leg.

It's 1:00am, I'm just north of the Cross Brox Expressway, buzzing along.  All of
a sudden, the car sort of pulls to the left. I correct and note the car is
pulling, I think "flat".  Damn.  Pull over to the side, get out, and take a
look.  All the tires look good.  I get the flashlight and start looking for
something "obviously" wrong.  I see nothing.  I get back in and start off
again.  A nice grinding sound.  I limp to the next exit and pull over into a
diner parking lot. Much better than on the side of a dark I95!  Out comes the
jack and I check both front wheels.  The drivers front is really, really
"notchy", doesn't rotate freely. The passenger side rotates nice and freely,
just like I would expect.  I check the brakes, nothing hanging.  Both CV's
"look" ok, but what can you see at 1:30am, in the cold and dark, in a wet
parking lot?  I did notice that the passenger side outside CV boot is torn.
Annoying, that was replaced less than a year ago. But that is not the problem

Anyway.  I conclude that a CV is "letting go".   I weigh my options. 180 miles
from home, 1:30am, gotta be at work on Monday.  Shrug.  Get in, and see how far
I can make it.  If I get within 100 miles, I get free towing with AAA.  I keep
the speeds down, and plug along.  I pull over every 10 minutes or so for the
first half hour to check check.  Everything looks ok.  I wonder if it is the
wheel bearing, but I have never heard of one letting go just like that.  I check
the hub and rotor and they are nice and cool.  I would expect them to get warm
if the bearing was letting go.

Long story short, I made it home.  180 miles.  Never exceeding 50mpg.  This
morning I look more closely.  It is definitely the wheel bearing.  I can now
grab the wheel and move it back and forth, lots of metal shavings, hub is very
loose.

So, I'll get the car to the shop tomorrow am, and see what else I messed up by
driving on it for so long.  Now, the question is, do I drive it the 10 miles, or
ge it towed?  I mean, what is another 10 miles, right? :)


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____________________________________________________________________
Paul Luevano            |   AMA * MSF   |'99 CBR 600F4  (Racebike)
http://teamdaemon.com   | USM * CCS #898|'97 CBR 1100XX (Streetbike)
Waltham, MA USA         |  NMA #116657  |'91 200TQ20V   (Winter)
_____"The purpose of man is to live, not to exist."-Jack London_____