My suspension horror story...
10-14-02, 11:04 AM
#1
My suspension horror story...
Hello All,
When I bought my car back in May, I knew it needed to be aligned, but I was shot for cash or any income for a while so I held off. Also from May, I noticed I had visible rear negative camber, so I also knew that had to be fixed. Well, the car runs great has a real good strong motor, but the suspension needed to be looked at soon. About a month ago, I took it to Goodyear to have it aligned. I was told later that day to come in and talk to the Tech guy about my car. When I got up there they were blabing telling me that my car is low and how being low they can't determine the specs on the vehicle for the computer to tell them what to align it at, not to mention the guy for some reason drove my car around town to see if the steering was straight (pleasurable drive if you ask me). Finally he told me that one of my front left tie rods was broke and that it needed to be fixed. I knew it had to, so I got a price and they told me like $200+ to fix it and install it, not to mention they didn't include the price for the alignment with it. So i told them I'd be back later and would get the part my self...
A few weeks went by...tires wearing...blowing two spares. So a friend of mine sold me his stock T2 springs and thought it would help some, to bring the car back to stock height well it did but didn't help my problem...Until finally I went to Racingbeat.com and ordered a camber link (adjustable). It came in 4 days later, and me and a friend installed it. I didn't adjust it yet, because I was told that Goodyear could adjust it if i got the part in...? anyway, So after install, I called Goodyear and made a 7:00AM apointment to bring in the car, have it aligned, the tie rod fixed, and camber adjusted...So today I woke up at 6:30AM and headed to Goodyear, when I got there I told the guy who I was and that I called about this whole ordeal earlier, and he seemed to not remember of coarse. So after repetivly telling him what was the deal, he goes Ok, and I left my car there...
One hour later I get a phone call...not surprizingly it was Goodyear, they told me now I have to replace not only the front left inner tie rod(129.00/insall 94.80) but also the Left rear Lateral Arm ($132.00/ install $86.90) then a $65.95 alignment. The total was $550.09!!! I am down to my last nerve. I know the stuff needs to be replaced, so my mom called a good friend that does car work on the side, he said he could do it for nearly half what Goodyear is. He already got a quote for the parts, and can do it for like 200 dollars if not less. So Saterday he's going to take my car and put the parts in and then i'm going to take it back to Goodyear to have them align it. Hopefully, hopefully they will not find anything else wrong when it's done and I can finally drive my car with the freedom of not blowing out or wearing tires.
Goodyear is the Devil!
When I bought my car back in May, I knew it needed to be aligned, but I was shot for cash or any income for a while so I held off. Also from May, I noticed I had visible rear negative camber, so I also knew that had to be fixed. Well, the car runs great has a real good strong motor, but the suspension needed to be looked at soon. About a month ago, I took it to Goodyear to have it aligned. I was told later that day to come in and talk to the Tech guy about my car. When I got up there they were blabing telling me that my car is low and how being low they can't determine the specs on the vehicle for the computer to tell them what to align it at, not to mention the guy for some reason drove my car around town to see if the steering was straight (pleasurable drive if you ask me). Finally he told me that one of my front left tie rods was broke and that it needed to be fixed. I knew it had to, so I got a price and they told me like $200+ to fix it and install it, not to mention they didn't include the price for the alignment with it. So i told them I'd be back later and would get the part my self...
A few weeks went by...tires wearing...blowing two spares. So a friend of mine sold me his stock T2 springs and thought it would help some, to bring the car back to stock height well it did but didn't help my problem...Until finally I went to Racingbeat.com and ordered a camber link (adjustable). It came in 4 days later, and me and a friend installed it. I didn't adjust it yet, because I was told that Goodyear could adjust it if i got the part in...? anyway, So after install, I called Goodyear and made a 7:00AM apointment to bring in the car, have it aligned, the tie rod fixed, and camber adjusted...So today I woke up at 6:30AM and headed to Goodyear, when I got there I told the guy who I was and that I called about this whole ordeal earlier, and he seemed to not remember of coarse. So after repetivly telling him what was the deal, he goes Ok, and I left my car there...
One hour later I get a phone call...not surprizingly it was Goodyear, they told me now I have to replace not only the front left inner tie rod(129.00/insall 94.80) but also the Left rear Lateral Arm ($132.00/ install $86.90) then a $65.95 alignment. The total was $550.09!!! I am down to my last nerve. I know the stuff needs to be replaced, so my mom called a good friend that does car work on the side, he said he could do it for nearly half what Goodyear is. He already got a quote for the parts, and can do it for like 200 dollars if not less. So Saterday he's going to take my car and put the parts in and then i'm going to take it back to Goodyear to have them align it. Hopefully, hopefully they will not find anything else wrong when it's done and I can finally drive my car with the freedom of not blowing out or wearing tires.
Goodyear is the Devil!
10-14-02, 02:14 PM
#4
Just Messing About
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Just West of Atlanta
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Why is it again that you keep going to that GoodYear store if you think they're ripping you off? If you go, instead, to Sears you can get some good tools and a jack/stand set and do the replacements yourself for *FREE*
Look at the guys working at your GoodYear. Rocket scientists? Not likely. If they can turn the wrenches, so can you.
Find another allignment shop.
Cory
Look at the guys working at your GoodYear. Rocket scientists? Not likely. If they can turn the wrenches, so can you.
Find another allignment shop.
Cory
10-14-02, 04:21 PM
#5
RX-7 Bad Ass
iTrader: (55)
Dude, you are getting jacked.
First off, ALWAYS avoid the big chain shops like that - they will tell you anything to get some work done. Find a good locally-owned shop and get the straight skinny.
That said, the reason your rear is sitting so low is blown rear shocks - EVERY 2nd gen I've seen had the rear shocks totally worn out.
I don't get the "bad tie rod" thing either - first off, tie rods take about 5 minutes to install. Second, they sometimes will develop some slop, but I don't think I've ever driven a 2nd gen with broken tie rods, and I've worked on at least 40 2nd gens. That would give you noticeable slop in the steering if that was the case.
I also don't get the "rear lateral arm" - unless it's bent or broken from a wreck.
You're getting jacked hard - go grab your car from those thieves and find an honest, local shop. Have them put your car on a lift and show you what's the problem, if there is a problem. Don't tell them what the other shop said - let them do a diagnosis on what needs to be done. You most likely just need new shocks and a good alignment, and you'll be cool.
Dale
First off, ALWAYS avoid the big chain shops like that - they will tell you anything to get some work done. Find a good locally-owned shop and get the straight skinny.
That said, the reason your rear is sitting so low is blown rear shocks - EVERY 2nd gen I've seen had the rear shocks totally worn out.
I don't get the "bad tie rod" thing either - first off, tie rods take about 5 minutes to install. Second, they sometimes will develop some slop, but I don't think I've ever driven a 2nd gen with broken tie rods, and I've worked on at least 40 2nd gens. That would give you noticeable slop in the steering if that was the case.
I also don't get the "rear lateral arm" - unless it's bent or broken from a wreck.
You're getting jacked hard - go grab your car from those thieves and find an honest, local shop. Have them put your car on a lift and show you what's the problem, if there is a problem. Don't tell them what the other shop said - let them do a diagnosis on what needs to be done. You most likely just need new shocks and a good alignment, and you'll be cool.
Dale
10-14-02, 05:29 PM
#7
Well first of all, i have new shocks if you didn't see that in my profile. Also, the owner before me said he hit a curb one night really really hard, and new something broke, so yes the parts they said were broke were broke, I know they are. I did get undernieth the car and could see it (i installed the racingbeat camber link). Like i said though, our friend that is a mechanic is doing it really cheap. So the horror story is over now, I have a good reliable and honest man working on it that we have known for a long time. Thanks for the help guys.
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10-14-02, 05:30 PM
#8
I'm bastardizing my car!
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Naperville, IL.
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You sound like a pretty young guy, and it seems that they are totally taking advantage of you. Just go to an NT if you have those in your area. And have you heard of a second opinion? If you think things are starting to cost a little to much, or the mechanic has come out of the grage for the 9th time saying he found another thing wrong. You can take it someplace else and get another opinion. Of course, i never have this problem cuz i do all my own work 
i do take my car to the local NTB cuz alignment is somthing i cannot do.
i do take my car to the local NTB cuz alignment is somthing i cannot do.
10-14-02, 06:32 PM
#9
Yeah, I have heard of a second opinion. But i really didn't care, i was just letting you know what went on with my suspension stuff. I said that I have a good friend of ours doing it that is real cheap. thanks though
no hard feelings,
Marshall
no hard feelings,
Marshall
