Michael Pardee wrote:
>> you can drive for a little while with a dead boot, [that axle's now dead
>> anyway], but priority one is check the joints, then get it aligned.

another Q'
when i get up to about 40mph the front of the car vibrates real bad it makes
it hard to controll the car(if it makes u feel any better i dont drive the
car much at all because of this problem so dont worry, u wont see me running
into anyone... soon), is this the axel, the joints, the allingnment or the
tire ballance?


--
Message posted via http://www.carkb.com

 

Michael Pardee wrote:
>> you can drive for a little while with a dead boot, [that axle's now dead
>> anyway], but priority one is check the joints, then get it aligned.

another Q'
when i get up to about 40mph the front of the car vibrates real bad it makes
it hard to controll the car(if it makes u feel any better i dont drive the
car much at all because of this problem so dont worry, u wont see me running
into anyone... soon), is this the axel, the joints, the allingnment or the
tire ballance?


--
Message posted via http://www.carkb.com

 

"jim beam" <nospam@example.net> wrote in message
news:ybWdnSF0-PKUmFXfRVn-gQ@speakeasy.net...
> Michael Pardee wrote:
>>
>> If this is a DIY project, you can even do a DIY toe adjustment after you
>> fix whatever's broke. Place a strip of tape (like masking tape or duct
>> tape) across each front tire and drive down a straight road a mile or so.
>> Compare the wear from the inner to the outer edges, and adjust the tie
>> rods to bring the fronts in (shorten the tie rods) if the inner edges are
>> wearing more than the outer edges - and vice-versa. It's no substitute
>> for a real alignment, but it'll get you close enough to let your tires
>> survive.
>
> in general you're dead right, & i always used to do stuff like this when i
> had a car with a fixed rear - if you do it right, you can do a pretty good
> job this way too. but on the 88-00 civics, the rear is not fixed & is
> /so/ critical to the way the front works, it's not even worth it for the
> drive to the alignment shop. i wish i had a spare $6k lying around to buy
> an alignment rig - i hate having to take my car to the shop and having to
> show the tech what to do. i'll bet you there's not 1 in 10 civics that
> have the rear done right first time.
>
Thanks for the update!

Mike

 

"jim beam" <nospam@example.net> wrote in message
news:ybWdnSF0-PKUmFXfRVn-gQ@speakeasy.net...
> Michael Pardee wrote:
>>
>> If this is a DIY project, you can even do a DIY toe adjustment after you
>> fix whatever's broke. Place a strip of tape (like masking tape or duct
>> tape) across each front tire and drive down a straight road a mile or so.
>> Compare the wear from the inner to the outer edges, and adjust the tie
>> rods to bring the fronts in (shorten the tie rods) if the inner edges are
>> wearing more than the outer edges - and vice-versa. It's no substitute
>> for a real alignment, but it'll get you close enough to let your tires
>> survive.
>
> in general you're dead right, & i always used to do stuff like this when i
> had a car with a fixed rear - if you do it right, you can do a pretty good
> job this way too. but on the 88-00 civics, the rear is not fixed & is
> /so/ critical to the way the front works, it's not even worth it for the
> drive to the alignment shop. i wish i had a spare $6k lying around to buy
> an alignment rig - i hate having to take my car to the shop and having to
> show the tech what to do. i'll bet you there's not 1 in 10 civics that
> have the rear done right first time.
>
Thanks for the update!

Mike

 

"zac s via CarKB.com" <forum@CarKB.com> wrote in message
news:50C72D7D4CF10@CarKB.com...
> Michael Pardee wrote:
>>> you can drive for a little while with a dead boot, [that axle's now dead
>>> anyway], but priority one is check the joints, then get it aligned.
>
> another Q'
> when i get up to about 40mph the front of the car vibrates real bad it
> makes
> it hard to controll the car(if it makes u feel any better i dont drive the
> car much at all because of this problem so dont worry, u wont see me
> running
> into anyone... soon), is this the axel, the joints, the allingnment or the
> tire ballance?
>
>
I'd bet it is whatever is making the toe-out so bad - ball joints or
whatever.

Normally, I'd expect to see only one underlying problem - ball joints in
this case - and when that was fixed the alignment should be pretty close
because it wasn't disturbed initially. From the history you gave us, I
wouldn't count on it. First step - identify and replace all broken or bent
parts. Second step - alignment.

Mike

 

"zac s via CarKB.com" <forum@CarKB.com> wrote in message
news:50C72D7D4CF10@CarKB.com...
> Michael Pardee wrote:
>>> you can drive for a little while with a dead boot, [that axle's now dead
>>> anyway], but priority one is check the joints, then get it aligned.
>
> another Q'
> when i get up to about 40mph the front of the car vibrates real bad it
> makes
> it hard to controll the car(if it makes u feel any better i dont drive the
> car much at all because of this problem so dont worry, u wont see me
> running
> into anyone... soon), is this the axel, the joints, the allingnment or the
> tire ballance?
>
>
I'd bet it is whatever is making the toe-out so bad - ball joints or
whatever.

Normally, I'd expect to see only one underlying problem - ball joints in
this case - and when that was fixed the alignment should be pretty close
because it wasn't disturbed initially. From the history you gave us, I
wouldn't count on it. First step - identify and replace all broken or bent
parts. Second step - alignment.

Mike