I needed a quick diagnosis from someone who's experienced over the internets

I clipped a guard rail Thursday night driving like a nearsighted Asian lesbian on crack in a snow storm. I managed to pop a tire and scratch up a rim, but the over all condition of everything looked sound. Didn't do any body damage whatsoever, and I thank the snow for that.

My question is, it feels like it is pulling hardcore on the passenger side of the car, this is where the impact was. I'm 100% the alignment is out of whack, and I intend to go get one, but this is my only car and I do drive it frequently.

The pull was bad enough that I would have to have the wheel cocked with the center spokes perpendicular to the left to drive straight.

I put it up on jackstands today, and inspected the caliper and brake pads, figuring the caliper may have seized in the impact. Unfortunately though it is rubbing a bit more than I would expect, it isn't seized as far as I can tell.

I'm wondering what you all would check in this scenario? I figure an alignment reading will give me a good idea of what may be wrong, but I'm not sure how to read the sheet to diagnose my problem. So far I'm thinking the following could be damaged:

Rear subframe
Upper control arm
Lower control arm
Axle (?)
Transmission (?)

I've replaced the shock on the front (put rear coilovers in last weekend, fronts today), and ran the transmission through gears, both sides seem to spin in 4th and up, but in 1st gear it seems like the driverside slows down much much faster than the passengerside.

Please halp?

 

Whatsup george? Did you get that gsr going yet? If you can not physically see anything bent I would replace the rim and go get an alignment first. The alignment tech will be able to tell you if anything is bent. If anything was bent I would suspect the lower or uper control arm.

-Chris

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by white90rexsi &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Whatsup george? Did you get that gsr going yet? If you can not physically see anything bent I would replace the rim and go get an alignment first. The alignment tech will be able to tell you if anything is bent. If anything was bent I would suspect the lower or uper control arm.

-Chris</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yeah, I already need new upper and lowers anyway, I'm just broke as a joke right now.

I didn't get the GSR in yet, but I was going to get it from the machine shop this weekend. However I'm strapped and I've gotta get books for classes, so I'm going to get it out of the shop with end of the month check.

Ended up needing to overbore the ****** .25 and decided to put in 9:1 pistons. Everything else was pretty clean and with some luck I'll get it in by the 3rd, but I'm not entirely sure. I'm having trouble finding someone knowledgable enough that wants to be paid in beer for helping out

Did you ever get your VTEC problem fixed man?

 

Check your tie rod ends and tie rod on that side....radius rod? Maybe knocked the castor out of wack.....

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SIred91 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Check your tie rod ends and tie rod on that side....radius rod? Maybe knocked the castor out of wack.....</TD></TR></TABLE>

Thanks, will do. I think I may wait on the alignment and see, I wouldn't think the tie rod ends would just make it that way, the steering still feels tight and generally good, just pulls hard to the left. The tie rods aren't actually spinning, so I wouldn't expect them to be the problem.

Radius rod I could see doing it, but everything measures right from both sides with a quick estimate.

I guess I'll see and get back with an answer.

Thanks guys,

 

Bump for more ideas till I get the boat in for an alignment.

 

the steering feel can be unaffected with having something bent in the tie rod assembly. just cause its bent doesn't mean its broken if you know what i mean. i have EF inner and outer tie rod ends sitting in my room waiting to be installed, i can go home and put a caliper on them if you would like to know for as a standard to measure your own against.

 

If you get a chance that'd be great, I'm going to go get it aligned tomorrow night at Merchant's and see what the readout is, then see what the tech suggests.

Putting it back up on jackstands over the weekend and putting in the front coilovers, it looks like the passengerside tire may point slightly to the right when the driverside tire is pointing straight, which would cause a definite pull.

 

Firestone does lifetime alignments for ~$150.

My friends and I use them on our Jeeps and after messing with the suspensions (or swapping out entire axles and steering systems) we just drop them off to get re-aligned. They haven't bitched about it yet, and diagnosed that my latest pulling to one side and odd tire wear was not due to impromper alignment but a bent front axle. Ooops

My buddies daughter was taking her XJ in almost every other week for a few months. They'd align it and then she'd beat it off-road until the alignment was out again and just take it back. Never a complaint from them about it.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RiskEverything &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Firestone does lifetime alignments for ~$150.

My friends and I use them on our Jeeps and after messing with the suspensions (or swapping out entire axles and steering systems) we just drop them off to get re-aligned. They haven't bitched about it yet, and diagnosed that my latest pulling to one side and odd tire wear was not due to impromper alignment but a bent front axle. Ooops

My buddies daughter was taking her XJ in almost every other week for a few months. They'd align it and then she'd beat it off-road until the alignment was out again and just take it back. Never a complaint from them about it.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Closest Firestone is in the shitty area of town but $150 for lifetime is awesome. I get 5 year for $150 @ Merchant's.

Thanks for the tip, I'll call them today.

 

haha ever since I got the job at the dealer I never work at home lol. The car runs good but I still have a bug w vtec it kicks in but it does not pull like a gsr should. im 99% its a fuel prob.I may be selling it. Interested?

 

UPDATE ON ALIGNMENT:

<FONT SIZE="10">**** Merchant's Tire</FONT>

I took my car to those ******** the day before yesterday to verify they could alignment. The manager assured me that it would be no problem.

Fast forward to after a 9 hour day driving over there to spend the rest of my night getting my car aligned to figure out what was wrong.

After a half an hour I hear, "we can't align your car because it is lowered."

I told the manager that the day before, he came out of the store, looked at it, and said I'd be fine.

So now I've gotta find a good alignment shop for lowered cars.

Anyone got any ideas for a shop in Maryland, possibly Northern Virginia?

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by white90rexsi &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">haha ever since I got the job at the dealer I never work at home lol. The car runs good but I still have a bug w vtec it kicks in but it does not pull like a gsr should. im 99% its a fuel prob.I may be selling it. Interested?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Is that an Si? And not really, I can't afford the expletiveing insurance payment. I'd love to, but if you get serious about getting rid of it, get back to me, I can find you a good buyer if I can't buy it myself.

I could probably swing it in any case, make you and me more money.

I'm looking at buying a townhouse though, since the market is absolutely shitty, and I don't even have money to get my block out of the machine shop ATM.

Don't sell it before we get to caravan and tear up the road at least once. My car will never ever keep up with that expletiveing bike, I could run 10s and still not catch you

The good news is the block looks funky fresh; **** is like brand new. I was amazed at the work. Any ideas on what color I should make it? I'm tempted to go heat paint white because then I can see any oil leaks?

Anyone know if painting your block expletives with the temperature at all too? Shouldn't I take it? I don't want heat soak problems.

 

That sucks. I got a guy at work that maybe could align it. Mine is a SI, I have brand new 15s rota slips, cusco lower tie bar,neuspeed upper bar brand new,and of course that FRESH gsr swap with 4 grand in recipts. Im thinking about asking like 3400.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by white90rexsi &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">That sucks. I got a guy at work that maybe could align it. Mine is a SI, I have brand new 15s rota slips, cusco lower tie bar,neuspeed upper bar brand new,and of course that FRESH gsr swap with 4 grand in recipts. Im thinking about asking like 3400.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Oh, I've got over $4k in receipts so far for my car and the engine ain't in yet

If you want $3,400 don't turn this thread into an ad, PM me and I'll get you a buyer.

It might be me but I'd need longer to swing it. If you wanted to keep your engine I'd put my low comp in it and keep my other stock.

 

Does the wheel look centered in the wheel well? Every time i've seen a civic that has hit a curb or something, the lower control arm gets bent. An out of balance tire can also cause some pretty bad pull.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Black4thgenEF &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Does the wheel look centered in the wheel well? Every time i've seen a civic that has hit a curb or something, the lower control arm gets bent. An out of balance tire can also cause some pretty bad pull.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Could be the tire, but the suspension just doesn't feel right. Maybe that's because the car is lowered and stiffer now, but still.

The wheel looks like it might be pushed back a little less than half an inch upon close inspection.

The upper ball joints don't match for finger gap on both sides either.

Of course, lower arm being bent = different ball joint height.

I think I may just go ahead and order new control arms for the bushings and hope that solves it, and go from there. The bushings all have 180k miles on them anyway, so it isn't like a replacement would be a bad thing.