Metal hit Lexus underbody

[James Morse]

Other half is down in SC and said on I-77 a piece of sheet metal about 6" x 24" flew in front of her, from who knows where (these things happen fast), went under the Lexus RX300, made a loud noise, and now the brakes squeak (they didn't before - just had them done, fronts anyway). And she thinks car is "wobbly" but she doesn't know if it is or if she is imagining it because of what happened. I told her look under and see is there obvious damage, is the metal stuck there, is it losing fluid, she says no none of those things. So I told her when she comes back tomorrow (400 miles) just make sure leave extra room, be safe, all that. If car is in fact wobbly maybe metal hit something in the steering. Maybe it's nothing and just coincidental brakes squeak happened at the same time but that would be a heck of a coincidence.
I don't guess there's much anybody can say about that absent more information, just ranting here. I suppose metal could have hit one of the brakes and moved something but seems like that would be a heck of a hit, but if the metal got jammed under and folded up I suppose it could happen. All conjecture on my part, when it gets back (hopefully) then I'll know more, or just have hired wrench look at it.

 

[Shran]

Dang, hope for the best. My buddy's wife ran over a street sign with her 2019 Prius and their mechanic said it looked like someone took a samurai sword to the underbelly of the car (it still ran and drove.) Body shop said they didn't even want to work on it and totalled it. I guess it ripped up a bunch of wiring, part of the floor and other things.

 

[fastpakr]

Dang, hope for the best. My buddy's wife ran over a street sign with her 2019 Prius and their mechanic said it looked like someone took a samurai sword to the underbelly of the car (it still ran and drove.) Body shop said they didn't even want to work on it and totalled it. I guess it ripped up a bunch of wiring, part of the floor and other things.

A few years ago I came around a curve on a 55mph back road with the sun in my eyes. Saw what looked like a plastic grocery bag in the road as a car was coming towards me in the oncoming lane so I couldn't swerve. Realized a second too late that it was a large rock. It went under my old Subaru Forester and hit everything possible underneath. Felt like a bomb went off. I coasted to the side of the road and there were fluids coming out like arterial bleeds.

The best part was that from the outside the car looked like nothing had ever happened. I had it towed to a shop and got a hilarious call from the mechanic that put it up on the lift. Sounded like he'd seen a ghost. I guess he didn't realize I'd accepted it as a total loss from the get go. He started to go through the list of things he'd seen in a cursory look - mangled oil pan, missing transmission pan, twisted suspension links and exhaust, etc.

 

[James Morse]

Man. That's a hard hit. Sign must have flipped up and tore the vehicle apart under.
One time I was driving down in Arkansas, or maybe Louisiana - on way from Little Rock to Atlanta, anyway, and an entire large tire flew up in front of me and just cleared going over the roof over my head. If that had been 6" lower I would have been toast.
People do get killed by stuff falling off. Unsecured truck loads, etc.
Edit. Wow fastpakr glad you weren't part of the damage.

 

[Curious Hound]

James. Where is she in SC? If not too far away, I could go take a look if you would like. Just to give some peace of mind.

My phone # is in your private messages if you need it.

 

[CrabGuy]

Many years ago I was driving my 63 Econoline on an LA freeway with heavy but fast moving traffic. I noticed several cars ahead were swerving right or left I slowed a bit as the car ahead of swerved left. In the middle of my lane was a newly rebuilt SBC long block wrapped in plastic. I avoided it but 1000' ahead in the RH lane was a really clean 56 Ford pickup with the entire front axle and wheels lodged up against the rear wheels. I've had a 6x6 beam fall off a flatbed on I-5 and total a rental car I was in. I could barely get off the freeway with 3 bent rims and flt tires. We all have our driving horror stories I'm sure.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Does it have wheel weights on the inside of the rim?

Coulda just knocked a weight off.

 

[James Morse]

Hm I dunno about the weights that's a good thought.

 

[JoshT]

Seeing as this happened two or three days ago, I imagine she's made it home by now. Hope all ended well without too much damage.

Many years ago I was driving my 63 Econoline on an LA freeway with heavy but fast moving traffic. I noticed several cars ahead were swerving right or left I slowed a bit as the car ahead of swerved left. In the middle of my lane was a newly rebuilt SBC long block wrapped in plastic. I avoided it but 1000' ahead in the RH lane was a really clean 56 Ford pickup with the entire front axle and wheels lodged up against the rear wheels. I've had a 6x6 beam fall off a flatbed on I-5 and total a rental car I was in. I could barely get off the freeway with 3 bent rims and flt tires. We all have our driving horror stories I'm sure.

Considering the vehicles involves, and traffic moving fast on an LA freeway, I'm gonna guess that the vehicles were at least 20 years newer at the time. Rough way to try to do an engine swap on an old Ford, sounds like neither the truck nor engine agreed with it.