Bent rear axle

[CJS]

need some advice and opinions please.. I have a 07 FWD with 36K miles. At the dealer today I was switching tires and having the car aligned. When checking the back left rear I was told that the left rear toe was .45 out of spec and the right rear toe .11 indicating that the axle was bent. The service advisor was at a loss in trying to explain it as the car has never been hit or showed and damage. He asked if I had ever overloaded it or possibly a pothole (I can see a pothole doing in a tire but bending an axle?)... I really am careful with this car. So, they indicated it was "bad news" and it does indeed pull to the left....and will forever! So, what should I do? Could this be a manufacturing defect that took 36K miles of driving to really become a problem. Time to sell it? A very depressing situation for a car that always was "problem free" driving..... all opinions welcomed.. thks..CJ

[keithvibe]

get a second look by an independent mechanic. don't tell them though what the dealer said. Just ask them to align the car.If they come back with the same results. Then my guess is maybe someone hit your car while parked in a parking lot.

[star_deceiver]

Did you buy the car new?Ever slide the car in winter?Welcome to GenVibe BTW!!!

[mac99d]

So the rear axel beam is bent. I would think that would take a bit of a hit to bend that. Some one is bull $^$@ing you,

[vibedrivermatt]

Well maybe your car just came with the alignment out of spec. I took my car in for an alignment and found out a few surprising things. Some of the specs were off including my right front caster by a smidge and both my rears were off my right rear being the worst off with too much toe-in and negative camber. I did on one occasion hit a really nasty pot hole with the right wheels during a spring thaw so I wondered if that was the reason for my right alignment being more off than the left. I also did a lowering spring install too so I was not surprised that my specs were off all round. Although I suspect that that mostly just threw off my camber (giving more negative) as well as the toe in the front.I agree though the best thing to do first would be to go to an independent tire shop and get the alignment done for a second opinion. this costs me about $70 where I go Your rear suspension can be fixed though without having to replace any major suspension parts. You can get some alignment shims and set the rear specs where they're supposed to be. I plan I doing this to mine but haven't got to it yet so I cant tell you how difficult it is. I've thought to hear a mechanic who's also an alignment specialist should be able to do a complete alignment as well as shim install for the rears for around X amount of hundreds of dollars. I not sure about what the cost for that is at all though. another thread about it. This guy did the shim job himself. Im hoping its not that hard. He used SPC alignment shims. They're a good choice for diy'ers because the website gives you a handy tool that converts the alignment numbers you enter and tells you how to adjust the shim. V thread title V 2006 Vibe alignment and excessive tire wear

[scherry2]

the shims are pretty easy to install there are 4 bolts holding your rear brake hub to the axle. i would go to a place like tire barn have them check the alignment they will put shims in if needed. cheaper than a dealer thats for sure. tire barn said it would cost $39 for the alignment and around $100 "if" it needed shims.

[CJS]

Thanks for the replies.. I'll definitely get it to a alignment shop for a second opinion. Yeah.. car was new and has hit its share of potholes and winter driving issues I guess (New York State). A parking lot hit is always possible.. although there is no visible damage. It is just plain odd.

[scherry2]

not odd. just mr. goodwrench tryin to make some cash.

[CJS]

I took it to an alignment only shop and they said it wasn't that bad. He said it probably was built wrong and over the past 4 yrs has gotten a bit worse. I never have seen weird wearing of the tires either. So, the guy basically said don't worry about it and perfectly safe. Glad I got another opinion of a alignment only mechanic....thks for that advice.

[keithvibe]

dealers will rip you off blind!