17-04-2020, 12:19 PM
I had heard that three bearing cranks often snap when ascending a slight gradient on light throttle at 28 mph. This is the exact scenario when this happened. I had the garage where I work come and tow me back to Gloucester. As I was paying I didn’t crawl underneath to hook up the towrope. The driver managed to mistake the steering cross rod for the front axle… All was well until we descend a long straight hill to Seven Springs.
The tow was too fast. I applied the brakes to try and slow us all down and immediately the car went crazy. Shooting to the left and to the right, we were doing 40 mph. My horn was a bicycle bulb horn. Squeak squeak honk honk all to no avail as the tow truck went even faster. It was a terrifying out of control roller coaster down the hill and my fiancee and myself are preparing to abandon ship the next time it careered towards the grass verge (grass being softer than tarmac). Then we arrived at the junction at the bottom of the hill and the tow track slowed almost to a halt, I was out of
the Austin running up to the tow vehicle and dragging the driver out. I was so angry that he had not once checked if all was ok behind him. Looking at the Austin both front wheels were splayed out a crazy angle, each on full lock in different directions.
We were so lucky to get away with that incident. My garage waived the tow fee, because of that.
Roly
The tow was too fast. I applied the brakes to try and slow us all down and immediately the car went crazy. Shooting to the left and to the right, we were doing 40 mph. My horn was a bicycle bulb horn. Squeak squeak honk honk all to no avail as the tow truck went even faster. It was a terrifying out of control roller coaster down the hill and my fiancee and myself are preparing to abandon ship the next time it careered towards the grass verge (grass being softer than tarmac). Then we arrived at the junction at the bottom of the hill and the tow track slowed almost to a halt, I was out of
the Austin running up to the tow vehicle and dragging the driver out. I was so angry that he had not once checked if all was ok behind him. Looking at the Austin both front wheels were splayed out a crazy angle, each on full lock in different directions.
We were so lucky to get away with that incident. My garage waived the tow fee, because of that.
Roly
1931 RN, 1933 APD