To recap, we broke the spring on the driver’s-side wheels of our 2001 Citation after bouncing over a monster curb just west of Palm Springs; then, not knowing it was busted, drove more than 130 miles to Boron, Calif., arriving in the remote Mohave Desert community on Saturday evening.
Fortunately Jimmy heard from the manager of the Arabian RV Oasis in Boron that there was a reliable repair shop nearby.
Early Monday morning we limped the three miles into Mike’s Automotive (24045 ’20 Mule Team Road’) where mechanic Kenny Oliver exclaimed, “Holy Smokes!” when he crawled under the 5th wheel and saw the dangling spring.
After jacking up the Citation and removing the broken assembly, Kenny measured for a new spring and pointed out not only the main leaf break, but also a previous break of the second leaf.
“No wonder it snapped,” he said. (Click on the photos to enlarge and better see the breaks.)
After shop owner Pat Ramsey drove at least 90 miles round trip into Lancaster to secure a replacement part; Kenny maneuvered, fitted, and bolted down the new spring into position.
By 1 p.m. we were back on the road, thanks to the great customer service of Mike’s Automotive and the extensive skills of Kenny Oliver (left) who started working on cars about 35 years ago.
Total bill for the part and labor was just a few pennies over $175.
— Post and photos by Julianne G. Crane
