Nasty near-collision / WTB: 1 snowflake wheel

[rocco16v@netzero.net (L F)]

That sucks.
 I've already decided that, in a case like that, I will hit the perpetrator
before I have a single car incident.
I feel for you.

Larry

> Had a lovely surprise yesterday.. was cresting a hill at 35 mph in the
> right hand lane. Someone was turning left in the left hand lane and there
> was a blue Taurus stopped behind them. Just before I passed them, the
> impatient person behind them pulled out in to my lane about 30 feet in
> front of me without accelerating. I slammed on the brakes and they locked
> up... I was going to rear end them so I cut to the right. Curbed the hell
> out of the wheel and ended up with the whole right side of the car on the
> sidewalk.
>
> The other car drove away before I could get out to yell at the
> very-old-man driver. I was too shocked to get the plates. I have bare
> minimum insurance so the whole thing is my loss.
>
> Haven't gotten under the car with a straightedge yet to check the a-arms
> and tie rods, but the definite damage is to the passenger side front wheel
> and tire. Serious scuffing about 170 degrees around the lip of the wheel
> and a large chunk of rubber missing from the sidewall. About 6 inches of
> the lip is actually bent and broken inward.
>
> The camber looks alright from eyeballing it but like I said I won't know
> for sure until I get under the car (it's 40 degrees F outside right now so
> I'm putting it off). The thing that scares me though is that the car now
> pulls to the left when I let go of the wheel. Could this just be due to a
> bent rim or does this mean I have bent the suspension or chassis in some
> way? I wouldn't normally be too concerned but this happened at 35 mph, not
> parallel-parking speeds.
>
> Anyway, I don't want to keep driving around on a bent/mutilated rim so I
> need to replace it ASAP. The thing is .. I don't have any money so even
> $25 a wheel seems like a lot.
>
> The wheel in question is a 14 inch "snowflake" type that I believe came
> stock on some Rabbit GTIs. I don't care about appearance too much so if
> you have a set of several wheels I'd gladly buy your "ugly duckling" if
> it would save me a few bucks. Obviously, I'm not interested in seriously
> curbed or bent wheels :)
>
> If anybody in WA has one of these they'd be willing to sell me cheap,
> please send me an e-mail..
>
> Thanks..
>
> -Toby
>
>
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>

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