What Exactly Am I Damaging By Driving With "demon" Toe Out?

[sadr33]

I just had new tie end rods put it at a regular mechanic. I knew I needed a wheel alligment afterwards but I didn't know the toe would be so off that just driving it there is extremely bad. I think I'm Running a few degrees of toe out!

So much that the car roams around like there's is 200kph crosswinds at 30kph and it chirps over every tiny bump i hit along the road.

Its an incredible sensation of being pulled and pushed at the same time and i squirm at thinking what the suspension components are going through.

I drove to 3 shops and they were all busy and couldn't do it today. Basically picked up the car at 3pm and couldn't find a place to do.

After a few k of driving like a drunk on crack without hands, I started to hear a small hum hum sound like you are in the stern of a ship.

I think I am grinding the hell out of the bearings?

I am going to exceller steering in bankstown tommorow morning but even after I get it done I wonder what...

I am fuming because i am trying to get the car running right in and I think I have just cost myself a lot of money and taken 3 steps back.

My biggest gripe I cannot get over or ignore is anything thats loose or off in terms of steering and suspension. Etc worn bushings, dead zones, not body roll, but those little side to side wondering or looseness etc. Anything else I can stand but this keeps me up at night as I cant enjoy the car.

So far I have changed a few bushings with poly whiteline parts and had all the chassis bolts tightened and it has really made the car so much more direct to drive. But now. Who knows.

The car is a S1 R33 gts-t

[blind_elk]

Find a new mechanic - any mechanic worth his salt should be able to give the car a rudimentary alignment so that the car is half driveable.

I doubt anything has been damaged, but then again ...

You should be more concerned about undue wear on your tyres. But if you haven't been caning the car, then the tyres should be pretty much ok.

[sadr33]

The mechanic I like wasn't there and someone else worked on my car.

As for not damaging anything. I hope so, but I know the weird hum sound/vibration is not comforting and I also know how easy it is to upset something as far as steering goes. On an 90s mazda that wasnt worth getting a wheel alignment there was noticeable wandering all the time because of what I suspected was too much toe out at the front.

I parked the car next to a kerb to my left. I gave the steering wheel a bit of a fling to the left so the most forward part of the tires hits the kerb. I did the mirror to the right.

Mind you, this was quiet a gentle process no loud noises or anything that's different to parking a car. Only the tire sidewall was contacting the kerb. Fixed the car right up and it never wandered again. So this was enough to near permanently change something on the car.

I would imagine the forces that make a tires chirp going straight are higher?

[Taleb Tyres]

You've probably sorted this out by now, but for future reference, changing toe is piss easy, the mechanic should have been able to at least line them up by eye, would've taken two minutes to do.

You can do this yourself if you get stuck in the same situation all you need is some spanners, i think its a 19mm and a 14 from memory, or even a shifter will do, just undo the locking nut on the tie rod and turn the tie rod until you can get the toe at a suitable angle, then tighten, should get you by without damaging components or wearing tyres, or risking an accident!

[sadr33]

Yup I did sort it out ali, thanks for the reply.

I was thinking of pulling over and calling a friend to bring tools but with the side skirts being low, lying in traffic etc I just hoped I'd be ok to the nearest wheel shop and kept driving.

Today just got a front wheel alignment. Its straight now, but definitely different than before.

Not sure if the brand new tie end rods would make a difference, if its the new alignment settings, or some of the bushes bent after driving under toe out pressure for a day and need some time to resettle again.

I encounter a bit more resistance to turn the wheel left to right from centre, and a bit more effort to corner is needed compared to before.

Perhaps there was a tinybit of toe out originally I was not aware, and this time I asked for 0 0 toe on the front.

Anyway I am happy with the alignment, its dead center (it was originally) I'll leave the car alone for now, but there are some more bushes, sway bars etc I think need replacing in the future as there is some slack.

Edited October 19, 2012 by sadr33

[sadr33]

Ali, do you guys give "good" 4 wheel alignment ? Took a Mazda 4 Wheel steer car to bob Jane a few years ago and they completely stuffed it as they didn't lock the rear wheels when doing the alignment . 4 wheel steer light came on and car drove like a crab. Never again.

My dad also has a gts-t with hicas not locked out thats off center to drive, let me know if there is a preferred time to bring it so you can have a look at it and do a wheel alignment.

I'll Pm you.