Somethings wrong

srikid · Aug 10, 2009

My car (99 V6) is dropped about 2.5-3.0 " in the front and I hit a big pot hole over the weekend. Something hasn't been right since. First, the car now pulls pretty hard to the left. Is that simply just an alignment issue? Also, the steering wheel shakes a bit now when turning. The car also feels and sounds funny (like something is wrong with the front end) when I am driving now. I took it to a shop and had the ball joints replaced but it still kinda has the same problem. They said all my motor mounts were broken and need to be replaced. I dont think that this is cause my problem though. They said it was $450 just for parts and like another $400 for labor? Any ideas or suggestion?

JMillerUA6 · Aug 10, 2009

Broken motor mounts WOULD cause vibrations. You should get those replaced ASAP.

Sketch o5 · Aug 10, 2009

id get an alignment too. and not hit potholes as well.

srikid · Aug 10, 2009

Anyone know where I can get all the motor mounts for a V6 for a good price??

RedRyder · Aug 10, 2009

I would start by getting an alignment. Then take it to the dealer and find out exactly what is wrong. If it was that big of a pothole, there are a few things that could be causing vibrations. Oh and if your mounts are in fact broken...get those fixed asap. Also check your front wheels for damage.

Majestic Honda for the mounts.

finch13 · Aug 10, 2009

If the pothole was as big as you make it sound you've probably got more things wrong than just ball joints. I would not doubt that the lower control arm is bent, possibly a bend in the wheel as well. A broken engine mount would cause vibration AT IDLE as well, sounds like the shop is trying to make some money off you. You can check the mounts yourself, you can see the 2 side mounts and the front mount by opening the engine bay. Engine mounts that are gone are usually torn and/or leaking fluid. I've heard that using non-Honda mounts can cause more vibration than before and will probably be the cheapest route in the long haul.

SykVSyx · Aug 10, 2009

Hope you didn't speed up when you saw that pothole like SOME people on here say they do................... :goyou:

I think finch covered it best, you should probably get all those parts looked at and assessed, cheaping out may not be an option until you find out exactly what's right, and even though, don't necessarily cheap out, but find the best deal you can.

finch13 · Aug 10, 2009

Take it to a few shops and get a few prices/ideas as to whats wrong. 3 is a minimum number of estimates here, more the merrier.

I highly doubt the mounts are involved at all and it's safe to wait until you get the suspension checked out.

To save some money, you do not need OEM parts for the suspension, if the lower control arm is toast you can get them pretty cheap online. Rockauto.com is where I order my non-OEM parts, they usually have different brands and different prices. Ordering your own parts saves you money in the end.

I slid into a curb once when it snowed, not more than 15 mph, and ended up bending he lower control arm, breaking a ball joint and destroyed a wheel... it pushed the wheel an inch towards the rear of the car and nobody noticed when I got an alignment to fix the vibration.

Fuzz · Aug 11, 2009

You haven't seen big potholes until you've driven in Montreal.

Chances are you've bent a rim. This would throw the wheel out of balance which would cause a shake. Depending on the angle, it is also possible that you've twisted the rim which would cause the car to pull.

Get another estimate and have them check the wheel to make sure its straight.

Goodluck!