Uneven Tire Wear Forces Front End Suspension Repairs - Seeking Advice

[dirty_mech]

This thread is a continuation of a problem stemming from a front-end collision I previously wrote about here:

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/147562-replacing-the-camber-bolts-during-an-alignment-after-a-frontal-collision-necessary/?hl=%2Balignment+%2Baftermarket+%2Bbolts

So it turns out you guys were right; my suspension parts are damaged.  I learned this after a screw got stuck in the corner edge of one of my tires, causing a slow air leak.  It was outside the area of the steel belts, which rendered it unrepairable.  This also led to me noticing heavy tread wear on the inside track of my two front tires, even though they have only 10k miles on them.  The previous alignment shop suggested I had a poor quality tire brand.

This led me to replace the old tires with some high end ones.  I described the issue to the tire shop, and explained the prior front end collision.  The tire shop thought my previous tires were of reasonable quality,  ans said that damaged suspension parts could be the culprit.  So I took it to a shop and they found suspension parts which are likely bad, including the struts as previously mentioned by a poster.  Here is the work estimate with parts they gave me:



This car is worth about $3000, so a $1,400 repair job is too rich for my blood.  So I am considering doing the job myself with aftermarket parts from Autozone and/or Parts Train:

Both Struts ($325 from Subaru)
Partstrain - $175 (Monroe OESpectrum)
Autozone - $275 (Sachs or KYB) or $205 (Gabriel Ultra) or $105 (SenSen)

2x Ball Joints:($90 from Subaru)
PartsTrain - $65 (Moog) or $50 (Beck Arnley) or $20 ("Replacement" Brand)
Autozone - $45 (Valucraft)

2x Inner Transverse Link Bushings ($115 from Subaru)
PartsTrain - $45 (OES Genuine)

2x TLBs with Mounting Brackets ($235 from Subaru)
Partstrain - $110 (Whiteline)

Steering Rack Boots ($80 from Subaru)
Partstrain - $20 (Mevotech) or $45 (AC Delco)

My three (3) questions are these:

1)  Is there any particular part I should definitely get OEM from Subaru, or may I proceed with all aftermarket parts?  Brand or merchant suggestions are appreciated.

2)  Is there any reason I should not attempt to replace these parts myself?  I see the repair manual indicates I will need two special tools:

      a.  A strut spring compressor.   I plan to use Autozone tool # 27036 for this.
      b.  A two-jaw puller and/or pickle fork for the ball joint.  I have both these tools.

3)  Do I need to have my alignment re-done after the new parts are installed?

The mechanic checked my car up in the air with a broomstick-sized caliper, apparently checking the squareness of the suspension parts at certain points across the chassis and at the control arms.  Perhaps this was to test part of the suspension's alignment.  So it seems like I might need to have the alignment re-done by a shop if new suspension parts are installed. 
 

[lmdew]

Go good Used Subaru Parts!

 

Much less, you get the experience of removing them from a yard car and  you have good Subaru Parts.

 

I often find nice KYB struts complete with springs and top hats for $30 each at Self Serve Yards, like You Pull and Pay. 

 

Yes you should have an alignment when you are done.   You can get it pretty close by pin punching the strut alignment bolts and using a string wrapped around the outside of all 4 tires.  The front tires will have about an 1/8" of clearance at the rear of the tire between the string and the tire.

 

Larry

[Bushwick]

Do yourself a favor and look at rockauto.com as their prices will be cheaper and they sell brand name. If you order everything in one go, the shipping + part prices will still most like be cheaper than buying everything at auto zone.

 

I've run Munroe struts and they are fairly decent for what you get. Considering the damage to the car, I'd run those to save money. If in another 5 years you don't want the car, they should still be good enough to sell the car with.

 

Do EVERYTHING yourself. Ask for help, watch you tube videos, etc. in advance to get an idea of tools needed. You can rent more unique tools from Auto Zone like strut spring compressor, ball joint puller, etc. Will need a heavy duty breaker bar and at least an axle nut socket which can get large. If you get a socket for your lug nuts that fit the larger breaker bar, leave it with the spare tire and your life will be easier if you ever get a flat tire down the road.

 

If you do all the work yourself (tierods, struts, ball joints, etc.) you'll save $60-110 an hour service charge of probably 5-8+ hours worth of work. Just try and get the strut tops in roughly the same spots (use white out or similar to mark) and make SURE the tie rods are roughly at the same length so steering won't be affected enough to not be able to drive it. Leave the bad tires on it and then drive it to an alignment shop after everything is together. Get a 4 wheel alignment. Tell them everything is "new", it just needs aligned. Hopefully your rear end nuts for the trailing arms don't give them too much of an issue.

 

I did everything on my Saab, with much being a 1st time affair. Broke an breaker bar trying to get axle nuts off, so I went to a local shop and asked if they could crack the nuts loose for me, then tighten back up. They were hesitant, and misunderstood (they left them snug vs. retightening, but I live a 2 blocks away which was stated) and was able to finally get them off. I bought everything except the springs at rock auto. Only screw up (actually it was MOOG's fault for putting incorrect tie rod side in box, so that was an assembly line error, not RA's fault) was a tie rod was incorrectly packaged and wasn't caught until everything was apart, but wasn't a big deal. 

 

Saved a ton of money, and same deal as you where the work done would have encroached on the car's book value had it been done entirely at a shop. Definitely give rock auto a look. They also sell extremely hard to locate parts.

[Fairtax4me]

Did you ever get a printout of the alignment specs before and after when they did the alignment?

[Rooster2]

I suspect what you need most to fix your bent suspension is replacing the struts and control arms. I would not recommend SenSen struts. I looked into buying them, and opinions on the internet were not good. There were complaints that they did not last long, and over all quality is questionable. Also, would not recommend Valucraft products from Autozone.

 

IMO, your ball joints may not be damaged. Check for "play" at the joint. If no "play," then I would question that they need to be replaced.

 

The steering rack boots have nothing to do with bent suspension problems. However, the boots may be torn, but they can be replaced at another time.

 

I agree with others regarding buying from Rock Auto. There prices and delivery are good.

 

Also agree, that good parts can be obtained at a U pull wrecking yards for cheap, if you have the time. The yards offer the learning benefit of being able to remove the parts you need, so that when you work on your car, you will know exactly what to do. Utube videos are a good learning tool to use.

 

Yes, you will need to get another front end alignment upon replacing the suspension parts. 

[Bushwick]

If your rack boots are ripped, you can either do them when doing everything else, or ask the alignment shop to install them. Many shops are getting weird about installing customer parts, so be warned. I think I paid $12-15 for replacement boots (rock auto IIRC) and talked the alignment shop into installing them, though they were hesitant, but I said something to the effect "they'll either fit or they won't and they've already been purchased".

[whynot]

It has also been my experience that a shop will not only charge you labor, but also adds some to the price of the parts they sell you. 

The car is older, and if you spend some time and use quality parts you should not have to do it again.

[uniberp]

This thread is a continuation of a problem stemming from a front-end collision I previously wrote about here:

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/147562-replacing-the-camber-bolts-during-an-alignment-after-a-frontal-collision-necessary/?hl=%2Balignment+%2Baftermarket+%2Bbolts

 

So it turns out you guys were right; my suspension parts are damaged.  I learned this after a screw got stuck in the corner edge of one of my tires, causing a slow air leak.  It was outside the area of the steel belts, which rendered it unrepairable.  This also led to me noticing heavy tread wear on the inside track of my two front tires, even though they have only 10k miles on them.  The previous alignment shop suggested I had a poor quality tire brand.

 

This led me to replace the old tires with some high end ones.  I described the issue to the tire shop, and explained the prior front end collision.  The tire shop thought my previous tires were of reasonable quality,  ans said that damaged suspension parts could be the culprit.  So I took it to a shop and they found suspension parts which are likely bad, including the struts as previously mentioned by a poster.  Here is the work estimate with parts they gave me:

 

img032.jpg

 

This car is worth about $3000, so a $1,400 repair job is too rich for my blood.  So I am considering doing the job myself with aftermarket parts from Autozone and/or Parts Train:

 

Both Struts ($325 from Subaru)

Partstrain - $175 (Monroe OESpectrum)

Autozone - $275 (Sachs or KYB) or $205 (Gabriel Ultra) or $105 (SenSen)

 

2x Ball Joints:($90 from Subaru)

PartsTrain - $65 (Moog) or $50 (Beck Arnley) or $20 ("Replacement" Brand)

Autozone - $45 (Valucraft)

 

2x Inner Transverse Link Bushings ($115 from Subaru)

PartsTrain - $45 (OES Genuine)

 

2x TLBs with Mounting Brackets ($235 from Subaru)

Partstrain - $110 (Whiteline)

 

Steering Rack Boots ($80 from Subaru)

Partstrain - $20 (Mevotech) or $45 (AC Delco)

 

My three (3) questions are these:

 

1)  Is there any particular part I should definitely get OEM from Subaru, or may I proceed with all aftermarket parts?  Brand or merchant suggestions are appreciated.

 

2)  Is there any reason I should not attempt to replace these parts myself?  I see the repair manual indicates I will need two special tools:

 

      a.  A strut spring compressor.   I plan to use Autozone tool # 27036 for this.

      b.  A two-jaw puller and/or pickle fork for the ball joint.  I have both these tools.

 

3)  Do I need to have my alignment re-done after the new parts are installed?

 

The mechanic checked my car up in the air with a broomstick-sized caliper, apparently checking the squareness of the suspension parts at certain points across the chassis and at the control arms.  Perhaps this was to test part of the suspension's alignment.  So it seems like I might need to have the alignment re-done by a shop if new suspension parts are installed. 

 

 

The parts listed all seem to be wear/age parts, so I question that they will correct any damage. 

 

If they did the collision repair to  makes the car drive straight down the road, it might be at the expense of the tires.

 

I would suggest you get sa full alignment measurement (camber, caster and toe-in) and see how far those are off from spec.

 

Then you might know how much actual damage was done to the unibody or suspension mounts, before you throw parts at it.

 

 

If the frame or suspension mounts are tweaked, it's doubtful that parts will correct the tire wear issue.

 

Control arms are stamped steel, can be bent and are available aftermarket.

[keith3267]

I'd get at least one more opinion.  It sounds to me like this shop was doing some shotgunning.

[dirty_mech]

Wow guys... I was expecting anything between crickets and a couple replies, but this place is a vertiable clubhouse.  Thank you for all the responses and advice. 

Here are replies to everyone:

Keith3267:  Now that's some valuable advice.  I think you might be right.  This shop was a back alley pop and son outfit I heard about from my tire store.  They were professional for what they were, but this seems like a problem complex enough to ask a Subaru-specific technician to diagnose.  I'm going to go to a technician like that with the other guy's diagnosis, the old alignment printouts, and explain the issue with the inner tracks of the front tires wearing too soon.  That should be enough to be certain of what is going on.

Imdew: Thanks for answering my alignment question, and the junkyard idea!  There are a couple Pick N Pulls nearby; I will see about those places.  I'm somewhat hesitant about installing used struts that could be a decade-plus old, but it's always possible I could come across a car that had them replaced.  I presume that's what you mean.

 

Bushwick:  I think I have to do it myself.  This car is worth only about 3,000.  It's not economical to pay 1400 on parts and labor to fix it.  Noted on Munroe and Rockauto.  I will seek parts there when I am 100% sure what is up with my car.  I've got ball joint pullers and breaker bars, just need the spring compressor.  I will try doing the steering boots myself, unless my alignment guy at the tire shop wants to do them for cheap.

 

Fairtax4me:  Yes, twice!  I have two sets of alignment printouts from two different shops, each with the before and after readings.  I'm going to take these to the Subaru technician I ask for a second opinion so he can look at them along with the other guy's diagnosis.  This problem destroyed the tires that came with this car when I bought it used, plus a replacement set I bought a year ago.  I don't want it to destroy my latest set.

Rooster2:  The technician recommended struts but didn't say anything about the control arms, although that's certainly possible.  I'm hoping a pro Subaru guy will know for sure.  Noted on the ball joints and front end alignment.  I will ask the technician to double check that diagnosis.

 

whynot:  Agreed on all points, although this shop seemed to be listing the same prices that Subaru lists on their website, so I give them credit for that.  Definitely want to avoid doing this job again, as well as burning though another set of tires in 10,000 miles!

 

Edited April 21, 2016 by dirty_mech

[Fairtax4me]

If you have the printouts, scan them or post pics of them.

Alignment angles can tell a huge story, especially if they show SAI and included angle. Sometimes those measurements aren't done or shown because they're not adjustable, but they can help determine if and which parts are bent.

[idosubaru]

Except for really bad events - it's always the control arm and/or strut that gets bent.  Technically you should be able to figure out which of those 4 components are bent and only replace the damaged one.  Or replace them all to not diagnose/measure.

(can you post pictures of the control arms/struts here?)

 

2 struts and 2 control arms should fix your issues.   that's $150 in struts and $200 in control arms maybe - so $350 - $400 in parts.   

 

***Imdew is parting out a car with the conrol arms you need i think - maybe he can ship you both of them.  

You might be able to get the struts from him too

 

You are correct - used struts won't last as long as new as they are wear parts - but if they're cheap they'd be a great alternative here.  No messing with spring compressing, less down time, and verify inexpensveily that the issue is resolved and then have a non-wrecked set of springs/top hats to use with new struts later if needed. 

Another option if mechanics isn't your thing you love to do with free time - remove the struts from the vehicle, and take them and your new struts to a shop.  they can do the spring compressing/swapping for you. 

 

i'd use KYB outside of heavy experience with another brand.  i've seen some name brands perform terribly on Subarus. 

 

 

i would ask one more question to the group at large - i would think you want someone with body/collission/alignment repair experience to diagnose it.  that *might* be a mechanic but usually is not, most mechanics aren't familiar with or use measurements, body points, frame racks, and body repair.  

 

wouldn't it be best to go to a good body shop/collission repair center?  they do this stuff ever day and can pull body datum points to actually measure everything and see what is actually damaged. 

 

granted - you need to find one that charges reasonably, ask them up front about measuring for control arm/strut location/alignment stuff - get a rough price.  they're used to 4 and 5 digit insurance claims and often can be busy and expensive depending on supply and demand in your area. and honest hour on your car would be cheap and actually tell you what's broken. 

 

i would hesitate on a Subaru technician, specialists typically charge a premium, often charge to diagnose, and wouldn't be a huge boon on this crash related issue unless they *just happen* to have significant experience with wrecked vehicles and are going to pull body dimensions (which i doubt will happen).

[dirty_mech]

Fairtax4me:  Done and done.  I actually have FOUR alignment papers.  Here is the Imgur link:

http://imgur.com/a/7AdV1

The first is when I got my previous tires installed; that was when the mechanic noticed he couldn't get the alignment perfect, probably due to the front end collision, and recommended I get extended camber bolts installed.  The second is after the camber bolts were installed.  The third is after the car was driven around for a while and brought in for readjustment; this was recommended by the mechanic so the bolts could have an opportunity to "stretch" and be better adjusted.
 
The fourth was after I noticed the car was dragging to the right.  I thought it was due to a recent low-speed collision someone had with my rear axle, but it turned out to be due to the uneven tire wear.  This was the shop that thought I had poor quality tires.  My alignment and tire shop, the shop that did the first three adjustments, finally suggested it was due to damaged suspension components.

Can you tell anything from these printouts?

grossgary:  Thank you for alerting me to the possibility that the control arms are damaged.  I will focus my efforts on them and the struts, and avoid the Subaru specialists as you say.  I will look for a shop that advertises its expertise in suspension and damage repair.  Will still be trying to do this job myself once i've gotten a diagnosis, it shouldn't be hard.  I'll see if having someone else do the spring compression is economical.

Edited April 21, 2016 by dirty_mech

[Fairtax4me]

Was the front collision on the side? If so, which side?

[DaveT]

This reminds me of an experience from long ago... I had a 1976 4WD wagon.  It got hit, right front tire pushed back to the door pillar.  It was before I started doing all repairs, and insurance was involved so I had it fixed at a local collision place, that had a good reputation.  Something was never quite right afterwords.  Subtle, and intermittent.   Some time later, I decided it needed new strut cartridges, so I bought a pair, and went about installing them.  Yes, back then, the struts could actually be disassembled and rebuilt, no big deal.    So I was dropping the cartridge into the right strut, and it stopped short of going all the way in.  The strut tube was bent.  Just enough.  New strut from a junkyard, cartridge went right in, mysterious problem went away.  Learned about hidden damage that day.

[dirty_mech]

Fairtax4me:  It was towards the drivers side, although it was not a side collision.  It may have been at a slight angle, but was closer to head-on than 90 degrees.

 

DaveT:  Thanks for the illuminating story.  I also think there could be some hard-to-observe damage to the struts.  Now I know how costly a front ender can be.

 

So I went to a professional suspension and frame shop to get a second opinion, and sure enough I don't need to replace any of the bushings or the ball joints; it just needs a new set of struts and the alignment is WAY way off, according to the mechanic.  He pointed his hands down and flicked them outwards to demonstrate the position of the tires.  It sounds like the camber is way out.  Maybe those aftermarket bolts stretched a lot? 

Not sure what the hell happened, but I am now in the market for some struts and an alignment job.  The shop also said to replace the strut tower bearings, as they should always be replaced with the struts.  I may just buy whole assemblies to save time, given that.  I'm also about to go on a 500 mile road trip, and want to get the struts installed an alignment fixed before that, so am looking to do this within a few days.

Update:  I've ordered Munroe struts and strut mounts (the bearings are apparently integrated into the mounts)  from my local Fast Undercar.  At $75 each and $40 each respectively, the total is $230 total plus tax for the parts.  I'll be picking them up today in a few hours at 3pm.  I'm hoping to have time to change them out today and get the alignment done tomorrow morning at my tire shop.  Tire shop quoted me $90 per strut to install, so I think I'll get the loaner tool and save myself that amount.

SO!  What do you guys think about the frame shop saying I should just go ahead and replace my strut bearings (including the mounts).  Does that sound like a good idea or a waste of parts?  Should I check my strut mounts first before paying to replace them?  Given that the strut mount appears to be a ball bearing cartridge floating in rubber, and both are surely 15+ years old, it might not be such a bad idea.

Also, I'm going to get a set of rack boots, either Mevotech or Moog, and am wondering if they will come with the fasteners/clamps/whatever I need to install them... Guess I will find out once they show up.  PartsTrain actually beats out RockAuto's price for the Mevotech boots, $25 vs $28 OTD.

Edited April 22, 2016 by dirty_mech

[idosubaru]

strut mounts are usually good for the life of the vehicle, but they ocassionally fail.   oddly on Subaur's it's not the bearings that fail, but the rubber bushings.  i've never seen fronts fail, so i'd just leave them personally.  i've only ever had to replace one strut mount and that was simply due to rust - it was an old rusty subaru with lots of issues and the rear mount was disintegrated.  they can fail of course, but it's not common particularly for an average use daily driver. 

 

i'd reuse struts mounts or get used/new Subaru mounts.  aftermarkets have issues.  lockmedic had new ones bulging and i had a different brand break 3 days after install last year.  strut rod right through it and into the rear of the vehicle. 

http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/110-gen-2-2000-2004/180242-why-you-shouldn-t-cheap-out-strut-mounts.html

 

it still could be the control arms too - did they rule those out?

 

i would also get under the car during the work and pry on the transverse mount bushing, control arms, and make sure nothing is notable loose.  maybe even pull measurements of both control arms - they are symmetric and you can pick similar points and pull a measuring tape across them.  make sure all points are the same. 

 

rack boots come with hardware - but it's often zip ties - you can just reuse the SUbaru clamps, they're robust and usually last forever. 

aftermarket boots last 2-5 years, subaru boots last 5-15 years, so i usually opt for Subaru but i can understand the access and cost of aftermarket too.  

[dirty_mech]

I ended up getting the strut mounts.  The rubber on the old ones looks compressed and worn.

HOWEVER,  I am having a hell of a time unlocking the nut which holds on the strut mounts.  I first managed to compress the spring to the point that its loose, but the whole damn top - strut mount and top half of the strut, freaking rotate as I try to ratchet the bolt off.

 

On top of that, the Chilton manual for my car says these struts are "not serviceable".  What!?  I see there is a hole in the strut tower for an allen wrench key, but i don't see how you could have a grip on the nut and operate the allen wrench hole in the strut shank at the same time. 

What is the secret to solving this problem?  I'm stuck until I figure it out.

[forester2002s]

How to undo the nut on the end of the piston rod?

 

You'll need a 'go-thru-socket', similar to one in this set from Harbor Freight:

http://www.harborfreight.com/21-pc-sae-metric-go-thru-socket-set-62305.html

 

These sockets are turned by a special wrench which fits on the outside-surface of the socket.

That allows you to insert the allen-key into the top of the piston-rod.

 

I also puzzled over this a couple of years ago, but a forum member came to my rescue.

[dirty_mech]

forester2002s: Thanks for the info.  That would have been nice to have known before getting into this job.  Its not mentioned in my Chilton manual (since it's claimed to be "not serviceable" lmao.  I looked online and saw a guy take one apart with a rattle gun.  So I took my electric rattle gun and a pair of vise grips and a bath towel.  I folded the bath towel over itself twice, pulled down the strut bellows, wrapped the towel around the strut piston, and clamped the vise grips over the towel and strut piston.  Then I hit it with the rattle gun and it came apart like cake, and no visible damage to the strut piston.

I've got one done on the driver's side; will do the other one tomorrow morning and bring it straight to an alignment shop, as I must go on a roadtrip soon.  Total pain to do but I learned something.

I also found out what screwed up my alignment after something occurred to me recently.  I checked the alignment dates and my maintenance log, and saw I replaced the halfshafts in November.  I remember that when I did this, rather than disconnecting the steering knuckle from the control arm (as Chilton instructs), for some reason I disconnected the steering knuckle from the strut tower.  Everyone has told me I need to do the alignment when replacing the struts, so the struts-to-knuckles connection must mess with the alignment. 

So I may have done it to myself when I replaced the halfshafts that way, and burned out a set of tires.  it certainly accounts for the messed up alignment.  But it doesn't account for the alignment shop mechanic from May 2015, that told me my car had pull to one side because my Nexen tires were of poor quality and had begun to wear unevenly.  So it may have been a combination of bad struts and messing up my alignment.  Either way,  I expect to be officially done with this problem by the end of the day tomorrow, provided disconnecting the control arms to replace my steering rack bellows next week doesn't screw up the alignment once more.

Edited April 23, 2016 by dirty_mech

[Fairtax4me]

Thought I posted a reply to this yesterday but I must have forgot to hit the post button.

 

 

Yes, that strut to knuckle connection is what sets the wheel camber. When camber gets changed it also changes the Toe adjustment, which would explain things being so far off that last time around.

 

As for the other alignment sheets, one thing that stands out is the SAI and included angle on the front left side are consistently less that those on the right side. I would hope for that to change once the new struts are installed and you get the alignment redone. If those are still significantly off after the new parts are on it may indicate that the strut tower (part of the body the strut top bolts to) on the left side may be bent, or that the engine subframe has been shifted towards the right side of the car.

Its difficult to say exactly how far they're off since there is no specified measurement for those, but in general the SAI and included angle should almost match from left to right. Generally the SAI angle is not adjustable, which means that if its off something is bent. The included angle is a factor of the camber angle and the SAI,so changing camber will alter the included angle. These are not typically wear angles though. SAI may alter returnability of the steering wheel to center, but shouldn't cause the tires to wear any noticeable amount. Once the camber issue is fixed I think you should be in good shape.

 

Considering that. The caster angle looks perfectly fine, which I would think should rule out a bent control arm. Caster, while not normally adjustable, will be affected by forward or rearward movement of the outer end of the control arm (where the ball joint attaches to the knuckle).

 

Another thing to point out is that your rear camber is off by a little bit. It's nearly equal on both sides, so you won't likely notice a pull or any odd behavior from the rear, but it will eventually wear the rear tires more on the inside edges. A common cause for incorrect camber on that year range is worn springs allowing the back end of the car to sag a little.

If you frequently carry heavy items or just have a bunch of stuff in the cargo area that could explain the camber issue as well, and in that case it probably isnt worth worrying about.

[dirty_mech]

Well that explains how my tires wore so fast.  That's my suspension lesson for the year.  And yeah I do carry heavy loads often so maybe that is a reason I should get the rear shocks replaced.  I will do that next time prior to getting the alignment done.  Just no time for it now. 

This time, I will get the alignment done and upload the results, so we can see if replacing the front struts has made much of a difference.

[idosubaru]

that's what i was thinking, it seemed like it should have been aligment related - it would be weird for both sides to exhibit identical issues after a collision or ever for that matter.

in this case both sides incurred similar issues due to similar causation. that makes sense. i've repaired lots of wrecks and it would be weird for each side to be the same unnoticeable damage.

 

when doing the axles - mark the top strut mount bolt head to strut knuckle relationships and retain that orientation. i use a grease pen or chisel to mark location. transfer that location when you reinstall to retain alignment.

 

ball joint works - but if you run into any rusted pinch bolt or rusty ball joint issues - stop before it turns into a debacle - the number of sheared pinch bolt, cracked knuckles, and busticated ball joint debacles grows weekly, just google it. if they pop out, awesome. if not, don't get in so deep you're hosed, just do the strut mount bolts.

Edited April 24, 2016 by grossgary

[dirty_mech]

Here is the latest alignment reading:

 

Now clearly my rear right tire is out pretty bad.  This is the tire that got t-boned by a mini van at low speed, pushing my car sideways a few feet.  That impact must have bent the struts or a related component (probably the struts). 

So I am planning to replace the rear struts now too.  I am wondering, though, if there is any way I can avoid another alignment job after I replace the rear struts?  Would save me $60. Perhaps there's a chance that replacing the struts will fix the camber all by itself?  Is there a home method I can use to check the camber?

I am considering not buying the strut mounts for the rear, seeing as how they don't contain bearings.  The bearings on the front mounts were a little rough compared to the replacement ones, so I'm glad I did those.

Edited April 30, 2016 by dirty_mech

[Fairtax4me]

The 2000 and up models don't have rear struts. Its a coil-over-shock design and those don't typically get bent in an accident. If it does get bent it's not likely to cause an alignment problem. There are three arms on the rear suspension that affect camber and toe angles and one of those is much more likely to get bent in an accident.

 

The multi-link rear suspension should have an adjustment bolt for the camber on one of the lateral arms. If it's adjusted as far as it will go, one of the lateral arms is bent. Probably the upper since the camber is negative. (Top of the wheel is leaning inward)

Edited April 30, 2016 by Fairtax4me