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Very bad inner tire wear / swerves during braking / no traction

Berkel

Hard-core CEG'er
Joined
Oct 8, 2005
Messages
2,121
Location
Toledo
Hey guys I've been trying to figure this out for months.

Finally got a flat tire, so it's getting worked on Friday.

Symptoms:
Dives left with moderate brakes, steering wheel would jerk right
Darts around mid corner
No traction, especially in the rain
Crazy bad inner tire wear

Pic:
gk9h.jpg


When I put the spare tire on the left front, I had to turn the steering wheel 70 degrees to the left to drive straight.

It also dove right after putting the spare on.

Doesn't make sense to me but I don't know :shrug:

If anyone can help at all, I'd really appreciate it :cool:
 
What have you replaced and checked as far as suspension and steering?
nothing yet. I've heard LCA bushings, brakes, alignment, tie rods, you name it.

I just don't wanna spend $500 at the shop on Friday and have it not fix the problem :D

There's no wiggle at 12 and 6 o clock, and little to no play at 3 and 9 o clock.

It seemed like it needed a slight alignment. Is there any way both front wheels were toed out? My other front wheel looks just like that one. Had tons of tread about 3-4 months ago.
 
Prime cause of that is your toe being out. Get an alignment.
that will only cause massive tire wear, it can't induce a pull. An Alignment may be required but toe being off just wears your tires down, if the toe is off the geometry of the steering system will cause the steering to center itself if only toe is a problem. If camber/caster was off from one side to the other is how a pull is educed through an alignment problem. If I was a betting man I would say the toe is off causing bad tire wear which can cause high spots in the tire which will put a pull/drift in the vehicle.

When I was having problems while braking it was because my front hubs were warped (0.020" from low to high spot) causing the rotors to warp really bad with caused bad vibrations and it steered itself while braking.

The jerking wheel sounds like something might be loose.

Was the car wrecked at any point, specifically a front impact to one side.
 
My daughter's car had the same wear pattern...just as severe. I'm sure she hit a curb or a monster pot-hole (we're in MI).

I replaced the LCAs, outer tie rods, sway bar links, struts, and upper strut mounts. Took it in for an alignment...perfect.
 
I was putting it in simple terms for him if he doesn't understand toe, camber, caster, suspension geometry, ect. Then it's just confusing.
 
My daughter's car had the same wear pattern...just as severe. I'm sure she hit a curb or a monster pot-hole (we're in MI).

I replaced the LCAs, outer tie rods, sway bar links, struts, and upper strut mounts. Took it in for an alignment...perfect.
Around the same time I noticed the swerving under braking, I did drive through a massive dip for a storm drain in a parking lot at about 20 mph. Enough to bottom out the right side skirt. I'm almost sure my back left wheel came off the ground.

Now that I mention it, my tire wear was fine until that point as well.

No accidents though, and never any incidents with the left front wheel. Not sure how they're both equally as bad. I'm sure I do need new LCA's though.

Occasionally mid-turn, it'll suddenly jerk further into the turn. This happens even in low speed. I was making a tight turn into a parking spot and my buddy goes "Did you just hit that car!?".. but it was the car jerking during turning.

I can hear the tires whaling on a 30mph turn. A prius can probably out-handle me. Also last week the roads were damp, and accelerating from a stop light, I could hear my tires squeaking while going straight.

Major toe-out, right?
 
From that information about you hitting a massive hole I would say something be bent/broke. I would give the whole front suspension a shake down, if you don't notice anything take it in for an alignment check.

I was putting it in simple terms for him if he doesn't understand toe, camber, caster, suspension geometry, ect.
but the problem is that something is probably broken, but I guess when he took it in to do the alignment the shop would tell him what is broken, but that depends on the shop because i've taken my car in for multiple alignments over the years to my local shop and the inner tie rods are bad ( .2* out on toe was the best we could get it set in school with the bad tie rods).
 
From that information about you hitting a massive hole I would say something be bent/broke. I would give the whole front suspension a shake down, if you don't notice anything take it in for an alignment check.


but the problem is that something is probably broken, but I guess when he took it in to do the alignment the shop would tell him what is broken, but that depends on the shop because i've taken my car in for multiple alignments over the years to my local shop and the inner tie rods are bad ( .2* out on toe was the best we could get it set in school with the bad tie rods).
Thanks guys! I'll let you know tomorrow what the shop thinks.
 
My money is on lower control arm bushings.

I second that. Only because that's the same thing my CSVT had. Went to Autozone and if you want to make it real easy, just buy the complete lower control arm. (comes with bushing and ball joint) and take it to get aligned after. Cost is $50 a side. Do both because if ones bad, the other is probably around the corner.
 
You guys got it, right LCA is completely gone. left LCA almost just as bad.

Everything else is good.
 
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