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[quote=shyguylh;46922732]Yes, do forgive me if I sound a bit disjointed, but this is quite the much upsetting me. Yes I am going to have a shop do an alignment tomorrow, but I am EXTREMELY anxious for it to be that an alignment and ONLY an alignment be the reason for it and then all will be well. If it only needs (say) a new tire, wheel balance, or something minor like that and that's it, then great I will be so relieved, but if it turns out to need new ball joints, OUTER tie rod ends (the mechanic checked those two and said those looked fine to him), bearings, bushings, CV joints, control arms etc and the bill swells accordingly to the $300 range and up, I'm going to be crushed. I just don't have that kind of money right now, I just flat-out don't have it. No time is a GOOD time for such things but then there are not-so-bad times and awful times for such to occur, and right now is an AWFUL time for such to occur because I've drained myself trying to keep the second car going, with no success, and thus we have no backup car to allow us to deal with this in a less urgent manner. (When I had to change the brake pads, rotors and calipers on this last year, we had another car and I was able to simply park this one for a few days so that the problem wouldn't get any worse, then I fixed it, no big deal.)
You wish these things would give you some WARNING when they're about to do this, a "countdown timer" of sorts so you can prepare for them the way you do with paying the bills, not just jab you with a right-hook totally out of nowhere. (Oil changes are good that way, besides being cheap they also can be done on very predictable cycles and they don't demand that you must do them NOW OR ELSE as things such as these do.) If I had $5000 or so in the bank then no big deal, and I do try and keep some "side money" put away for such situations, but the past couple of months or so have been tight and so this is an AWFUL time for it to become a large thing, if that happens.
Crossing my fingers for tomorrow that it's only going to need an alignment and maybe a wheel or two balanced or tire replaced etc.[/quote
You should have tried what I suggested, swapping the fronts to the rear and vice versa. Wouldn't cost a dime and would take all of a half hour. Simple process of elimination.
You should have tried what I suggested, swapping the fronts to the rear and vice versa. Wouldn't cost a dime and would take all of a half hour. Simple process of elimination.
At the risk of sounding stupid, how do you do that if you don't have a shop? All I have is a floor jack (a small one), car ramps and a pair of jackstands, and no power tools for QUICKLY removing the lug nuts form each wheel, and my yard has no paved areas. Wouldn't I need two sets of jackstands for jacking up the rear end as well? I know, I sound so ridiculous, but that's me. I could easily figure out how to swap left/right on the front, but not front and back all 4 wheels. It would sure help if I had a "Tim the Toolman Taylor" type of buddy in the flesh, but oh well. (One guy I used to know years ago, I don't live near him anymore, he had a full-blown shop complete with the air pump for the power tools, I think he even had a hydraulic machine for jacking up the cars like the oil changing places.)
I will be going to a shop in the morning anyway, and that may be the other reason I hadn't tried your very reasonable suggestion. That, and I have done some tinkering around with the Altima, and I'm starting to get kind of mentally tired from it all.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Quote:
Originally Posted by shyguylh
At the risk of sounding stupid, how do you do that if you don't have a shop? ,,,.
for others...
figure out whether front or rear is easier to fit jack stand or block (one required)
slightly loosen nuts (no speed tool required)
jack up and put one corner on jackstand
Move jack to other wheel on same side (front or rear)
Slightly loosen these nuts
go back to the wheel on jack stand, remove wheel
Remove wheel from Jacked corner
replace with wheel from jackstand corner
Tighten lugs and lower jack
Tighten lugs
replace wheel on jackstand corner
tighten lugs
remove jackstand
lower
Tighten lugs
retorque all lugs
other side of vehicle do the same. (One corner at a time)
Other shimmy subjects...
Outer Joints are FAR cheaper ($6 on my cars) and far more likely to cause shimmy
Tires are most frequent cause of shimmy (in my case)
Struts #2
Alignment #3
Bearings / CV / A arm can be diagnosed pretty ez (but are less likely)
Crossing my fingers for tomorrow that it's only going to need an alignment and maybe a wheel or two balanced or tire replaced etc.[/quote
You should have tried what I suggested, swapping the fronts to the rear and vice versa. Wouldn't cost a dime and would take all of a half hour. Simple process of elimination.
Just get the alignment done. Ask the shop to check the rest of the front end and tires. Ask them to do a test drive after the alignment. They'll do it for free. After that you'll know what you're dealing with.
But you won't gain anything by trying to diagnose this yourself. First because a lot of different things can cause similar symptoms and you don't have the experience, second because it has to go to the shop anyway. Report back after the alignment and someone may have useful advice based on what the shop says.
At the risk of sounding stupid, how do you do that if you don't have a shop? All I have is a floor jack (a small one), car ramps and a pair of jackstands, and no power tools for QUICKLY removing the lug nuts form each wheel, and my yard has no paved areas. Wouldn't I need two sets of jackstands for jacking up the rear end as well? I know, I sound so ridiculous, but that's me. I could easily figure out how to swap left/right on the front, but not front and back all 4 wheels. It would sure help if I had a "Tim the Toolman Taylor" type of buddy in the flesh, but oh well. (One guy I used to know years ago, I don't live near him anymore, he had a full-blown shop complete with the air pump for the power tools, I think he even had a hydraulic machine for jacking up the cars like the oil changing places.)
I will be going to a shop in the morning anyway, and that may be the other reason I hadn't tried your very reasonable suggestion. That, and I have done some tinkering around with the Altima, and I'm starting to get kind of mentally tired from it all.
If you're going to have all of these older, used cars, you should be investing in some basic tools, including a decent floor jack. Otherwise, in this case, pay $30 for a shop to rotate the tires for you. Sounds like your entire suspension could use a once-over. Inspect the control arms, including the ball joints/bushings, sway bar endlinks, axles, struts, etc. Is anything bent? Is the rubber in the control arm bushings torn or extremely worn? Ball joints worn/leaking grease, etc? Also, inspect the condition of the motor mounts as they could also cause driveability issues.
If you're going to have all of these older, used cars, you should be investing in some basic tools, including a decent floor jack. Otherwise, in this case, pay $30 for a shop to rotate the tires for you. Sounds like your entire suspension could use a once-over. Inspect the control arms, including the ball joints/bushings, sway bar endlinks, axles, struts, etc. Is anything bent? Is the rubber in the control arm bushings torn or extremely worn? Ball joints worn/leaking grease, etc? Also, inspect the condition of the motor mounts as they could also cause driveability issues.
I did find the service receipt from where they changed the oil 2 months ago, they listed inner tie rods, 4 tires, both front wheel bearings, front AND rear struts, and they said the rack and pinion was leaking as well as the radiator. I had no reason to believe them because it was a new place and the radiator had never leaked and I have added power steering fluid maybe twice since February. Heck I never even heard any weird noises when driving anywhere. I guess they were prophetic, in fact once this all clears up I may have them change the oil from now on. I just am really hoping these alignment places don't insist I need new bearings and struts right now, because there's just no way whatsoever I can do all of that. Such would mean we're now parked for at least the next month.
With respect to tools, I do have one of the smaller floor jacks, you know the ones with wheels and a pump handle with the little screw which you turn to the right to close up the air valve (when raising) and turn to the left to lower the car down. It's just that it's one of the smaller ones (2 ton) vs being one of the larger ones that can go up higher. However, where I live it can sometimes become soft when it has rained, and much of the land isn't level, although some of it is. This makes much of this sort of thing a bit more tricky.
I also have a ratchet set (although everytime I buy one I end up losing one of the "bits" or whatever you call them to where they're not complete, so I buy another one and after awhile the same thing happens again), several other better-made ratchet handles, a small set of fixed-size wrenches, several Crescent wrenches, hammers, many screwdrivers, a set of jack stands, and a set of plastic car ramps--and a small wooden storage building for holding it all. So I do have a few things, I'm just stupid (ha ha).
The 2000 Toyota Corolla overall has been great for me, it's one that has done well enough that you can just drive it and not have to concern yourself with much beyond the normal things of periodically checking the oil and radiator fluids etc. I've had to add radiator coolant ONE TIME in nearly an entire year, and the temperature gauge has NEVER gone beyond halfway it's rock steady. It has always very slowly leaked oil through the valve gasket cover at the rate of about a quart a month, it's never escalated from 1 quart a month to 1 quart a week or such. Basically it's a good car, it just picked a really bad time to start having its front-end start becoming anal. Even merely replacing the inner tire rods for $175 via the mobile mechanic was a real stretch to get done money-wise, especially after spending $150 a few days before on replacing the belts on the Altima only for it to now run hot so quickly you can't even use it at all.
Anyway, I'm now out of here to get this looked at. Please, please, PLEASE don't hand me a service slip demanding $350 or whatever, there's just NO WAY right now.
At the risk of sounding stupid, how do you do that if you don't have a shop
All you need is one jack, lug nut tool, and a spare tire.
Lift right front with jack
Replace right front tire with spare.
Lower car, then lift right rear with jack
Replace right rear with tire from right front
Lower car
Lift right front again and replace spare with tire from rear.
Repeat for left side
When loosening lug nuts, I like to lift the car just enough to get most of the weight off that wheel, but still in contact with ground, then lift off ground and finish removing lug nuts. It's not necessary, but I find it a bit easier to do the initial breaking free sometimes.
You don't even need a jack. You just need two friends, a 4x4 piece of lumber, and a block of some kind for the car to rest on. NOT a concrete cinder block.
I used the 4x4 piece of lumber as a lever to lift one side of the car while one friend pushed some spare lumber under the car to support it. Then I lowered the car onto the block.
I just came from the alignment shop. It was nothing more than that the driver's tire was showing its wires but most of all it had a "knot" in it, they said that was what was going it to shake all over the place.
I was coming up just short of having the tire replaced AND the alignment done, although the price was reasonable ($59 for the alignment, $60 for the tire, $124 and I had like $115 on me) so before going for a walk to the local convenience store I told them to change the tire and I'd do the alignment this Friday when more funds would arrive, with them confirming for me that not much damage should occur in the meanwhile. (It was tempting to shop around for a used $30 tire, but I let them go ahead given how warn the tire was and how much the car was shaking.)
Well I walk back and they're pulling the car around and I open the door for the guy as the indoor handle doesn't work (you have to use the cable inside the frame, one of the car's quirks I live with) and he tells me they did the alignment, I was worried because I didn't quite have enough. However, I found some extra cash in my wallet I'd forgotten about, I had JUST ENOUGH to get it done.
So, with the alignment done and the tire replaced, the car is smooth as a rose petal now.
Even so, I will probably replace the bearings and struts next month as a "maintenace" thing just as extra insurance, since the shop that correctly called the inner struts out listed those items, I will get them done next month when money allows. I also appreciate the tips on how to change all 4 tires, I may well use that in the future.
Nice ending, all is well now. Now if I can just find a cliff for that Altima.....
I have a 2000 Toyota Corolla. I had the inner tire rod ends replaced 2 days ago. It is still shimmying and the steering wheel still twitching, although not as badly and the "womp womp" sound it was exhibiting before is gone. He did say I'd need an alignment, which I haven't yet done yet but likely will in the next few days.
Would alignment issues cause this shimmying and wheel twitching? I'm hoping it's that vs the mobile mechanic's work not being done correctly. (I'm not home currently, when I am I will jack up the car and check for 3/9 o'clock free play in the wheels.) He seems to be a good guy yet I get the feeling that if it turns out it is the tire rods he will charge to do it again as opposed to doing it again at no cost due to not doing it properly, and regardless even if it were at no charge I wouldn't care for the extra aggravation. I'm also hoping it's not a case of that not having the alignment done THAT SECOND undid his work.
Tie rod replacement without a wheel alignment? I just would not have done it like that.
Everything works together - tires, wheels, grommets and bushings, metal suspension parts. I don't see how you can tell anything with an alignment.
But that whomp-whomp sound is the sound of something slowly being destroyed.
Tie rod replacement without a wheel alignment? I just would not have done it like that.
Everything works together - tires, wheels, grommets and bushings, metal suspension parts. I don't see how you can tell anything with an alignment.
But that whomp-whomp sound is the sound of something slowly being destroyed.
The whomp-whomp sound is gone since the tie rod ends were replaced.
The alignment wasn't done immediately because I had a mobile mechanic do the inner tire rods vs a garage due to substantially lower cost ($175 vs $520), all the garages were saying an alignment would be done on the spot and the mobile mechanic did tell me to have an alignment done very soon. As I said, it's done now, I told them of the history and they said they'd look at everything and tighten whatever needed tightening etc. They saw the driver's tire with the knot in it and the wires showing and said "that's why the car is shaking and the wheel is going back and forth," they replaced the tire and lined it up and tightened/adjusted whatever and on the drive home it was as smooth as a rose petal.
As I mentioned the place which changed the oil 2 months ago was saying I would need inner tie rods, I just didn't believe them with them being a new place I'd never been to before and with other observations not seeming to be true, both the radiator and power steering (they said those were leaking) have only needed fluid/coolant added ONCE in nearly a year, including the time SINCE they looked at it 2 months ago. Turns out they were right about the inner tie rods, and so in the next month or so I'm going to follow up with the struts and bearings they were saying needed replacing unless a shop INSISTS they're just fine.
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Was Driver's Tire, Car OK Now
