Hit the Curb....

Hey guys,

I was going down a fairly steep hill with windy turns and there was about 2 cms of snow that had just fallen. I was going to fast on the turn and lost control of the car. The vehicle made 180 degree turn and my left rear tire made out with the curb and my front left tire followed after.

The impact was hard enough to scuff up the alloys and it appears my rear suspension beam is bent on the left side causing my left tire looks like \ as opposed to my right tire that looks | . Rims are straight and the car drives normal. The alignment is definitely off on the front as my steering wheel needs to be on the left side to drive straight.

Got my car up on a hoist and these are the two pictures I took. Its evident that the beam is bent and needs replacing. He also recommended I change the wheel bearing as it's likely damaged. I managed to find instructions on how to replace the beam but it looks like a lot of work. Going to e-mail my local wreckers to see if they are cheaper then the dealership.

They needed an hour to inspect the "problem area" ($106.00 for the hour) before they could quote me the cost of labour. So I never bothered since I'll be paying what I already know. My guess with labour and parts is approximately $1000 - $2000. My friend is a mechanic and he made the recommendation of changing the wheel bearings (sorry if that caused confusion).

Option A New (Genuine Nissan Parts)
1 x Rear Suspension Beam $800.00
1 x Wheel Bearing $400.00
2 x Brake Fluid $8.99 Each
5 - 6 Hour Labour $106.00 per/hour
Total: $1748 - $1854 plus tax

Option B (Used Parts and New Parts)
1 x Used Rear Suspension Beam $150.00
1 x New Wheel Bearing $400.00
2 x Brake Fluid $8.99 Each
10 Hours Labour with Friends (cost of dinner and a case of beer)
Total: $500 - $600

I spoke with the Nissan parts guy and he said I'll probably need two bottles of brake fluid when I do the flush.
I've decided IF I need to replace the wheel bearing I'll get a new one. Getting a used wheel bearing is pointless.
I also managed to get permission to use the back shop at my work to do the repair over the weekend