I had my car's tracking done a few days ago because it was way out (I had heavy steering and terrible tyre scrubbing) and it must have been that big pothole a few weeks ago that made it go 'out'.
I got to wondering how a shock like a kerb or pothole actually does upset wheel alignment. After all, the adjustments are done up tightly with nuts. Is it the unsettling of the rubber elements, the balljoints, etc and resettling in a slightly different position that does it?
I would guess that a shock heavy enough to put the steering out and cause the tyres to scrub, means something was bent. Most likely the track arm. As long as it could be readjusted within limits it should be OK, but after a bump like that, I'd be a little worried about how accurate the tracking was on turns. Mike.
I'd hope 'they'd' make the weakest link something that if it did get slightly bent could be adjusted out by ordinary tracking adjustment. On a strut suspension, this would be the arm from the strut that the track rod end links to.
I think we're talking about the same thing. The track arm is the arm that actually turns the wheel. IOW the one attached to the strut as you say. A bend in this arm can't be adjusted out. The straightline tracking can be adjusted accurately, but a bend in the arm, upsets it's angular movement, which in turn affects how much the wheel turns when on lock. It upsets the Ackerman.:-) I can't see a 'weakest link' that can be adjusted, or see any more likely reason, that might give the fault in the OP's post. Steering is normally very sturdy. It must have been a helluva pot hole to bend the track arm. Just a thaught. I suppose it is possible that it could have bent the neck of a ball joint, which would give the same result. If it were mine I'd certainly want the steering checked properly. Tracking front and rear. Castor, camber, toe-in on turns, the lot. And I'd want whatever was bent, to be replaced. Mike.
Yes - although a slight amount of damage might still leave things within tolerance. If you look at the spec of most steering systems on full lock, they're not exactly precise ;-) However, this arm should be easily replaced.
I am sure nothing is bent or broken on my car. Isn't it the case that wheel alignment commonly gets knocked 'out' by kerbs or potholes?
The *only* way something can get knocked out of alignment by a pothole etc is when something gets bent - even if ever so slightly. Whether that slight 'damage' is enough to interfere with the usual tolerance of Ackerman angles is open to debate.
Unless you've had the complete steering geometry thoroughly checked, how can you be sure nothing is bent? Sure, hitting kerbs and potholes, can put steering out. If only a minor adjustment is needed, there's not much to worry about. The knock your steering received sounds like it was a little more than that. Adjusting steering so it tracks in a straght line is easy, but the fact that adjustment was required after hitting a pothole, suggests to me that something _was_ bent. There's no way the actual adjusting mechanism can move. The only way the steering geometry can alter after an impact on a wheel, is if something bends or breaks. I doubt if anything broke, but I'd put money on something being bent, and my guess would be the track arm. It must have been a severe knock, if it was enough to cause 'heavy steering and terrible tyre scrubbing' Mike.
I once had this on my old Mondeo.
I'd parked too close to a high kerb, and to get out of the space, I had to put the steering on full lock.
What happened was that I was turning the steering, but the wheel wasn't going very far, which knocked the steering wheel about 15 degrees out.
Pete.
I'd assume though, that apart from the change in the steering wheel position, the tracking and steering geometry were still OK. I don't think you'd bend the track arm by heaving on the steering wheel. Mike.
I'd be surprised if it could jump splines too.
So would I, but seeing as Pete said nothing about the steering apart from the s/wheel being out of position, I assume it must have slipped somwhere. Maybe on one of the couplings. The pinch bolts act like cotters, but there's usually enough clearance for the coupling to move a few degrees if forced. The splines are quite shallow. Either that or he managed to twist the column itself. :-) Mike.
Nope. The tracking was absolutely shagged. Needed to be seriously re- tracked. It wasn't just the wheel though. If you let the wheel go, the car would shoot off to the right. It was almost a "struggle" keeping it in a straight line!
Was fine afterwards though.
Pete.
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