I need your guys' help ..

[Chris Vu]

Okay, so I have a little problem .. Let me post my recent alignment specs:


Right Left
Front:
Camber: -2.9 -3.8
Toe: 0.01 0.00

Rear:
Camber: -3.4 -3.5
Toe: 0.07 0.05

Symptoms:
- Pulling to the left (even after an alignment)
- Squeaking over EVERY LITTLE IMPERFECTION in the road. If the suspension moves, it squeaks. I’m pretty sure it could be a little tiny rock no more than a quarter of an inch tall and it’d squeak.
- Horrible inner tire wear. (Almost like this but a little worse..)

Possible culprits:
- Lower ball joints
- Do we have “tie rod end links” ? If so, could that be a culprit?
- Under inflation of tires (highly unlikely as this has been happening for a while now. It’s eaten through two sets of tires ..)
- Camber difference between the right and left side of car. What would cause this btw??? I have changed the UCA on the LEFT side .. would that cause a whole degree difference in the camber ?? The guy at the alignment shop said that will not matter as far as my inner tire wear and it won’t cause my car to pull or anything. One tire will just have more contact on the road than the other.
- I have had multiple alignments ever since this started, and no tires will last over 6 months even though I flip them. So one side will last about 3 months before I have to flip it or change the tire.

If I can think of anything else, I’ll update this post! Please help me out! Thanks.

 

[001Stunna]

For starters your rear toe should be "toe-in" and not toe out or 0.

OEM Specs are:
Camber angle: Front: 0°00' ±1°
Camber angle: Rear: -0°30' ±1°
Front Toe: 0 ±2 mm
Rear Toe-in: 2 ±2 mm
Caster angle: 2°48' ±1°
Turning Angle Inward Wheel: 38°32' ±1°
Turning Angle Outward Wheel: 31°03'

Usually when you get an alignment the tech should be checking your upper/lower ball joints, tie rods, and take a look for worn bushings in the suspension components. Since doing an alignment with any of those worn/loose is pointless.

We have lower/upper ball joints, inner/outer tie rods. They should not have any play in them.

Do all of your tires suffer the tire wear issue or just the fronts? rears? a certain corner?
Have you had a shop/or yourself check the suspension for worn/loose components?

 

[Chris Vu]

I'll re-check my toe. I probably read the sheet wrong.

One time I got an alignment there, the tech found that my passenger side UCA was pretty much done for, but the last couple of times he hasn't told me anything about my suspension .. I have done the 12 and 6, 9 and 3 tests and there's no play at all on either side. That was about 3 months ago. I'll try again this weekend. I was thinking of taking a pry bar to the lca and seeing if I can get the lower ball joint moving or anything .. If it doesn't move, then I wouldn't know what else to look for to find out what is causing my car to pull to the left .. it's absolutely annoying .. and it's eating through my tires like crazy

 

[001Stunna]

I'll re-check my toe. I probably read the sheet wrong.

One time I got an alignment there, the tech found that my passenger side UCA was pretty much done for, but the last couple of times he hasn't told me anything about my suspension .. I have done the 12 and 6, 9 and 3 tests and there's no play at all on either side. That was about 3 months ago. I'll try again this weekend. I was thinking of taking a pry bar to the lca and seeing if I can get the lower ball joint moving or anything .. If it doesn't move, then I wouldn't know what else to look for to find out what is causing my car to pull to the left .. it's absolutely annoying .. and it's eating through my tires like crazy

Try supporting the car from the lower control arm and then check the lower ball joint so you're taking the load off it.

 

[Chris Vu]

Like jacking the car up, then putting a stand under the LCA and lowering the car back down and letting the lca lay on the jack stand with nothing else supporting the car ? Can the LCA withstand the weight ?

 

[001Stunna]

Like jacking the car up, then putting a stand under the LCA and lowering the car back down and letting the lca lay on the jack stand with nothing else supporting the car ? Can the LCA withstand the weight ?

What you'd be doing is simulation the exact way the suspension is loaded when you're driving.

You can either raise the car, put a jack under the LCA and lower the 1st jack so it raises/loads the suspension on that corner.

or

Raise the car, put a jack under the LCA and raise that jack(2nd jack) to load the suspension so the load gets off the ball joint and then check.


If doing first way you don't have to fully lower the car on the LCA. Just lower that corner on the LCA and still have a jack on the jackpoint for support. (meaning you might have to use 2x jacks or a jack and a jackstand)

 

[Chris Vu]

Levin, I did another 12/6 and 9/3 test today .. so for the results:

12/6 there is absolutely no play.
9/3 I can move the wheel back and forth, but the steering wheel just moves with it. I'm not sure if that's supposed to happen? Or am I only supposed to jack up one side of the car at a time when I do it? I jacked up the whole front end.

I also tried to do what you said with the jackstands and all, and found no play in the lower ball joint. I also took a pry bar to the LCA when the car was in the air and there was still no play. I'm assuming at this point that the lower ball joint is fine. What other tests can I conduct with the tie rods ?

 

[001Stunna]

If you're doing it with the whole front end in the air, you can either...
a-lock the steering wheel
b-have someone hold it inside
c-just do one corner at a time

Nevertheless the steering wheel will move a little even when doing one corner. & you will see a tiny bit of "smooth" play and you shouldn't worry about it. What you do not want to feel is free play/clunking when you do it.

From the sounds of it though it sounds like your upper/lower ball joints are ok and so are the tie rods. For the squeak you mentioned, & if you never have done/tried before I would try to spray some silicone lubricant at all the bushings/boots in there(LCA,UCA,swaybar,radius rods etc) and especially on your coilover spring seats(top and bottom) and see if that makes it go away...could be something as simple as a dry bushing.

As for your pulling to the left...have you checked if possibly the pads on that corner/side are wearing faster than the other? tire psi same all around? switched wheels left n right to see if the pull possibly changed sides?

Lastly when you got your alignment, did the align it with weight in the driver side to simulate actual on the road condition of the vehicle? I know a lot of places don't but most shops performance oriented do usually around here at least.

 

[Chris Vu]

Good and bad news !! The boot on my lower ball joint is ripped .. so good news is I caught it before itbpopped off. Bad news is the 12/6 test still shows no play .. why ??

This is the lower ball joint right ?

 

[001Stunna]

Yes, thats the lower ball joint. The boot being ripped could be the reason to your squeak.
As for play, 12/6 isn't a fool proof method and hence why putting a prybar under is usually recommended. However you mentioned you already took a pry bar to it and saw no play...which would lead one to believe the boot has ripped recently and the ball and joint socket has not deteriorated in itself yet to cause free play.

I would change that LBJ as its ripped and it will fix your squeak possibly...however doubt itll fix your alignment issue.

Out of curiosity have you measured your cars frame points on level ground? Are you even all around?