Buda

iTrader: (1)

Here's a quick rundown of what occured leading up to the current problem.

Dec. 24, 2009 - Got new tires (Goodyear eagle GT) put on at NTB, they do not have the Hunter road force 2000 there. However I felt no change to steering/handling at this point.

Two weeks later I take the car into the dealership to have alignment checked and it is out again (after being just done on Oct. 30th). They find out tech was doing something he wasn't supposed to to get the camber in but it went right back out as soon as I drove the car. The say I need a camber kit. At this point car is still driving fine.

1 more week passes and I get the camber kit in (ingalls). I have the dealer install the kit and do an alignment. I drive away from the dealership and notice an immediate difference and it is not good.

I drive the car for a week or two just to make sure I'm not feeling something that is not there and go back in to the dealership and ask them about it. They said with the camber kit it can change the handling of the car. I give them the benefit of the doubt and have driven it around as is for the last 3 months, but my confiidence level in the handling of the car has gone extremely down.

Now here is what is going on. The steering is now loose, especially at highway speeds, there is a lot more play, and the front tires seem to just suddenly change directions. This is even more evident during a windy day where I'm having to constantly make wheel adjustments to keep it straight. Before this I barely recognized the wind as the car would go where you put the steering at and not suddenly vear off. Steering stability while taking curves on the highway is also greatly reduced (especially if you have to do a lane change while in the curve).

The dealership says this is due to the camber kit (don't have alignment specs but everything was in spec and rear camber was at 0 degrees on both sides after kit installed). I seriously think that they didn't adjust the steering right or didn't tighten something. There is no way a rear camber kit causes steering to become loose and increases the play.

Any thoughts/ideas on this and what could be the cause? My car is no longer fun to drive with it like this. I'm going to have the dealership look at it again once I get my new tires delivered for my new wheels. I've waited this long as the dealership was getting a little tired of me coming in after the cupped tire fiasco I went through last year.

wasupdog

iTrader: (2)

good thing you have your mods listed so we can see what you have. you're suspension mods are only the a-spec suspension? you shouldn't need a camber kit for that slight drop. the camber and caster is non-adjustable on the TL unless you have a camber kit installed, but most members on here just get the toe adjusted and camber isn't too big of a deal. again, you don't need a camber kit.

also, you said the problems started after the camber kit was installed. i think ifrahse had a similar problem and it turned out to be that a bolt on the camber kit wasn't tightened. if i were you, i'd have the camber kit removed and then i'd take the car to a tire shop that uses hunter machines and have all 4 wheels balanced and then have them do an alignment also on a hunter machine.

wasupdog

iTrader: (2)

see above. a lot of members here run negative camber up to -2 degrees or more and don't have too much of a problem with uneven tire wear as long as the toe is adjusted properly. i used to take mine to a firestone and just told the techs to make sure the toe is in spec and they were cool with it, only used to take them <30 minutes to adjust on a hunter rack.

Buda

iTrader: (1)

I was a -2.1 with the aspec suspension on the rear. The reason for the camber kit install was that I got a lot of grief over the tire warranty since the camber was out of alignment. Took over a month and a half to get it resolved. Yes the problems started after the camber kit, but they also did an alignment too. Found out my last 3 alignments that the tech was doing something he wasn't supposed to so it wouldn't surprise me if something wasn't done right this time. Also my backend isn't being skittish, it's the front end and the steering is loose with to much play. I find it hard that a camber kit can cause all that as well, could be wrong though.

I'd just put back on the old rods by myself but my dealership threw the away without asking. I was just a little pissed about that.

Fresh23

iTrader: (2)

I currently have the same problem. I got my bridgestones installed, but didnt do an alignment right away, I just a few days later cause of time. So before the alignment my car was so smooth and steering was perfect. I got an alignment and the passenger side was out of spec, I was told that a strut was bad, but I didnt think just that was the cause of loose steering feeling. I am gonna replace the strut and see what results I get from there. The steering is so shitty its not even funny.

Jesstzn

To me this sounds like your not toed in enough on the front .. causing it to "hunt"

I hate cars

Exactly!

Better/wider/stiffer tires will make this more noticable.

Buda

iTrader: (1)

I take the car in in the morning. I looked at the front tires and there is noticeably more tread wear on the outside of the tire on both front tires. Keep in mind the tires were new at the end of december. Does that reinforce the comment about the toe not being correct?

ifirahse

iTrader: (6)

I was having a problem with rear my car veering in different directions while turning. Turns out my right rear camber arm wasn't even attached to the frame of the car (nut came loose).

If I were you I'd go underneath the car right now and check the camber kit mounting points to make sure nothing is loose.

Buda

iTrader: (1)

^-- did that over the weekend. Everything looked good on the rear.

ifirahse

iTrader: (6)

Your front camber is more negative than your rear. Don't set your rear camber at 0, have it set at around -1. I have mine set at -1.5 with no adverse tire wear.

You seem to be having the same problem I had, except that yours is coming from the front, so I'd say definitely check the front suspension yourself if you know what to look for, but since you had to have your camber kit installed at the dealer I'd say that's a .

Take it back to them, tell them what's going on and that you can't drive your car safely. They don't want to be liable for an accident since they installed the kit themselves.

Buda

iTrader: (1)

Main reason for the dealer install was that they were giving me the alignment for free and some other stuff as they screwed up before otherwise I would have done it myself. Thanks for the suggestions on having the rear camber in at -1, I was wondering about that.

Buda

iTrader: (1)

Dealership came back and found nothing yet and the service managers boss drove the car and thought it was ok, but he had no real reference point as to how it drove before. They are checking on the previous 2 alignments to see the differences.

Per phone convo I know that after last alignment rear camber was -1 on both sides (thought it was zero), front camber was -5. and -.8. Front toe was 0 on one side and I think he said -.2 on the other.

Any thoughts from anyone that sees this before he calls back?

Fulani has a TL

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, DONT TAKE IT TO THAT DEALERSHIP!!! Obviously from the sounds of things, they don't know whats going on. I would rather take it to firestone, get the lifetime alignments. You aren't drop low enough to even need a camber kit as had been spoken about.

Whats the Caster set to? should be about 3 degrees, me personally I think they are yanking your chain on the numbers they just gave you. You NEED a printed sheet which will give you exact specs on what your car is set to...

Don't take what the service department tells you for real unless you have ACTUALS.

Buda

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, I'm not to thrilled. I'm having them move the Rear camber back to -1.5 to see if that works. If not, then I'm going elsewhere.