Damage Part II: Something in my suspension is snapped!

[Sig]

This is somewhat of a sequal to my previous post about my side view mirror getting broke off by a vandal. My theory of how they did it is as follows: jumping up and landing on the mirror with their butt, allowing their full weight to rip off the mirror. Today I was able to inspect the car thoroughly in daylight and uncovered some very troubling damage. I was looking at the front left tire and thinking this doesn't look right. Then I realized that something was very wrong with the picture, the top of the tire had barely any clearance between it and the top of the wheel well. I am running complete stock setup, so no lowering has been done. I compare it to the other side which has three times the clearance. So now I am scared. I have no idea what the possibilities are to cause this. I have not driven it either.
So does anybody know anything about suspension damage?
Thanks in advance for any input.

 

[Nsxotic]

Here's a theory...... Do you have nice aftermarket wheels? Check the bottom of you car behind the front wheel(where someone would jack it up) Look for fresh scratches. Maybe someone tried to steal your wheels and couldn't get them off... Pissed, they just dropped the car back down, possibly breaking the lug bolts. Maybe the suspension isn't dropped, but rather the wheel is higher due to broken studs.... Jack your car up and take a look. There really isn't any way that it could drop like that with the shock/spring still in place. After they dropped it being unable to get your wheels, they punched your mirror off. Just a stupid theory but I bet parts are true.

------------------

Todd Arnold
http://www.geocities.com/nsxcessive/index.html

 

[Sig]

NSXotic-
This theory is very plausible, seeing that I do have wheel lock lugs. One thing I should add is a clarification on when I said I have not driven it. I have not driven it, but only since I noticed the problem with wheel clearance. I did drive 100 highway miles home from my girlfriends house where this occurred, this while assuming the mirror was the only problem. During this drive, nothing stood out to me as being blantantly wrong. Then again, I was not really paying much attention, because I was thinking through scenarios of what I would have done had I caught the guy in the act.
IF in fact "studs are broken" would the car still be driveable?

 

[nsxman]

Regretfully, vandalism will be teated under the comprehensive section of your insurance policy, therefore, reimbursement will be subject to your deductible.

Re: suspension. Open your front hood and inspect the shock tower for any damage. Is there any chance the tire has gone flat?

BTW, where did this happen?

 

[Sig]

In response to the tire being flat: The tire is low on air but not flat. Even so, I wouldn't think that this would account for the gross differential in clearance to the top of the wheel well. If anything if the tire was fully inflated, there will be even less clearance. I will find out tomorrow. Could you explain how a low psi tire would change the clearence in the wheel well so drastically? I am a novice as far as suspension type stuff goes.
As for the location, it happened at James Madison University in Harrisonburg Va where my girlfriend is a grad student.

 

[QWKSLVR]

Sig, sorry to hear of your misfortune. I'm from your neck of the woods & I initially thought the incident might have happened here in Northern VA, would have made me extra paranoid. I guess you've got to be really cautious parking in the open in a college town. If you need a great mechanic to work on your NSX, email me-my guy does a better job than any of the local Acura dealers & is very reasonable.

 

[nsxman]

Sig:

I used to take trips to Harrisonburg for a similar reason... it appears that things have changed...

Re: tire query. As you indicated, a flat tire would not necessarily change the spacing (although there would be some weight transfer that could cause a droop). The question was part of a search for clues.

You can determine where your problem lays by using a yardstick. Place the yardstick adjacent to the left wheel and measure the height to the top of the tire and to the top of the hood. Compare to the right side.

If the tire height is the same but the hood height is different (lower), a problem would be indicated in the front suspension, e.g., a collapsed spring, deformed upper or lower control arms, ball joint failure, compliance pivot or stabilizer link problems.

I would raise the front left wheel and examine the components that connect it to the chassis. Compare these to the right front. I suspect you'll find your problem as the height difference you describe indicates that something is wrong.

 

[Larry Bastanza]

Sig,

You spoke about some incredible force breaking off your mirror. If this really was the case this force could have compressed the front suspension and possibly has broken a shock, or spring. Get the wheel off and look carefully at the suspension parts, all of them. Look for possible leakage on the shock and/or broken parts. This may be a long shot, but the whole story sounds a little strange.

Good luck, hope you get to the bottom of it soon.

HTH,
LarryB