Frame damage!!!` - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

Gelo_USA · 09-10-2009, 08:36 PM

hey....
I got my headlights... (old ones were yellow and mounts were broken)) I installed the new ones.... the left one wont adjust... where it needs to go is out of range on the adjustment... the right one is fine.... also this week I took it to sears for an alignment the car was straight but the wheel was off to the left.... so I wanted to fix it... car came out pulling left with the wheel straight.... I thought they messed up the the car was aligned to specs acording the the spec sheet.... so today I was thinking right now could it be frame damage in the front... the car had an accident in the front reported on car fax from like 4 years ago but it was driveable... after I bought it I tapped someone very lightly... I dnt think it was enough to damage the frame but it did bend the bumper in.... any ideas... I really dnt wanna have to trash/scrap my corolla... i realllllyyyyyyyy like it....

gaj1967 · 09-10-2009, 08:46 PM

Could be frame damage. My girlfriends car was in an accident years ago and even though we took it to get an alignment it still pulled a little to the right. I'm guessing they just put it on a machine and adjust it but never take it on the road. Even if we tell them to. Since she doesn't drive hers often we aren't looking into it further. Probably have to take it to a specialist or dealer to get it working properly.

Gil

Bitter · 09-10-2009, 08:55 PM

just ask them to re-center the steering wheel, i could align your car to drive straight as and arrow with the wheel 90deg off to the right or left and show you a sheet with all 4 wheels in spec.

gaj1967 · 09-10-2009, 09:02 PM

In my case if you're driving on a flat road and you let go of the steering wheel the car will pull/turn/drift/etc to the right. That is after an 'alignment' is done. I don't think re-centering the steering wheel will change that.

I think Gelo_USA is having a similar problem: "car came out pulling left with the wheel straight

This isn't a situation of the car driving straight and the steering wheel is pointing at 2 o'clock.

Bitter · 09-10-2009, 09:19 PM

in that case they probably only did the front alignment, ask for a 4 wheel alignment.

Gelo_USA · 09-10-2009, 10:11 PM

4 wheel alignement was done... I think the car is damaged... cause the headlights wont move enough to adjust..... its all the way off and when u try to adjust u run out of adjustment before the light beam is where it should so tht with the car not being straight makes me think I have some big problems

***PhatRoyale*** · 09-10-2009, 10:16 PM

Any pics of the frame you can take for us?

Gelo_USA · 09-11-2009, 08:54 AM

nothing seems bad till u drive it and see where the headlight is pointed to... but I will take pics of the front and hood open and post them later today...

Gelo_USA · 10-14-2009, 06:09 PM

sorry guys... Im back havent had time to post the pics but unfortunately they wnt be needed I think its the end of the line for my rolla... a DRUNK A$$HOLE did an illegal uturn and hit my driver side front wheel hard... front door doenst even close and damage to rear door too... and the police didnt even wanna test him for a DUI they only gave him a ticket for the uturn and let him got right after he gave his insurance info and stuff.... luckily it wasnt bad enough to reach the transmission but it was bad enough... bent the wheel badly... I think the insurance wnt fix it because its gonna be more to fix than the car is actually worth.... do u guys knw around how much I would get if they say it is totaled... man am i mad... I love tht car... and u knw whats worse... I see the guy tht hit me almost everyday..

Flashmn · 10-15-2009, 06:09 AM

Quote:

In my case if you're driving on a flat road and you let go of the steering wheel the car will pull/turn/drift/etc to the right. That is after an 'alignment' is done. I don't think re-centering the steering wheel will change that.

Thats actually normal and its got nothing to do with the alignment in the car, its to do with the way roads are made. Roads are never completely flat, they have some degree of angling from centerline to the edge to aid in water dispersion from road surface.
So now if you adjust the steering wheel straight, you're actually fixing nothing, but you're creating an error..