Guys I need some help, I just got my car back from the insurance company, it was stolen and crashed in the front, and fixed by the insurance company. The handling does not feel right when I turn right, there is a lot of understeer, I took the car to the alignment shop today and they say everything is fine, what gives? any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

What were you driving during the down time???? Maybe you got use to the car you were driving and think the max drives differnt. You got the same tires on the car??

 

Well I was driving a 240sx, but I don't think that's the problem, the thing is that the car will turn to the left very nicely, crisp turn in, but when I turn the car to the right there is allot, but I mean allot of understeer, I feel that if I take a curve to fast to the right I might hit some thing, I don't know what to do. I really need some help here.

 

Did the alignment man road test the vehicle, or just put it on the rack?

Something is wrong with your car and nobody (so far) has been willing to find out what it is.

Was the damage done to your car a "hard hit"? If so, the geometry of the unibody may have been distorted. This damage can be corrected by a body shop which uses precision measuring equipment. The body shop has an obligation to restore the car mechanically as well as cosmetically. From your description, the insurance company's body shop did only half of their job.

The intriguing symptom is the assymetry. The car turns to the left satisfactorily, but not to the right. I'd want a front end specialist to get underneath and examine the steering rack and its rubber mountings.

 

1.- Did the alignment man road test the vehicle, or just put it on the rack?


2.- Was the damage done to your car a "hard hit"? If so, the geometry of the unibody may have been distorted. This damage can be corrected by a body shop which uses precision measuring equipment. The body shop has an obligation to restore the car mechanically as well as cosmetically. From your description, the insurance company's body shop did only half of their job.

3.-I'd want a front end specialist to get underneath and examine the steering rack and its rubber mountings. [/I][/QUOTE]

1.- No he did not road test the vehicle, he just put it on the rack and looked at it.

2.- Yes it was hard hit, but I don't know how hard, because the car was stolen when it was crashed.

3.- I want to do this but I don't know where to go to, should I go to another alignment shop or to another body shop?

Thank you Daniel.

 

You have discovered a key difference between an "alignment man" and a "front end specialist". A skilled professional will ...
- listen to his customer
- road test the vehicle
- put the vehicle on the alignment machine
... in that order.

You don't have to witness a crash to know if it was a hard hit. "Hard hit" is an industry term which means collision damage severe enough to distort the unibody. Repairing a hard hit requires a series of careful pulls on a chassis machine before the cosmetic repairs are done. Contrast this with a soft hit which requires only straightening panels, replacing broken plastic, and paint.

You need the services of a skilled professional. It doesn't matter if his employer is a body shop or an alignment shop. You need someone who will take the time to thoroughly evaluate your car, including a road test. Ask your friends, neighbors, and coworkers for recommendations. Maybe you will find a man with forty years of experience and the patience it takes to find a problem.

Don't let the insurance company give you the brush-off. Your symptoms point to much more than a driving "feel" complaint. They are a safety concern.

 

Forget the alingment shop. If you still have doubts about your repair, consider taking the car to a good reputable FRAME/UNIBODY shop. The alignment shop may or may not have the skill or even care enough to determine if the unibody is out of whack or not. Also you might still have some suspension pieces that are bent. The car might align up okay when on the rack but still drive crappy in real life. You might want to ask who the high end paint and body shops use for their unibody straightening requirements.

 

TAKE IT BACK TO YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY. and tell them that something is still not right explain to them what it is suggest frame damage or unibody damage and have them send it back to the body shop. This way it will be free

 

Thanks guys, I think Daniel and GTRBlkMax97 gave me a great idea, I'm going to take the car back to the insurance company and I'm going to complain about the crappy handling and i'm going to tell them it's a safety risk!, I'll keep all of you posted on how bad my life is going.