Topic: Drive on a broken birf?

[DTB]

IS it safe to drive with a broken birf on the road?

I can't see how it could be but I was TOLD that it is.... 


I know I have tried to drive before with one (just from the trail to the campground: not on the road) and it would drive straight and then lock up the steering....

There is no way to know if there are balls/race or broken parts floating around in the knuckle without taking it apart....correct?
 

Thanks

[MiniSimp]

I wouldn't.
It only takes 1/2 hour to take it out.

[Gittinit]

I drove home on a broken birf once, a trip of less than 8 miles. I will never do it again! I had to make only left hand turns for the last 1/2 mile or so. Sucks too couse I had to go around the block in order to get in my driveway. I was lucky , but I did cause myself extra work. I had to use a dremel to clean up the seal surface so I could get a new inner seal in there. I'f definately fortunate I ruin my housing, or worse, the steering could have locked up at just the right time causing an accident.

[blackdiamond]

I would think that if it just cracked you might be ok for a short distance, but once it starts affecting your steering it would be wildly unsafe.

[DTB [OP]]

I would think that if it just cracked you might be ok for a short distance, but once it starts affecting your steering it would be wildly unsafe.

well thats the thing...you have no way to know if its just cracked or in pieces without removing it!

[MiniSimp]

Drive at an idle speed and turn your steering right to left lock to lock, if you feel any binding, remove it.

[Rocksurfer]

Steering could lock at any moment even if it's just a crack, on a side note I can break a front axle and still drive home.

[MiniSimp]

Drove from pregnant dog trail back to camp at Hollister on this, wouldn't have taken it on the road though....

[All_Set]

IS it safe to drive with a broken birf on the road?

I can't see how it could be but I was TOLD that it is.... 


I know I have tried to drive before with one (just from the trail to the campground: not on the road) and it would drive straight and then lock up the steering....

There is no way to know if there are balls/race or broken parts floating around in the knuckle without taking it apart....correct?
 

Thanks

Sounds like you answered your own question.  Would you drive on the road given your *trail* experience?

For driving back to camp.  You take a chance.  The steering isn't so much an issue as I'd assume you're driving pretty slow and *limping* back to camp.  But what could happen is pretty much in Mini's post.. YOu could have just a busted birf, when you get back to camp, everything in the knuckle is shreaded.

If possible, stop immediatly and change out/remove the birf.