chris_stampe

Winter is gay.....I am stupid.....My car has a bit of power....bad combo. What happened is that I have it some gas on a very slight corner and the back end just drifted out a tinny bit and the rear pass. wheel rubbed on the curb. It tore up the wheel a bit, but the tire still held air fine and it seemed to drive good, but it tries to turn left on me. What can I look for that is broken to be throwing my alignment off? Could it be just the rim is bent. Its still icy so its hard to tell how far off the alignment is. SD SUCKS@@!!!!!!

CarmonColvin

A bent rim usually just causes a wiggle or vibration (as if it is out of balance). It might be possible but I have never heard of a bent wheel causing a pull to one side.

There is not much you can eyeball and tell if something is bent or out of alignment. The only thing I have ever seen from damage like that is a bent sway bar end link. That in inself would not cause a pull but it would be an indication that something else is bent.

The only real way to tell is to have the car aligned. Hopefully you just knocked the toe setting out and did not do any major damage.

Be sure to post what you find.

chris_stampe

yeah I put the thing up on a jack and the wheel is bent to ****, but it doesnt bounce when im driving which is weird. Feels about like it used to (solid as hell) but now the alignment is off. How much would it cost me to get it aligned?

hybridracer

I believe its about 50 something dollars at good year to have it aligned. Speaking of which I keep putting of calling them to get mine fixed. Damn im lazy

chris_stampe

anyone know how they align it? Is it easy to do yourself or do they use a special tool. The reason I ask is because in my case I know which wheel it is, I know what way it must be off, and My car was driving very straight before I decided to be retarded.

CarmonColvin

It is possible to align a car with some string, a level, straight edge, tape measure and a few hours to kill. But it is the kind of thing that if you have to ask how you probably don't have the skill to get it right.

If you take it to a tire shop they will put it on an alignment rack and hang large sensors on your wheels (you will need to replace that bent wheel first) and the computer will tell them what changes need to be made. There is not just a special tool to buy, a good alignment machine costs well over $10,000 and has to be installed into a garage.

Just spend the $50.00 and get a full 4 wheel alignment. If it has been a long time since it has been done to your car it will make a world of difference.

Cwaters

You can't really do it yourself. They use a special rack with a laser-level likerig for the wheels and a computer that can tell them the exact placement of each wheel.
if you don't know when the last time the thing was alligned, just pony-up the dough and take it someplace good.

Cory