GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

So up until yesterday I had been procrastinating on gettng winter tires, either i didn't have the capability to put them on my car or i could just hold off on spending the money. Well yesterday my little frosty paid the price for it. I was driving down a 35 mile an hour road at about 30 mile an hour because it was all snowy and some idiot started pulling out in front of me so i pulled to the left and the car just kept going. I decided to attempt to pull onto a side steet and the car didn't follow my direction to well. I looked down as i hit the curb and I was going about 24-25 miles an hour. Needless to say it didn't feel good and my car was immediately undrivable and my Kosei rim was trashed. I was soo mad and frustrated that i actually sat down in my car (while in uniform mind you) and cried. So I called up tirerack.com while i was waiting for the tow truck and ordered some Blizzak WS60 205 55R16's for m stocker alloy rims. The insurance adjuster called me up today and told me he'd have the final info for me tomorrow afternoon but as of right now i'm going to need a new front fog light, probably a new front bumper, and definitely a new rim and tire, he also said that he's almost certain that my alignment is done and i may have to have my frame straightened out. Sad Day....needless to say i learned my lesson snow tires really do make a difference and summer high performance tires are not meant to drive on the snow. I did take some pictures on my phone and i'll post them up when i pull them off my phone.

sorry to hear that joe.Next time borrow a hummer

that sucks dude i woulda cried too i pretty much did when that poppa johns sign hit my car and the kid left

That really sucks man. Good thing is you're ok and hopefully the damage is minimal! Hope they get ya fixed up,The winter tires will be a nice thing to have,

You forgot to blame the stupid *** that pulled out in front of you during those conditions. It's not your fault and depending on the situation, the winter tires may not have even helped anyway. I feel for you.A few years ago I was driving very slow and cautious but I was on a slight hill heading towards a busy intersection. Lots of snow and ice. I started braking quite a ways from the light but it was too slick so I had to make the decision to chance sliding through the intersection (I had a red light of course) or turning the car into the curb. Since I was planning on getting aftermarket rims soon I bit the bullet and swerved the car into the curb as gently as possible to slow it down She'll be fine You've still got a couple months to get her prepped for all the summer/spring activities lol.

Ouch man. I think that me and Merz know how you feel.

Oh no...poor Frosty! I'm sorry to hear that, but glad you're OK. That stupid donkey that hurt Frosty...don't worry...karma's gonna get him! You really didn't need this, especially right now, so I hope she gets fixed ASAP

On the snowey 35 mph road I was on I (and most of the traffic) was going 15-20 mph.

That's too bad. Hopefully there's no frame damage.

OUCH! sorry to hear, Joe. Hopefully, it's not too bad.

That's a drag Joe.I honestly didn't think you guys got snow down there.

i'm so sorry this happened. i almost did the same thing, lucky i just jumped onto the curb missing a tree by a few feet. that's when i got my winters too. sucks that it takes something like this for us to get off our buts and do something. i hope the damage isn't that bad and it gets fixed quickly and properly.

Quote, originally posted by kevera »I honestly didn't think you guys got snow down there.Normally we don't and that's why i didn't get the snow tires for so long.Anyways update on the car...for sure my right front suspension is going to need replacing, everything from the strut, the control arm and the actual axle, and they're checking the others on friday to see if they have any damage also.

boy when you do something in, you do it in.

Slick roads and drivers that don't seem to care when they launch into traffic suck. At least you didn't hit the other car... the whole thing could have turned out a lot worse. Make sure they fix the damage properly. Your Kosei wheel is still available from the manufacturer, so you can replace it? Get some pics up when you get a chance.

yeah they've already ordered the replacement rim and tire.

Didn't you already replace a rim in the summer.I seem to remember you telling me that,when we were swapping tires over at the Nascar track

That sucks. I've had the same exact situation happen to me too. I feel your pain.

Bought replacement insurance day! I waited and waited... I had 120 days from the day of purchase to buy this special insurance.... finally decide to get it, just in case

joe! i feel your pain! i did about the same thing a couple years ago, but at a slower speed. i was turning a corner, and i practically headed straight for the curb. what a pisser. luckily, once i realized the tires weren't biting, i pulled the hand brake and kinda slid to the curb and it looked like i slid into a parking space.hope it gets fixed soon

Quote, originally posted by joholste »Normally we don't and that's why i didn't get the snow tires for so long.Anyways update on the car...for sure my right front suspension is going to need replacing, everything from the strut, the control arm and the actual axle, and they're checking the others on friday to see if they have any damage also.Man, I had the SAME thing happen to me and my VW... SAME THING... well, nobody pulled out in front of me, I was on a main street, pulling onto a side street and the car just kept going... A-arm, strut, wheel, CV halfshaft all gone in one BANG... I was 50' from my house to... I wish I woulda known you were going to buy Blizzaks to brotha... Though they are great for the ice/slush you likely get there most times.. they get chewed up on dry pavement VERY quickly... I WOULD rate them as the best i've owned, but I also drive a lot of dry pavement, so I can't justify the purchase again... Sorry to hear about poor Frosty.. As others have mentioned as well, the snows "may" not have helped in the situation, they very well could have, but just 2 weeks ago we got some nasty slippery stuff and I was rounding a corner, that I had prepaired for, slowed down well before the corner, and just as I started to turn the wheel, the car pushed out toward the left turn lane, of oncoming traffic.. I didn't even think about it and slapped my hand down on the Ebrake (flat on the button) and YANKED... I spun the car 180 in the road, but I didn't hit anyone or anything... Freaked me out for a second as I feel i'm a VERY good winter driver.. ANd i'm on snow tires.. sometimes, you just can't plan for things... Glad nothing else happened man... it's just a car...

well i got the initial estimate today and I broke my axle, bent my control arm, chipped my disc brake, and managed to hit my axle into the bottom of the body panel. currently they are quoting me 2098 dollars to repair, but they haven't had a chance to check the frame yet.

so i got off the phone with my adjuster this morning and he said that they fixed the right side of my car, put it up on the alignment machine only to discover that i had similar damage on the other side as well...estimate is now up to a little under 4600. I just want my car back, i'm tired of driving a stinking dodge caliber

Quote, originally posted by joholste »so i got off the phone with my adjuster this morning and he said that they fixed the right side of my car, put it up on the alignment machine only to discover that i had similar damage on the other side as well...estimate is now up to a little under 4600. I just want my car back, i'm tired of driving a stinking dodge caliberI definitely feel your pain. My GT will go into the shop probably early next week, and I'll be driving a PT Cruiser until I get it back

sorry, but tires can make A HUGE difference! first winter in my LGT I slid into the back end of an F250. $5500 in damage, my fault. and i was doing less than 10 mph.... on the stock tires and rims. I bought some snow tires shortly after and it made so much of a difference! Now, just because I have AWD I know it doesn't mean I have ALL WHEEL STOP. I have dedicated studded snow tires for both cars.

Quote, originally posted by tribalman »i'm so sorry this happened. i almost did the same thing, sucks that it takes something like this for us to get off our buts and do something. i hope the damage isn't that bad and it gets fixed quickly and properly.x2

ok so today they discovered that the wheel bearings on the driver side were messed up...haven't gotten a quote on that yet.

i hate to say it but it's getting to that 80% to value point. they may total it

Quote, originally posted by keithvibe »i hate to say it but it's getting to that 80% to value point. they may total ityeah i know, i'm getting a little worried again

well i got my car back, 5300 dollars worth of damage. so sad... but now i'm happy.

hope it handles good as new. you got lucky this time joe.....

I'm glad you got it back!

Quote, originally posted by joholste »well i got my car back, 5300 dollars worth of damage. so sad... but now i'm happy.dang thats cutting it close, glad you got it back though

well i was looking at the car today and i realized that when they replaced the passenger side strut, they used original springs and left the other 3 lowering springs, i was trying to figure out why it was acting funny! so now i have to get ahold of the shop and hope they haven't thrown away the spring.