Well, I was traveling 10-15mph in a parking lot about 2 or 3 weeks ago. I was slowly going around a turn, and hit a patch of ice. The car kept sliding uncontrolably and i slammed into a curb. The passenger front wheel caught the curb, and the car bounced back off of it. I limped the car back home to my house but the wheel was crazy off now, and it was pulling to the right BAD.

I took the wheel off, and discovered a half-snapped radius rod, and a bent lower control arm. I replaced the lower control arm, radius rod, and the whole Hub assembly. I took it to get an alignment, and the car still had 5.5 degrees of Cross-Caster That sucks. I cant figure out what could still be bent. My best guess is that the "Front Rear" crossmember w/ steering rack is bent at the mount. The lower control arm mounts to this crossmember, and I'm wondering if it's bent right at the mount.

Right after the accident, my wheel was pushed back all the way so that it was rubbing on the lower trim piece at the bottom of the fender, by the passenger door. The wheel is more centered in the wheelwell then before, but it's still visual pushed left a little (compared to the driver's side). Any ideas? The car pulls like crazy to the right still......I can just let go of the wheel and it takes right turns for me. If i hold the wheel with two hands it goes straight.

This really sucks...especially since i just got the B18C running perfect. any help or suggestions would be much appreciated.

 

driver slower I guess

 

thanks for the suggestion *** clown hehe...anyone with an idea of how to fix it....guess i should have been more specific lol

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Fishcat37 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">thanks for the suggestion *** clown hehe...anyone with an idea of how to fix it....guess i should have been more specific lol</TD></TR></TABLE>

lol. no one will help u now u offended the bossman

 

hehe ok

 

bum-didly-ump

 

sorry can't help... you offended the bossman.

 

Take the suspension off and take a good look at the bracket that holds your LCA in place. With enough impact, it can bend and distort the original angle. No matter what you replace with new, if it's bent it will always be wrong. And yes, it can be fixed/straightened.

 

thank you, sir

 

same problem here, let me know how you going to fix yours.

 

Hello all. I just replaced my Lower control arm, radius rod, and the front rear crossmember where the lca mounts to. I had 5.5 degrees of cross caster when i hit the curb. I NOW HAVE 3.8 DEGREES OF CROSS CASTER. It's not fixed, but it barely pulls to the right any more. but it still pulls. I didn't replace the tie rod ends, they didn't seem to be too bent and im broke. If they were able to set toe correctly, then they wouldn't have any affect on caster, or my car pulling to the right, correct? any ideas?

 

try the upper arm, and the whole knuckle, seen those bent as well.

But as long as you replace the radius rod, lower control arm, and the rear subframe, you should be pretty close also try the front subframe.

Take off the whole knuckle if you havent replaced it already and you can look down the casting mark, if its straight its good crooked=bad

its really hard to relocate the actual mounting points for all the suspension, this stuff is ment to bend first before the actual frame/uni-body- good luck

 

thanks man, i replaced the whole knuckle as well. I have not replaced the front crossmember, UCA, or the tie rod. Would any of these have any affect on caster?

 

this thread is an excellent example of why moving to the southwest is a great idea... no more Ohio snow and ice for me!

sucks that your car got f-ed up, bro...

 

what are your toe and camber setings telling you?

also what is your SAI telling you?

 

toe and camber are within spec up front. i have a camber kit installed. cross caster is what is off. not sure what sai is.

 

SAI is your included angle which is the geometry of your suspension as opposed to how the wheels sit while going straight and turning(roughly put)

I just wanted to know how far yours was off it should be printed on your alignment sheet if you have one?

I cant remember did you say you replaced your cross members and what about your radius rods I think you mentioned that sorry to lazy to go back and look.

Honestly Ill bet you could shimmy up your radius rods with washers to pull your wheels to more/less caster you need. Are you to far positive or negative.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Kasper-EF8 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">SAI is your included angle which is the geometry of your suspension as opposed to how the wheels sit while going straight and turning(roughly put)

I just wanted to know how far yours was off it should be printed on your alignment sheet if you have one?

I cant remember did you say you replaced your cross members and what about your radius rods I think you mentioned that sorry to lazy to go back and look.

Honestly Ill bet you could shimmy up your radius rods with washers to pull your wheels to more/less caster you need. Are you to far positive or negative.

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hey man thanks for the response. I dont have the alignment sheet unfortunately. The passenger side front wheel was pushed back to the fender in the wheel well (further away from the front bumper). I replaced the front rear cross member, the hub assembly, the radius rod, and the lower control arm. I DID NOT replace the tie rod end, front crossmember (where the radius rods attach), or my upper control arm. i didn't see those having an affect on caster (which is causing my pull to the right.

One thing i noticed is that the front crossmember was hard to put up, and line up with the holes, we had to kick it to go into the bolt holes, and get it mounted. shouldn't have to do that. I'm really curious about the washer thing. I would like the car to not pull to the right anymore, considering the amount of time i've spent on suspension swapping and getting multiple alignments.

 

sounds like your frame got tweaked. take it to a good body shop and have them do some measurements, and then throw it on the frame rack if necessary.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Fishcat37 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">toe and camber are within spec up front. i have a camber kit installed. cross caster is what is off. not sure what sai is.</TD></TR></TABLE>

if the car pulled right before it would be negative caster. since the lt wheel is set back more than the rt that is what causes the pull. do the washer trick to pull the left front wheel farther forward.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by APEX CRX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">if the car pulled right before it would be negative caster. since the lt wheel is set back more than the rt that is what causes the pull. do the washer trick to pull the left front wheel farther forward. </TD></TR></TABLE>

how do you do that?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by YumGTR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

how do you do that?</TD></TR></TABLE>

well basically the radius rod is threaded on the end, you put a few washers behind the 17mm nut that holds it on ond it basically extends how far the radius rod will be pulled forward as you tighten the nut.

 

def. take it to a good bodyshop where they have a frame puller, they can measure lengths and various other things with laser precision

we have 3 at my work

we have had some cars come in with only 3 wheels intact with suspension parts broke off still bolted onto the hub/wheel in the trunk, and when it leaves it rides perfect

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by b18CrxSi91 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">def. take it to a good bodyshop where they have a frame puller, they can measure lengths and various other things with laser precision

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Guys remember he's broke!!!! I work at a body shop and if someone wanted me to setup a car to measure the unibody it'll be $80.00 an hour for labor and average is 2-3 hours of labor. the washers are like what $2.00 and his own time?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by APEX CRX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Guys remember he's broke!!!! I work at a body shop and if someone wanted me to setup a car to measure the unibody it'll be $80.00 an hour for labor and average is 2-3 hours of labor. the washers are like what $2.00 and his own time?</TD></TR></TABLE>
thanks man, i think i'll try this washer trick for sure. So if my right front wheel has negative caster, then i should put some washers on the the left front radius rod, correct? this would give the left front wheel more negative caster, and hopefully even it out. correct me if im wrong.