Alignment problem, or is firestone just lazy...

01yellazx3 · Mar 7, 2005

About 4 months ago I smacked the hell out of a curb and blew a tire, bent a tie rod, and knocked the alignment wayyy off. We took it to Firestone bc it was closest and I could get there on all backroads in about 4-5 mins. The car was pretty rough and I didn't wanna hold up traffic.

Anyway, after they aligned it (and we took out a lifetime alignment warranty), everything was good but the steering wheel was slightly off center to the left. Well it got progressively worse so I take it in again last friday and tell them the steering wheel is off center kinda bad, but the car isn't pulling or drifting. They find it was a little off in the left front, so they re-align it and send me on my way. Well the steering wheel is still off center as hell even after the alignment, so I'm starting to get worried maybe I broke/bent something in the steering when I hit the curb. But anyway, I take it back in today and tell them the steering wheel is still off center. So they re-align it again, and to my surprise the steering wheel is almost perfectly centered again, almost.

So do you think it's possible I messed something up in the steering somewhere that could cause the steering wheel to be off centered? Or were the local Firestone boys just too lazy to center it right the first couple times? I'm still a little worried something may be bent, but since its so much better I dunno.

Zoomer69 · Mar 7, 2005

Take it back and bitch. Until they can produce evidence something's still damaged, there's no excuse for the steering wheel being like that.

frenchbluefocus · Mar 7, 2005

There is nothing wrong as long as it is still not pulling. The tech who is doing the alignment is not doing a very good job. There is a bar that they wedge to the floor to make sure that the wheels are stright while they do the front tire alignmet and they must not be using that. I would keep taking it back until they get it right.

zx3focusguy · Mar 7, 2005

Even if you did have a slightly bent tie rod or tie rod end it's nothing that would throw the wheel off center after an alignment. Sounds to me like the guy doing the alignment is croseyed or something and can't get the wheel centered.

Scott

01yellazx3 · Mar 7, 2005

Thanks guys. Yea I figured it was the guys at Firestone's fault and nothing else. It is much better now, but if I notice a problem when I'm driving it again it'll go right back til they get it right.

mikeyboy · Mar 7, 2005

well, let me play devils advocate and assume that the guy doing the alignment DID have the wheel straight when he did it.

are the other factors that would pull the wheel out of true while driving vs. while sitting still in the alignment shop?

i'm wondering if you damaged bushings or control arm mounts or something that would pull it out of alignment when moving forward (read: when force is applied) but let it appear to be straight while sitting still.

or -- if they lift the car to do the alignment, is there something that would pull it out of true after you set it down and put weight back on the tires?

just some ideas. i always hate to immediately assume the professional doesn't know how to do his job (but sometimes i reach this conclusion later through trial & error).

01yellazx3 · Mar 8, 2005

That's definitely a possibility too, but wouldn't they, or shouldn't they, have noticed damage like that when they fixed the car initially? They inspected it and found the bent tie rod etc., wouldn't they have checked everything?

zx3focusguy · Mar 8, 2005

well, let me play devils advocate and assume that the guy doing the alignment DID have the wheel straight when he did it.

are the other factors that would pull the wheel out of true while driving vs. while sitting still in the alignment shop?

i'm wondering if you damaged bushings or control arm mounts or something that would pull it out of alignment when moving forward (read: when force is applied) but let it appear to be straight while sitting still.

or -- if they lift the car to do the alignment, is there something that would pull it out of true after you set it down and put weight back on the tires?

just some ideas. i always hate to immediately assume the professional doesn't know how to do his job (but sometimes i reach this conclusion later through trial & error).

A loose tie-rod end or bushing could very well do this. BUT when the alignment is done all the weight is on the tires. Just like as if you were driving. Heck, all Cadillac's specs require 200# of additional weight added to the center of the car to simulate it loaded.

Scott

pdq92eagle · Mar 24, 2005

If you bent only one tie rod, they would have had to replace it, and seeing that the car was aligned properly, and with centered steering. If properly aligned after repair, the wheel should be centered. If it is off center now, I would feel that the toe in is off and because the two wheels will want to run the same toe (although now scrubbing), it would throw the steering center off. The good side of the front end should be still determining the steering wheel position. From what I know, camber is not adjustable, so if that was thrown off, it could be effecting the alignment. Camber is the tilt of the wheels when viewed from the front. Set the car on a level area and view from the front. Should be close to up&down.

Alignment problem, or is firestone just lazy...

01yellazx3

Zoomer69

frenchbluefocus

zx3focusguy

01yellazx3

mikeyboy

01yellazx3

zx3focusguy

pdq92eagle

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