Some alignment advice

**a4rings** · 01-01-2009 11:42 PM

Alright guys, i took my car to the audi dealership to get an alignment because i had just bought 2 new front tires and even before the new tires the car would pull to the right, and i had to have the steering wheel a little to the left so the car would go straight and i could tell the alignment was off.

So i take the car in and they do the whole aligment to then at the end tell me that my outer tie rod ends were torn, but were not loose or affecting the alignment at the moment but still should be replaced. They said that they got the alignment as close to spec as they could but they coulnt get it perfect because my car is lowered.

SO long story short i convinced them to refund my 150$ because they performed the alignment without telling me that i had to replace the tie rods.

then when i take the car on the road and the alignment seemed alot better than before but still pulled to the right at high speeds. Right after the alignment i went and got the tie rod ends replaced and also the driver side front axle and the mechanic said that he would count the number of threads on the tie rod so he can replace them in almst the same position so i wouldnt need an alignment

So now the car still pulls to the right but now i need to have the steering wheel even more to the left in order to go straight. so The steering problem got slightly worse.

Do you guys think i should still go get another alignement? or should i just listen to my mechnic? can the alignment fix my crooked steering wheel or is somethign bent in there? can improper installation of the tie rod ends cause the steering wheel to be crooked? thanks alot guys

**biketsai** · 01-01-2009 11:44 PM

Wow, I dont see why you made the dealership refund it. But, I think you might have a bent control arm.

**njm23** · 01-01-2009 11:49 PM

Haha, idk I probably woulda been super pissed too if they did an alignment knowing I need a new tie rod end and didn't tell me till after just so I would have to get another alignment..

And when i did my tie rod ends i didn't give a shit and they were no where near right. Put it this way, my steering wheel was beyond crooked lol. Brought it over to Goodyear and they got it all good and perfect... IDk about your pulling to the right, but the steering wheel should be fixed when getting the alignment.. bent control arm? Did you hit anything recently? Seams odd to have one just bend out of the blue?

**a4rings** · 01-01-2009 11:56 PM

yea had an accident a while back where i hit a bush with the front passenger side but i just checked all the control arms and nothing seems to be bent and both sides look the same so i dont htink the arms are bent, but mabe i just cant tell because it is slightly bent? And if audi did an inspection closely enought to ralize the tire rod ends need replacement, then they would more than likely notice any bent control arms right?

It has to be Bulshit that the dealership says they cant make it not pull to the right because the car is lowered right? i mean what does everyone else with lowered cars do? run around with no alignment? yea right. ....

might be a stupid question but can the car pull to the right but still have a good alignment?

This time im just going to take it to the BMW performance shop that said they could align my car even if it is lowered. but they charge 150$ so i rather not get one if i dont have to....... i'm thinking that since he tie rods were not defective yet, just worn out(since the wheel would not wiggle side to side at all) and i already had a fresh alignment before i hade the rod ends changed, i should be good to go, but im not really sure.

**njm23** · 01-02-2009 12:01 AM

Well, a tie rod end being bad is EASILY visable, whereas a bent control arm really wouldn't be. When you take it to the shop, ask them to check the control arms to see if they are bent.. I personally don't know how you would check. And yeah I would say if you had the bent control arm your car COULD(read: I really don't know for sure) be aligned straight on a computer, until you drove it since the alignment does not deal with control arms

yeah, being lowered should not affect your car being able to drive straight. Shit, mine drive straight. Although it will make the camber worse, all you can do is try to make it even, can't correct it fully.

**a4rings** · 01-02-2009 03:17 AM

yea when i was looing at my car earlier today it seems like the whole car is tilted down towards the passenger front tire, which is the side the car pulls to. does that sound like a control arm issue, or a shock issue? i just dont want to get another allignment and then find out i have to replace something else and then have to get an alignment again. do you have to get a new alignment if you change a control arm?