alignment every 160,000 miles=-
jamesmetairie
10-01-2011, 10:07 PM
1998 Lumina. The odometer currently reads 160,000 miles.I bought it with 45,000 miles at auction from the French Consulate in New Orleans about 9 years ago . Got no alignment yet. This car never did like to track well,but tires do not wear unevenly,so I lived with it . Question = Am I correct in thinking even if I go to a top notch front end shop they,re gonna want to change several parts and cost me a bunch of money?
What would you automatically change with car with 160,000 miles?
What would you automatically change with car with 160,000 miles?
j cAT
10-02-2011, 07:32 AM
1998 Lumina. The odometer currently reads 160,000 miles.I bought it with 45,000 miles at auction from the French Consulate in New Orleans about 9 years ago . Got no alignment yet. This car never did like to track well,but tires do not wear unevenly,so I lived with it . Question = Am I correct in thinking even if I go to a top notch front end shop they,re gonna want to change several parts and cost me a bunch of money?
What would you automatically change with car with 160,000 miles?
before any alignment is done replace the front struts and springs. operate the vehicle for 1ooomi before alignment .this will then be ready since the springs have set.
any steering components worn should be replaced and at this time align the vehicle.
drift error is usually camber/caster off due to saging springs.
steering wheel not centered can be toe off..
most GM vehicles drift to the right. this is the spring sag..
checking the front wheel hubs is also recommended with this mileage.
since your tires have no tire wear issues you most likely have no steering components worn , these should be checked at the oil/lube servicing intervals.
as long as these items are not worn / damaged the alignment should not change..over time the springs do weaken theowing off the alignment.
What would you automatically change with car with 160,000 miles?
before any alignment is done replace the front struts and springs. operate the vehicle for 1ooomi before alignment .this will then be ready since the springs have set.
any steering components worn should be replaced and at this time align the vehicle.
drift error is usually camber/caster off due to saging springs.
steering wheel not centered can be toe off..
most GM vehicles drift to the right. this is the spring sag..
checking the front wheel hubs is also recommended with this mileage.
since your tires have no tire wear issues you most likely have no steering components worn , these should be checked at the oil/lube servicing intervals.
as long as these items are not worn / damaged the alignment should not change..over time the springs do weaken theowing off the alignment.
jeffcoslacker
10-02-2011, 04:30 PM
Mine is coming up on 170,000 and I did change the struts last summer and had one hub go bad, but that's it, the rest of the front end is solid as rock...EXCEPT, as I posted in that thread a while back, the subframe bushings were WASTED...replacing them brought back the new car feel and got rid of all the "snaky" handling issues I'd had for a while.
jamesmetairie
10-03-2011, 10:20 PM
how do you know when a hub is going bad ? this car is on the interstate daily and i sure don,t want to lose a wheel there.
and jeffco= what brand struts did you install?
and jeffco= what brand struts did you install?
j cAT
10-04-2011, 08:02 AM
how do you know when a hub is going bad ? this car is on the interstate daily and i sure don,t want to lose a wheel there.
and jeffco= what brand struts did you install?
the hub bearings may make noises.also the steering will start to be difficult. jack up vehicle and check for smooth rotation and the tire does not wobble at all.
IT will not cause the tire to fall off..
in the rust belt where salt is used for snow you will see much damage to the front end suspension,frame,bearings.
and jeffco= what brand struts did you install?
the hub bearings may make noises.also the steering will start to be difficult. jack up vehicle and check for smooth rotation and the tire does not wobble at all.
IT will not cause the tire to fall off..
in the rust belt where salt is used for snow you will see much damage to the front end suspension,frame,bearings.
jeffcoslacker
10-09-2011, 07:55 AM
how do you know when a hub is going bad ? this car is on the interstate daily and i sure don,t want to lose a wheel there.
and jeffco= what brand struts did you install?
I went with Monroe Sensa-Trac....personally I don't like them, but I'm used to it now. They just don't feel as firm as the OE, but definitely improved the ride quality...thing is I prefer handling over ride. If I had to do over, I would have went with some KYB or something more stout like that.
But if you don't regularly lift a rear tire through the turns like I do, you'd probably like the Sensa-Tracs. I realize most people don't drive like me :uhoh:
Hubs will usually rumble above 25 mph and generally will be louder when you turn the wheel slightly one direction while at speed, quieter when you lead it the other way. That's kind of tell-tale behavior for hubs. Problem is most times unless REALLY trashed, you can't feel them but just spinning the wheel with the car lifted....because on FWD it's hard to get a good enough spin of a front wheel to feel/hear it...you're fighting the CV axle and have disc brake drag sounds that mask it.
If you're really sharp-eyed, you can sometimes look at the back side and see where the oil pack has been leaking from the hub assembly, the area around the bearing may be stained black and dirty from it. Hubs usually fail either from damage, like a pothole or curb-check, or from losing their oil and disintegrating. When they have been rumbling for a long time, you'll even see small, glittery metal shavings around the back of the bearing, along with the dirt the leaking oil has attracted..
and jeffco= what brand struts did you install?
I went with Monroe Sensa-Trac....personally I don't like them, but I'm used to it now. They just don't feel as firm as the OE, but definitely improved the ride quality...thing is I prefer handling over ride. If I had to do over, I would have went with some KYB or something more stout like that.
But if you don't regularly lift a rear tire through the turns like I do, you'd probably like the Sensa-Tracs. I realize most people don't drive like me :uhoh:
Hubs will usually rumble above 25 mph and generally will be louder when you turn the wheel slightly one direction while at speed, quieter when you lead it the other way. That's kind of tell-tale behavior for hubs. Problem is most times unless REALLY trashed, you can't feel them but just spinning the wheel with the car lifted....because on FWD it's hard to get a good enough spin of a front wheel to feel/hear it...you're fighting the CV axle and have disc brake drag sounds that mask it.
If you're really sharp-eyed, you can sometimes look at the back side and see where the oil pack has been leaking from the hub assembly, the area around the bearing may be stained black and dirty from it. Hubs usually fail either from damage, like a pothole or curb-check, or from losing their oil and disintegrating. When they have been rumbling for a long time, you'll even see small, glittery metal shavings around the back of the bearing, along with the dirt the leaking oil has attracted..
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