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My Engine cradle broke loose from the car and lost all steering!


Tooky

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(This is a duplicate post from my TGPForums.com General post, but I wanted to get a wider audience for advice on this..)

 

For the last few years my TGP has always made "creak" or "knock" noise when accelerating or letting off the gas, like the motor was moving around ever so slightly. Tonight I found the source of the noise! I was backing down a driveway and suddenly I lost ALL steering. The steering wheel completely free-wheeled. I shut the car off, (THANKFULLY had only drove a few FEET!) and what I found next left me speechless!!

 

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It's like the motor ripped the rear engine cradle mounts right out!! I can't f**king believe it! I hope my car isn't junk now!

 

I also have a picture of how the motor is sitting right now: http://i2.tinypic.com/6hhllyv.jpg

 

 

A few years ago I asked the GM Dealer about the cradle bolt recall and from what I remember, they said it had already been performed. Obviously here in Wisconsin they salt the shit out of the roads every winter.... but man what a disaster! Does anyone know if the recall actually FIXES the problem or just gives you another "10 years" before this dangerous situation occurs?

 

Imagine if I had been driving when this happened!!

 

Tomorrow I'm getting it towed to the GM dealer. I have family managing the service department so hopefully I can get this taken care of. What probably all broke? Wouldn't you think this would create a giant "pry-bar effect" and destroy the front of the frame as well?

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yeah what happens is there are washers in there that hold everything like the rubber insulators to the frame. Those washers get brittle and then the slip over the head of the bolt, and this is what happens. Those bolts can be a real pain in the ass to get out even with a torch, so hopefully the dealer can get it done for ya.

 

My stats professor last semester had this happen to his Mercury, the family car, but the front fell out, not the rear, so forward motion usually flips the car end over end. He was fine, but ran to the store last minute before his son was supposed to take it out to the movies. Needless to say everyone was very lucky there.

 

Good luck and obviously all 4 of them should be removed and repaired. All new bolts and washers and rubber. Good luck man glad there wasn't any injuries.

 

 

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Step mothers Olds ran over it's engine. Car ended up high-centerd on top of the engine in the middle of an intersection. They told her the bolts fell out. Now I wonder if rust wasn't what happened to her car, she bought it new. I don't remember exact year of the car, had to be at least a '97. Anyway, good to hear no one was hurt. I think your car can be repaired. New brake lines, make sure axle shafts are not bent. I do think I'll put this on my list of things to do on my '90 TGP.

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