Front wheel tuck
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My 2000 firebird has a very impressive amount of front wheel tuck. I just had an alignment recently and they said it couldn't be done perfectly because the k member was dented, the frame was bent (cannot find where), the tierod end was bad, and I had a bad hub. Now this is all on one side of the car, the driers side. It is probably an inch further in than the passenger, but the passenger side is also tucked. Obviously I need to fix the parts mentioned (tierod sand hubs are waiting to be installed) and I need to get the car looked at by a frame puller, but what is causing the wheels from being tucked so much on both sides? Only the drivers side has the small amount of in noticeable damage from a previous owner. Would adjustable uppers help?
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The front bumper was covered in spider cracks and the headlight cover was dented and bondo'd when I got the car. The bumper support was twisted, and it was cheaply sprayed with paint because the hood has clear coat peeling.
Further proof carfax isn't always that useful... My old car was carfax spotless but one look at it and you would have known it had a few run-ins with stuff in its life!
I wouldn't use adjustable arms to get the alignment in spec unless I had no other choice. Just a band-aid for the problem.
Start with getting the chassis squared up and the K member replaced, then go from there. Entirely possible the stock upper arm or the spindle is bent, but don't go buying parts for that until you know the chassis is up to par.
I wouldn't use adjustable arms to get the alignment in spec unless I had no other choice. Just a band-aid for the problem.
Start with getting the chassis squared up and the K member replaced, then go from there. Entirely possible the stock upper arm or the spindle is bent, but don't go buying parts for that until you know the chassis is up to par.
what's wrong with the kmember hard to tell in that picture. is the bottom side of it dented in a little bit? that's all I think I can see. Doesn't look bad enough to cause both wheels to tuck. Seems like it would be a A-arm/spindle issues to me. Unless you are running some skinny tire with a crazy backspacing up front that is tucking the tires.
Is the k member that big of a problem? Here is a picture
Attachment 436123
The dent is just below the steering shaft input on the rack
Attachment 436123
The dent is just below the steering shaft input on the rack
If it is just a dent in the middle then it should be fine. But once you get the frame straight the K member might not line up anymore if it is actually bent somewhere, so just keep that in mind. Can't say for sure until the frame is squared away.
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The k member, control arms and spindles are off a donor car (ls swap). Both the v6 k member and v8 k member (dented) match up perfectly. The wheels were tucked with all the original v6 stuff as well. Is there a way to get a frame 'estimate'? I'd hate to end up spending a grand or more to straighten it out.
Hm, well if both K members fit properly then odds are that point on the frame is OK. Didn't realize you has LS swapped. Maybe something with the shock towers is off.
Has me a bit puzzled.
Has me a bit puzzled.
could you have accidentally installed an extra upper A arm on the wrong side? I read one guy on here had a one installed on the wrong side of the car, so the ball joint was not located in the correct position causing a funky upright angle
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The upper arms are correct because I painted one set silver (with bad bushings) so I wouldn't mix them up. I recently did shocks in the front and they are correct.
It seems like the shock tower is pushed in on the drivers side, causing the shock mount and upper arm to be pushed inside the fender more. I installed my strut tower branch and had to use a hammer for it to go over the shock bolts.
It seems like the shock tower is pushed in on the drivers side, causing the shock mount and upper arm to be pushed inside the fender more. I installed my strut tower branch and had to use a hammer for it to go over the shock bolts.
Definitely more noticeable on the driver than passenger side. Do you have a pic of the drivers side spindle/a-arms. IF it is the shock tower bracing an adjustable upper may be your cheapest option.