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« on: September 04, 2022, 04:43:35 pm »
The other day I was driving a neighbor around in my white Fiero when I heard a "thunk", and suddenly my volt meter went down. Turns out that my low mount alternator bracket had broken again -- the home welding fix wasn't good enough. This time I wasn't very far from home, so I took a chance and drove home. It was just starting to spew coolant when I got there. I contacted Fiero Rog and asked him to rush me another bracket. He said he could rush one, but it wouldn't be painted. That was Ok with me.
So now I'm down to one Fiero, and a friend in NC had just bought a house and was having a house warming party Friday evening. So I hop in my yellow Fiero and get there without incident. Yesterday I'm on my way back home when, at about 37 miles before the GA border on I-85, my car becomes almost uncontrollable. Luckily there weren't any cars near me, because I was zig-zagging down the highway. I managed to get it to the side and then slowly crept to the next exit, about a mile away. This car is an 88, which as you may know has a trailing arm suspension in the rear. The trailing arm and two lateral arms are connected to the knuckle with bushings. As near as I can tell, one of the lateral bushings on the passenger side completely disintegrated. I was a little more than 100 miles from home at that point, and was able get a tow home, with AAA paying for the 100 miles and me paying for the rest.
Meanwhile my new bracket came in yesterday, so today I put my white Fiero back together.
Had there been other cars around me yesterday, it could have been the end.