alignment is horrible!! what to do?!

[spiff]

hi guys, i dont know why but the wheel alignment of my car is really bad.
its been serviced in the casa three times already and everytime it comes back it still has the same problem. i am going back tomorrow to get pissed off at them again but till then i need some help. they claim they have had it aligned and it should be ok by now. what could be the cause of this? could it be something else other than the wheel alignment itself that is causing this? tire pressure is normal so it couldnt be that. any other cause perhaps?

my car is a mazda 6. anyone with a mazda 6 or 3 with similar problems?
thanks! appreciate the help

[dennis powell]

if three times mo ng pinaalign pero ganun pa rin ang resulta,there might be a worn suspension component( like ball joints,control arm bushings,strut assembly,tie rod ends,trailing arm bushings,etc.) or wheel/hub bearing,or maaring weak na yung coill spring.have them check the components first bago nila ialign yung kotse mo.ang rule of thumb kasi dyan eh,"you cannot align the looseness" kasi babalik at babalik ang problemang yan.

[Si 06]

Go to Sprinter in Banawe cor sta catalina look for Ruben. Yung strut ng BMW ko na napunit tinayo nya.
Pajero na defective front right suspension na ayaw aminin ng Mitsubishi sa brother naman nya sa Servitek along Sgt. Rivera

[Bravoexo]

Do you have the reading off the alignment computer, before and after?

How can you tell it's off? Do you center the steering wheel, let it go, and the car swerves violently?

[spiff]

Do you have the reading off the alignment computer, before and after?

didnt know i could get that.. will check that out tomorrow.
How can you tell it's off? Do you center the steering wheel, let it go, and the car swerves violently?

yeah.. i center the wheel and when i let go it the car doesnt exactly "swerve violently" but yeah... moves towards the right

[redorange]

Have you checked your tire pressure? A lower tire pressure on the right front tire can cause you to do the same thing. When it moves to the right is it immediate or after a few meters of driving?

[Chip]

this is kind of stupid but check your wheels
nangyari sakin yan dati, todo kabig, yon pala, unidirectional lang front wheels ko and mali yung pagkalagay nong nagpalit ako ng gulong coz of a flat. as a result, may kabig sya

[niky]

First things first:

How long have you been driving the car? Did you notice this problem from the moment you bought it?

I've noticed a lot of new Mazda/Ford owners complaining about "alignment problems" when what is actually happening is that they're not used to the sensitive steering of the cars.

The Mazda 6's steering is a lot like my Lynx's. It's very tactile and sensitive, as well as very heavy.

Even if the road appears completely straight, it will sometimes track left or right, to follow the grain of the road or any cambers or slopes. It's even worse if you have the optional 17's, as they're wearing Potenzas Grids, which are very sticky.

When you're testing for alignment problems, you should find a long, deserted strip of road.

Go down it one way on one lane (say, the right lane) and feel whether the steering is pulling left or right. Usually, it will pull to the right.

Now go down it going the other way, and drive on the same lane (this time, it will be the left lane). The steering should pull to the left with the same force as it was pulling to the right previously.

If the pull to the left when you go back down the same lane in the other direction isn't as strong, there might be a problem. If it's just as strong or almost as strong, then your steering is normal.

If you're still not convinced, maybe you can come to an EB and drive my car... every driver who drives it thinks it's out of alignment (heck, sometimes, I do...), but it's just so stiff and sensitive, it follows the road, no matter how level the road looks.

[OTEP]

Could it be that the vehicle is just following the crown of the road or other imperfections? The low profile tires and razor sharp handling of the 6 will maginify this.

[Bravoexo]

If you need to sit the steering wheel off center while driving continuously straight, then that is wheel alignment off.... but if it just drifts off center with your hands off a centered wheel...that just following the level of the road.

[spiff]

hi guys thanks for all the comments. this started only happening only a month or so ago. im pretty sure its not the way the car drives because theres such a big difference from what it was before. this problem was never there when i bought the car.

no matter what i do it always pulls towards the right.
niky thanks very much for the offer, maybe i will

[niky]

hi guys thanks for all the comments. this started only happening only a month or so ago. im pretty sure its not the way the car drives because theres such a big difference from what it was before. this problem was never there when i bought the car.

no matter what i do it always pulls towards the right.
niky thanks very much for the offer, maybe i will

Ah, okay. Sorry. Just had to make sure it was a real problem. Hehe.

If it is much different from what it was previously, there are a few things you can check.

Like Chip says, wheels are a big difference. BUt not just improper (reverse) mounting. If you've been using the car for a while and you've driven it hard or experienced hard braking at least once or twice, one of the front tires might be more worn down or off balance. If the casa says your alignment is right, check the tire balance either at the casa or at a "suking" tire shop (search here for suggestions on good shops).

If your tires are balanced, rotate them so that the more worn tires are in the back. Observe. If the problem is lessened, it's probably a worn down tire. Check your tire pressures when they are hot, also. If one tire gets hotter than the others, that might point to an alignment problem or grabbing brakes, which can also cause the car to veer.

You can also ask the casa to provide you with the reading of the alignment machine. Check to see whether "normal" means "within normal limits but not necessarily 100%" to them. If so, you can ask them to align it to a specific amount... or you can go outside. Since alignment isn't warranty covered, I don't bother going to the casa every single time I have an issue.

Another thing that's often overlooked at the casa is steering alignment. Sometimes the wheels wil look straight on the machine, but the steering won't be 100% aligned. You should specifically ask for steering alignment so they will pay attention to this. Sakit din ito ng Lynx RS (which is a Mazda underneath) at mahirap ma-align ang steering nito.

Good luck. Try the "two-ways-same-lane" thing, anyway, to quantify how badly it is pulling... then do the same test with a casa mechanic to make them believe you.