Alignment? Stearing rods? HELP!

[BxMazdaProLX]

Hey everyone. I just found this community while googling for some common problems protege's may have and I signed right up. Seems like everyone here is friendly and knowledgable.

So - for a bit of backstory - I have an '03 Protege Lx automatic with no bells or whistles. I bought it in '05 with only 38k miles. It was spankin new and I hardly drove it for most of that first year. I noticed after a while that it drifted slightly to the right so I took it in for a look and got an alignment. I also got new tires, new breaks, and new axels all because of that pesky alignment problem.

Now its 07 and I got about 47k miles on it. I drive it alot now since my new job isnt near any public transportation, so I really want to keep my baby in tip-top shape. Heres my problem...

Last week NYC had a small snow storm and I may have knocked something outta wack while driving/playing in the snow. My left front tire (which was the original source of the alignment problem) has a bit of play and when I go over 60mph the car has a slight vibration. The vibration stopped after I put some air in my tires but I know somethings still not right. So, I took it to a shop to maybe get another alignment and they said it could be my racompinion or wheel rods (??). They didnt even fix the problem! They just balanced the tires and told me to check with my dealer to get it fixed. Seemed to me like they just didnt want to be bothered.

Anyways - I just need to get this fixed but I dont even know what the problem is! Im prepared to get it fixed right, even if that means I need all sorts of new parts, axels, bearings, etc.. - BUT - I cant tell that to a mechanic because Ill just get railed for cash. UGH!!

Does anyone know what the problem could be so I can just go to a mechanic and say "look, heres the problem, I need it fixed, thanks" and be on my merry way happily with my protege that Ive grown to love.

Any help is GREATLY appreciated guys.

[xelderx]

Jack the front of the car up and take off the wheels. Have a friend hold hte steering wheel from moving. Start checking for any loose movement in the wheel hub. There are only 3 real possibilities for something being loose. One would be a loose wheel bearing which will be tough to feel withlout the wheel on the car. The lower control are could be loose, but highly unlikely. The most reasonable thing would be the outer tierod being worn. Any good mechanic should be able to find the problem in a few minutes.

[BxMazdaProLX]

Thanks much for the reply! The bearing thing may be the issue. Im just scared because they said it might be the racompinion. He may have just been trying to shake me down for some cash though eh?

Before they told me to go to my dealer to check they allowed me to go into the garage and he showed me the movement. They had my car jacked up and I grabbed the tire and gave it a shake, and there was definately some tiny movement. But now Im stuck like "ok, it moves...now what? fix it!" haha

I guess I just have to take it in. I really have no idea why they didnt just fix it in the first place. Im very disapointed in their service. Is there any chain garages you recommend? I really need this fixed asap.

[peajay]

i highly doubt its the rack and pinion. you would probably have some other issues if it was, symptoms like overly loose or tight steering. if you want to do a quick check take a very small pick or something you can poke a very tiny hole into the bellow boot of your inner tie rod coming out of the rack and pinion. poke in a fold as to try and cover the hole, if fluid leaks out you have a rack problem if not i doubt its the rack. also check to see if your steering fluid is bubbled up, getting air in the system, at all or is going down a noticeable amount. if you can get the car up yourself id check the tie rods like dude stated about or also the lower ball joint....both could cause vibrations.
and still dont rule out that it could be an out of round tire tread or out of balance tire..all still possibilities since its only at highway speed.
good luck
sorry if some of my 'hints' arent clear.....i think i make sense and sometimes i dont, its a bad habit.

[xelderx]

^^^also good advice.

Where are you located?

[peajay]

the big OH.....ohio.

[xelderx]

the big OH.....ohio.
Not you silly. Sorry...should have been a little more specific.

[peajay]

haha...totally kidding(eekdance)

[BxMazdaProLX]

lol - Dang PJ, I have no idea what your talkin about... thats fancy garage talk to me. I couldnt tell you the difference between a fan belt and the belt on my pants.

Hey, xelderx - Im from the bronx, NY. Any help as to where I can bring my car in?

Im actually online as we speak looking for Mazda specific garages. Im looking to get a full diagnostic and get everything nice and tidy by people who actually know about the car and not some joe-shmoe that these other spots around the bx hire.

[zoomzoom02]

I have nearly the same problem, I hit a curb with my front right wheel going around a turn at about 60mph (some jackass cut me of, so I had to employ some evasive manuvering). Anyways, I NAILED this curb...shaved the lip off of 1/8th of my stock rim. Ever since that, once I get above 60mph the steering wheel shakes with the amplitude that a automatic massager does, and my car pulls like hell to the right (I can exit freeways and change lanes by letting go of the steering wheel for a second). I took it to alignment places and the sort but no one could fix it or even tell me what the problem was, allthough I doubt they even looked.This happened about 3 years ago, and I have just dealt with it because I have never had the funds to fix it. Well, now I do and I am sick of it. I guess I will just have to jack it up and see what I can find. I am pretty sure it is the control arm, that is my hunch.

[xelderx]

Try the New York regional section of the forums. They should be able to point you in the right direction.

[crashkelly]

Hey everyone. I just found this community while googling for some common problems protege's may have and I signed right up. Seems like everyone here is friendly and knowledgable.

So - for a bit of backstory - I have an '03 Protege Lx automatic with no bells or whistles. I bought it in '05 with only 38k miles. It was spankin new and I hardly drove it for most of that first year. I noticed after a while that it drifted slightly to the right so I took it in for a look and got an alignment. I also got new tires, new breaks, and new axels all because of that pesky alignment problem.

Now its 07 and I got about 47k miles on it. I drive it alot now since my new job isnt near any public transportation, so I really want to keep my baby in tip-top shape. Heres my problem...

Last week NYC had a small snow storm and I may have knocked something outta wack while driving/playing in the snow. My left front tire (which was the original source of the alignment problem) has a bit of play and when I go over 60mph the car has a slight vibration. The vibration stopped after I put some air in my tires but I know somethings still not right. So, I took it to a shop to maybe get another alignment and they said it could be my racompinion or wheel rods (??). They didnt even fix the problem! They just balanced the tires and told me to check with my dealer to get it fixed. Seemed to me like they just didnt want to be bothered.

Anyways - I just need to get this fixed but I dont even know what the problem is! Im prepared to get it fixed right, even if that means I need all sorts of new parts, axels, bearings, etc.. - BUT - I cant tell that to a mechanic because Ill just get railed for cash. UGH!!

Does anyone know what the problem could be so I can just go to a mechanic and say "look, heres the problem, I need it fixed, thanks" and be on my merry way happily with my protege that Ive grown to love.

Any help is GREATLY appreciated guys.


The guys in the correct forum could probably help ya out better...this is the MSP section.

[red95_240sx]

i wacked a curb too. the suck but shop said i blew out the struts and ligned everything back up, but the camber was still knocked out positively. i had told them about this also. when i got the car back, i turned the strut mount, and it helped alot. im still gonna try a new control arm soon.

before the accident, i also hear rattles when i go over bumps. could this be caused by bad wheel bearings?

and what exactly is the tie rod, the bolt that bolts to the steering knuckle, or the thing at the end of the steering arm that pulls the knuckle.

[peajay]

no wheel bearings wont rattle...they will growl.
and you have 2 tie rods..an inner, which is the 'arm' coming out of your rack and pinion with the accordion looking boot on it and then once that turns to metal it is your outer tie rod and that connects directly onto your knuckle with the ball joint on the end of it between the two....so it goes from the wheel in... wheel-->outer tie rod-->inner tie rod-->rack and pinion..

[red95_240sx]

it only clicks in reverse...(scratch)

[MrDiggler]

I have nearly the same problem, I hit a curb with my front right wheel going around a turn at about 60mph (some jackass cut me of, so I had to employ some evasive manuvering). Anyways, I NAILED this curb...shaved the lip off of 1/8th of my stock rim. Ever since that, once I get above 60mph the steering wheel shakes with the amplitude that a automatic massager does, and my car pulls like hell to the right (I can exit freeways and change lanes by letting go of the steering wheel for a second). I took it to alignment places and the sort but no one could fix it or even tell me what the problem was, allthough I doubt they even looked.This happened about 3 years ago, and I have just dealt with it because I have never had the funds to fix it. Well, now I do and I am sick of it. I guess I will just have to jack it up and see what I can find. I am pretty sure it is the control arm, that is my hunch.

Or the wheel is bent...

[zoomzoom02]

Or the wheel is bent...
Negative. This was several years ago, after it happened I got it aligned 3 times and bought brand new rims. I have become so used to it (the vibrations, pulling and such) it is rediculous, I can barely drive a "normal" car. It was forever ago, but the alignment shop told me that either the toe or camber was off and it was not adjustable on our car. So which ever one is not adjustable will lead to the part that is causing all the trouble.

[peajay]

bullshit...no offense. mcpherson strut type systems you can adjust camber you just have to grind down the bolt holes in the strut. sounds bad but its really the only way around it. find a front end guy, or autox'er that has done it with confidence and get it done to your car cause it sounds pretty miserable to drive with.

[red95_240sx]

if its vibing, i dont thihnk those angles wud cause it... u cud also buy camber bolts, or turn the upper strut mounts. replace ur bearings or the hubs that shud really solve it.

[zoomzoom02]

I don't know if this is of any relevance, but if there is too much/too little tire pressure on my right side (the side I nailed) there is much more vibration. Also, after having my rotors on for X amount of miles it gets worse, then when I replace the rotors it returns to Y amount of vibration. LOL hopefully that doesn't confuse anyone. I have had the rotors checked and the rotors are not what is causing the problem.