wheel coming off alignment
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 798
Likes: 26
From: salinas CA
wheel coming off alignment
my drivers front wheel seems to come out of aligment after taking it to the shop.. what i did notice was that the wheel seems to shift slightly back and forth in wheel well. for example lets say i ale offf from work two miles from my home. the space between the tire and the front of wheel well is 4 inches by the time i get home it can be 2-3 inches and vise versa with the it moving back in wheel well... i just had part of the lower control arms rails welded because they were going to completely seperate from where they hold on to chasi i believe.. any help will be much appreciated.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,503
Likes: 33
From: McGrady NC
St. Jude Donor '15-'16
The front lower right frame mount on my '80 tore loose just as yours was about to do. Ruined my front tires before I finally figured out what was going on. That loud POP when the lower control arm broke loose should have been a dead giveaway... But all fixed now.
If the car drives OK I would take it back to the shop. Or... jack the front wheel off the ground by the frame rail, SAFELY block it up so it won't fall, and crawl under it to check out the upper and lower a-arm frame mounts and bushings. Make sure the shims are still tight between the upper control arm mount shafts and the frame.
Something is amiss there. Does it seem to be isolated to one side or are both front wheels doing it? If that is the case then it seems more as if the body is shifting on the frame. Highly unlikely, but something to consider.
If the car drives OK I would take it back to the shop. Or... jack the front wheel off the ground by the frame rail, SAFELY block it up so it won't fall, and crawl under it to check out the upper and lower a-arm frame mounts and bushings. Make sure the shims are still tight between the upper control arm mount shafts and the frame.
Something is amiss there. Does it seem to be isolated to one side or are both front wheels doing it? If that is the case then it seems more as if the body is shifting on the frame. Highly unlikely, but something to consider.
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,886
Likes: 9
CAR IS NOT SAFE LIKE THAT!!!.
Be very careful. Best case is, you need new control arm bushings. Worst case is, something fabulously expensive is broken, and when the wheel falls off, you'll wreck. Check it out before you drive that puppy anywhere again.
Be very careful. Best case is, you need new control arm bushings. Worst case is, something fabulously expensive is broken, and when the wheel falls off, you'll wreck. Check it out before you drive that puppy anywhere again.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 798
Likes: 26
From: salinas CA
im not that mechanically savvy as this is my first car and a year a go i had no idea what a control arm or anything that had to do with cars was. but it has been a learning process.. i probably need to get my front end rebuild but i dont have the money to have someone do it..i ad changed the ball joints and tie rods but im hopig it is just some bushings and not the complete lower and upper control arm bevause that would hurt..lol
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,520
Likes: 11
From: Hinckley OH
With the wheel moving forward and backward like that I would suspect that the control arm bushings are loose. I have seen the bolt that holds them in place come loose particularly if they have been changed to poly bushings. Check the bushings on the upper and lower control arms to make sure they aren't slipping in and out of the control arm.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 798
Likes: 26
From: salinas CA
guys thanks for the advise!!!! aside from having to weld control arm rails to where they go there was a missing bolt along with lower control arm bushing missing from the lower control arm! again you guys are life savers money savers i wish i could buy you guys a beer or two!
