I smoked two curbs with my car (Volvo 240) and . . . ?

[martinnestor7]

Today I hit two curbs at approximately 30-40 kmph, because my driving skills had a brain fart. The car drives like it did before, but the guy at the repair shop said the wheel wasn't completely straight. I knew it needed an alignment which is why I brought it in (turns to the right). But they said that they needed to fix something else.

(On a side note, I also went in because I needed to put a new muffler on anyways. And the bills said like 1000$, so I was like screw that and drove away. The bill seems to be for replacing most of the exhaust system, which though maybe ideal, doesn't seem required / I can't afford it anyways).

I guess my question is that if it drives like it did before, other than the misaligned tires, is it safe to drive in general? Would I notice something big / obvious if there was something big / obviously wrong with the car?

BTW: the car is an 1986 Volvo 240, which is known to be pretty sturdy.
I already drove home so that's not the issue.

 

[Android V]

If your rims are bent, you could blow a tire on the highway. If anything is unbalanced you run a greater risk of loosing a tire or wheel, and at speed, that occurance will serious damage.

You should be able to find used rims at a junkyard for a more than reasonable price. Check out www.car-part.com. Thats a highly effective used parts search engine.

I wouldn't spend much over $20 for a steel wheel.

The alignment after replacing the wheels shouldn't cost you more than $100 dollars at most.

As for the exhaust, they probably want to replace your catalytic converter, which by itself can cost anwhere from $300-1000.

Best advice on that is to go to the muffler shop about an hour before close and tell the guy you just want the cheapest exhaust run on your car and that you are paying with cash.

Keeps your car quiet, puts a little money the pocket of the guy thats helpin you.

 

[Android V]

If your rims are bent, you could blow a tire on the highway. If anything is unbalanced you run a greater risk of loosing a tire or wheel, and at speed, that occurance will serious damage.

You should be able to find used rims at a junkyard for a more than reasonable price. Check out www.car-part.com. Thats a highly effective used parts search engine.

I wouldn't spend much over $20 for a steel wheel.

The alignment after replacing the wheels shouldn't cost you more than $100 dollars at most.

As for the exhaust, they probably want to replace your catalytic converter, which by itself can cost anwhere from $300-1000.

Best advice on that is to go to the muffler shop about an hour before close and tell the guy you just want the cheapest exhaust run on your car and that you are paying with cash.

Keeps your car quiet, puts a little money the pocket of the guy thats helpin you.