On Sunday I hit the curb with my left rear wheel.
Pretty much a drifting accident, except I wasn't drifting, someone tipped diesel on the road for their burns outs and I came driving along after they left and unintentionally joined the fun.

Anyway, I bent my wheel in. I replaced the obviously bent lower control arm and nothing else seemed to be bent. A visual check and feel by fingers indicated that nothing else was bent.

I adjusted my toe (the maximum amount) and my car tracks straight now, steering wheel straight ahead, etc, no vibrations.


Unfortunately I think I've bent my axle. I can hear a sound when going over 40mph.

I jacked the rear of my car up today, started it and my wheel is moving in and out slightly.
I put the spare on, to make sure it wasn't a bent rim and it was also doing it.

I took the wheel off and had another look with the engine going and I can see the axle seems to be very slightly bent.


With the wheel off I touched the outer edge of the disc with my finger and it was moving about 1/2 a mm.

I'm going to replace the axle, but what I'm wondering is, considering I don't feel a thing at motorway speeds, could this movement simply be caused by the car being raised up?
1/2 a mm of movement on the disc should surely create a movement of 2mm or so at the tread, shouldn't I feel this?


Could a slightly bent axle like this create a noise? I can only hear it with the windows up. Road noise covers the sound, I had a friend pace me in his car and he couldn't hear anything.

Could a wheel bearing on it's way out cause the axle to appear bent? The bearing would explain the noise. Maybe it's both the bearing and the axle?

 

This was in my Skyline, so it's rear wheel drive and I'm talking about the left half shaft. (irs)