Auto repair shop recommendations wanted, Port Jervis, NY.

[randomness]

Heya all! Victoria and I are currently in a Comfort Inn in Port Jervis, NY. Anyone have any recommendations for a reliable auto repair shop?

The steering wheel suddenly developed a decided occasional shimmy. Then, we started hearing a knocking sound. At about that point we decided that discretion was the better part of valor, and we pulled into the motel lot.

A quick shake of the passenger's side front wheel revealed significant play.

From this, I suspect something along the lines of a tie rod end about to fail. Anyone have another diagnosis, from what I'm describing? The onset of this particular set of symptoms was pretty fast: from first odd inklings to "pull it off the road" was sixty miles at most.

If it's what I think it is, failure tends to cause you to lose the ability to steer. I think this would be a bad thing to happen, particularly when going downhill at highway speed, but generally it's a lousy thing to have happen whenever you're driving.

Tomorrow, we look for repair shops. Anyone have either a recommendation for or against in this neighborhood?

We made it pretty far today. All the way from Cleveland! A couple of hours more and we'd have made it to Vic's friends in Putnam Co. But hey, you don't mess with this, if it's what I suspect.

Mostly, I'm glad it didn't actually fail while we were rolling downhill through the Poconos with a semi tailgating us at 75 mph. We'd be flat!

Comments

[bloodstones.livejournal.com]

I have no advice about fixing your car. I just think that when you do get it fixed, you should drive to Chicago. We could go to the diner where boysquid proposed. Except, you know, since you're you, you've probably already been.

[r-ness.livejournal.com]

That wasn't Omega in Niles, was it?

That's the only diner I remember going to in Chicago.

[bloodstones.livejournal.com]

No. It's the White Castle downtown near the loop. It's great. If we're there not to late a lot of the customers are all dressed up in suits and it seems like it's the after drinks after a show crowd. The food is greasy. The milkshakes are tasty. We're usually the only white people in the place and the waitresses all call you 'hun', and encourage you to indulge when you order said tasty milkshake.