So the saga continues with this thing. Long version: About 2 years or so ago I noticed that the front sway bar was bent pretty good on the driver's side. I figured it must've been in a pretty decent impact at some point to bend that thick of a piece of metal, but didn't really notice anything else that was really obviously bent. That and the replacement sway bar (oem off another car) went in with no issues as if everything else was good to go. Within the last 2 weeks I noticed I had some pretty gnarly tire wear on the inside of both front tires. The consensus I received was that my toe must be off a bit. I've also got some slight pulling back and forth on uneven surfaces, which is also a sign of poor alignment? So I scored a set of lightly used tires to get me by for the time being. They're slightly wider at 235 instead of 225. Unfortunately now I've got a little rubbing going on when I turn the front wheels. Here's where the sh!tty part comes in. It's only rubbing on the left one, when I turn almost fully left. The right one doesn't rub at all in either direction. So then I was confused... Remembered the sway bar issue and thought, maybe there's something else wrong? A rough measure from the mudflaps to the center of the wheel and from the bottom, rear lip of the front bumper tells me that the left wheel is most definitely further back than the right one. It's now quite obvious that something else is going on down there. TL, DR: front left wheel sits further back than the right one. F**k!!? My question is where do I look first? Pull the wheels and just start measuring and comparing each piece side to side? Can the LCA bend like that? Ideally I could figure this out before I get my alignment redone, but that's also weird to me because I've had it aligned before and they never came back with anything out of the ordinary. Thanks! (Again)
My question is where do I look first? Pull the wheels and just start measuring and comparing each piece side to side? Can the LCA bend like that? Yes...also check where the lca mounts inside, Depending on how far its bent it could still be aligned so the tires track without wear.
I've seen his name brought up countless times. Obviously he's "the guy". Are you suggesting for a pre alignment inspection type thing?
I have a feeling that's probably what's going on. I'm assuming an alignment doesn't necessarily measure the wheel base and the "square" between corners, moreso just that everything is straight on each other, right?
He does much more than alignments. He is a suspension guru and will most likely be able to diagnose exactly what's going on and fix it if you desire.
How much of a difference are we talking about, left versus right side? Are the mud flaps the same? Meaning, are you measuring to a "correct" reference point? I would assume measuring to a hard point on the "chassis" would be more accurate as opposed to a flexible part that screws onto a metal body part that in turn bolts onto the unibody.
I'll get some actual numbers tonight. Yeah, I know they're are some variables involved but it's not like it's an 1/8" difference. It'll be tough to go from chassis to wheel center unless I just take the wheels off now and go to the hub itself. Will also measure center cap to center cap (front to rear) before I remove them. Also, as @silver03 would say, my mudflaps are like "cutting boards" so it's not like there's any play in them when I put the tape to them. Haha.
How about measure wheel base on each side? Have a friend help and use a tape measure from wheel center cap to wheel center cap?
