This Is Why You Need a Skidplate

[ClayW]

I think M3 springs/Koni SA is really the ideal compromise.

OP, it almost looks like the hit to the rack could have smashed the adjusting nut for the pinion gear in a bit. That would have made things much worse. Are you planning on keeping that rack?

The impact took a good-sized chunk out of the rack. Amazingly, it's not leaking. Anyway, I am definitely going to replace it, since a rack in this condition can't even be used as a core. Also, I'm filing a claim with my insurance company, so I might as well do it right.



To the "Lowering it is stupid" crowd: My car has Bilstein BTS springs and shock, which take it down about 1.5" I also have drop hats, which take it down another .5" or so. I drive the car daily in the city, though construction areas and over countless speedbumps and, until now, I have never even scraped the underside. There was an unusually tall obstruction in the road and I hit it.

[Yakinho]

Almost impossible to drive over there these days. I was going on a manhole cover slalom run in my m6 earlier today... There's got to be a 5 inch difference in height between the road and the covers.

[GT BMW E30]

lol damn. i just stated this it the other thread. when the city repairs the road manholes are extremely high. i went down a street in china town they were redoing. i turned onto the street like wtf........ drop. then saw nothing but manholes up the block. wtf. it still scraped when i drove one side over. i did not think i was extremely low.

[ToPLeSS(e30)FeinD]

There's a town called Chevy Chase? That's awesome.

thats all i got from this.

but yes. skid plate > fresh oil oil changes

[andrewill]

Is your car lowered or stock ride height??

[LJ851]

Is your car lowered or stock ride height??

You didn't even read the thread, did you?




Clay, it's a good thing you hadn't just put a fancy new quick ratio rack on, oh wait a minute....


That sucks, sorry.

[SmokeE30]

A hit like that would have damaged a lot of skid plates out there. I am running a skid plate because I'm low but even at stock height it's not hard to bottom out with the condition of the roads here on the easy coast. Roads around me in the Philly region blow. PennDOT thinks its ok to have small curbs running across the street and ignores pot holes that could swallow a wheel with ease.

[andrewill]

You didn't even read the thread, did you?

dammit, my bad.

[ClayW]

Just got word that my insurance company won't total my car and will pay for a new oil pan and rack. Yippee!

[Roysneon]

Just got word that my insurance company won't total my car and will pay for a new oil pan and rack. Yippee!

Now tell us how much your deductable is and how much your rates will increase from having a claim. Cool that your insurance is actaully doing something for you.

[LJ851]

Just got word that my insurance company won't total my car and will pay for a new oil pan and rack. Yippee!

I'd try to get a factory reman if they are paying the bill.

[Wschnitz]

I'd try to get a factory reman if they are paying the bill.

You can get brand new steering racks, why get a re manufactured one. Check RealOEM im not joking, they are like 2k but why not right?

[LJ851]

You can get brand new steering racks, why get a re manufactured one. Check RealOEM im not joking, they are like 2k but why not right?

I am aware of new racks, i figured that would be a little bit more than the insurance company could swallow.

[ClayW]

Now tell us how much your deductable is and how much your rates will increase from having a claim. Cool that your insurance is actaully doing something for you.

My deductable is $200 and my rates are not going up.

What's your point?

[ClayW]

You can get brand new steering racks, why get a re manufactured one. Check RealOEM im not joking, they are like 2k but why not right?

Insurance companies will only pay up to a percentage of the total value before totaling the car. In most states, that's around 75% of the total value. The idea is that if your car is worth $10,000 and they get above $7,500 in damage estimation, they are at risk of going over the total value if they find anything else wrong with the car as a result of that accident. If they estimate $9,000 in damage on a $10,000 car, it's less risky just to give you the check for $10,000.

In my case, my E30 is only worth about $3,000 on paper (for more money, yes, you can usually get a higher, agreed upon value). With a remanufactured steering rack, the damage bill is around $1,700. If I they specified a factory remanufactured rack for $1,193.31 (Realoem.com price), I'd be way over. Since I had a remanufactured rack (~$300 + $150 core), replacing it with one is just fine. Also, I didn't even bother going into the mess of telling them that I had a Z3 rack, etc. That would have confused the hell out of them.

I'm just happy that I have an understanding adjuster and a reputable insurance company that isn't trying to screw me out of every dollar possible.