Steering damage?

Bonito

Hi all. Sorry for the life story but here goes.

I had my 2 front tyres changed a couple hundred km ago and afterwards I had to keep the steering wheel turned approx 30 degrees to the right to keep the car in a straight line. The car didn't pull to the left, once the wheels where straight they stayed that way. When I got home I decided to take the alloys off and have a look, when I approached the bolts I literally fell over with the shock they were so loose! If I had driven more thatn 60/70 kmh I'm fairly sure one or even both wheels would have flown off the car as it wasnt just one or two wheel nuts but all of them! I tightened them up and went back down to the garage who in good faith aligned my wheels for free. But 5 mins up the road the steering wheel began doing the same again, if it was centred the car was turning slightly left. The garage was busy so he asked me to drop back on the weekend so I did and he checked the alignment on the wheels and the computer said they were off by 2 and a quarter degrees, which sounded fairly low for 30 degrees on the steering wheel! The car wasn't out of line with the old tyres and I changed them in good time before they lost too much thread depth, they were even still at legal depth. My question is could either of my tracking arms/wishbone be damaged? I haven't hit any pot holes or gone over any speed ramps at considerable speed and the problem wasn't there before the tyres where changed.

Bonito

I drove a maximum of 2 km back to my house and some of the nuts where only sitting in about half way up their threads :rolleyes:

Oh and btw when I took the alloys off I couldn't see any irregularities to the wishbone/tracking arms. Could it be a camber issue maybe?

mickdw

They either messed with your wheel alignment at the tyre change or they managed to bend something while they had the car.
ANyway it sounds like they havent a notion as they should be able to set your steering dead ahead. Tell them you are taking it to a proper alignment company and they will pay!

THe only other way I can think of that would allow your steering to move off centre after tyre change would be if your car had a wrong radius tyre on one side orignally and was set up to have steering straight ahead with this tyre on. Replacing this then with 2 equal tyres on front would throw the steering out alot. This is sometimes done by dodgy dealers to make a bent car drive a bit straight.

You say that the car drives fine now apart from the steering position, that being the case, getting a proper alignment done will sort you out Im sure.

Bonito

Tyres beforehand where both the same and where changed at the same time by my sister when she owned the car. They were Goodyear GT2's. (which are on the manufacture specification) Tyres put on by garage are accelera something-or-others? (which aren't on manufac. specs.) But surely this shouldnt have any effect if the tyres are the correct size?

mickdw

What kind of car is it?

Bonito

2002 Peugeot 206, If it's a wishbone or tracking arm issue I may have to let her go as she's costing me a bit lately :rolleyes:

mickdw

The fact that is driving properly suggests it just needs alignment. Go somewhere else and get it done!