Hello,

I have 1997 Civic EX with 180,000 mi on it. I've owned it for about a year and have taken it to get an alignment 4 times....The past 6 months have been 3 of those times. I do drive a few miles on dirt road everyday, and I realize this doesn't help the issue, but I feel like an alignment should last at least 6 months.

Are there any wear items that might be contributing to this issue? If I need to replace bushings or whatever else, I would rather do it before I take it in to get the next alignment....Anyways, if you have had experience with this issue, input is greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

With that mileage, has the inner and outer tie rods been replaced? What about the upper control arms? How do the bushings look on the front lower control arms? Lower ball joints?

 

Im having the same issue but I do not drive on a dirt road. I have a 97 cx hatch and I replaced the inner and outer rods on the front and went to have an alignment. The first time it was pulling right and had a slight tilt of the wheel to the left. Now the wheel is straight and pulling left. Firestone stated they cant realign it becase it needs a special Honda rear toe tool.

For a shop who does alignments on all make and models, and warrants them nationwide, why would they not have that tool??
I know its not the only civic they have aligned.

Is it on me to buy that tool, or spend extra $$$ on an alignment from the dealer?

 

Cant say i have ever had an issue with rr toe, i was neg 3.5 degrees on rr and just ahimmed my control arms out and tire wear stopped.
Also if alignment keeps wandering there is an underlying issue, those bolts are NOT coming loose and allowing movement.
What control arms are you using?? As mentioned earlier i would look for other worn oarts, especially considering the age of the car. Bushing dry up and rot. Tie rods wear.

Camber,caster, or toe that keeps changing do you know??

 

I am a lead tech in an automotive shop. Follow this order and there will be no reason a car will not hold an alignment.

1. Tire pressure (Good currently? Put in a dunk tank anyway to make sure one isn't leaking down and causing the car to pull a few days later.)
2. Steering linkage (All tie rods, ball joints, and Hubs)
3. Drivetrain (Check for a CV axle/other splined axle issue)
4. Suspension (Sometimes struts/shocks will cause a pull
5. The alignment itself (Set the front with a little extra positive toe; will help to fight the crest of most highway water runoff slopes.)
6. Tires (Sometimes certain tire brands are just crap and will do whatever they want, even if they are BRAND NEW. Stay with Michelin & Continental)

 

Thanks for the reply's.
I jacked up the car and checked out the front end. Part of my issue was a bad inner tie rod, so I replaced the rack and pinion (it was leaking anyways). After that, I took it to get an alignment. The shop said one of my wheels was also bent, so I had them throw another one on and that took away a few wobbles I had at highway speeds.

The car still pulls to the left slightly, but only when it isn't pointed perfectly straight. Weird. The shop said the alignment was good, but something else was causing that.....So, I jacked it up again and noticed that my CV boots on the driver's side are torn, and it's fairly obvious that little to no grease is left in at least one joint. My suspicion's are that the joint(s) are failing on that side and when a slight turn is introduced, the added friction on the bad joint causes a slight pull to that side. I think that diagnosis is confirmed with a bit of feedback I get through the steering wheel that is in sync with wheel speed. We'll see what happens here soon, but new axle shafts might be the last weak link in the chain for now.

 

Glad you got it figured out, sounds like you were due for aome front end work lol. Nothing more annoying than pulls and shakes.

 

I would also find out if the vehicle had any frame damage, if you haven't done so already.