Bent rear axle

[hummingbird]

Hey there. I tried to have my 2006 vibe aligned yesterday and was told I need shims to correct the rear axle. The mechanic called me back today to say even his largest shims weren't going to fix the problem and I should take it to a body shop for repairs. I've been reading that a bent axle cannot be repaired and must be replaced. Is this true?Any ideas how much I might expect to pay for parts and labor?Any possibility that my drivetrain warranty might cover this?Thanks!

[A Psycho Martyr]

ouch! that sucks!I have no clue about repairs regarding an axle, so I'm useless Just wanted to say best of luck in getting it taken care of

[keithvibe]

Quote, originally posted by A Psycho Martyr »ouch! that sucks!I have no clue about repairs regarding an axle, so I'm useless Just wanted to say best of luck in getting it taken care of x2

[frankiemenz]

Be carefull, seen bad alignment equipment/inexp. techs missdiagnose these types of problems. Get a 2nd opinion befroe you shell out a lot of cash!! Did dealership tell you this or independent shop, tire store????-----Frank

[star_deceiver]

Get a second opinion. Can you clearly see damage?

[hummingbird]

Hey guys. Thanks for your responses. The car is at the tire shop so I can't see what he's talking about... not that I'd know what to look for. I got new tires and asked for alignment. It was definitely pulling to the right and had some uneven wear, though I think it was on the right front tire. The mechanic attempted to fix the alignment with shims and said he couldn't do it... he wouldn't feel right about it because it wouldn't actually fix the problem. He didn't charge me anything for the labor that he tried to do. He's also not wanting to do the repairs but is suggesting I take it somewhere else soon to be fixed. He might be misdiagnosing it, but I think he's being honest. I asked him if it looked like the car had been in an accident. He said he couldn't say for sure but that would be his guess. I did slide down gravel and get towed out of a deep ditch but the car was pulling before that. So, I don't know what to think. I will take it in for a second opinion, though. Can axles be repaired or do they need to be replaced?Thanks again!

[Bedlam]

if it is an axle problem, just get a re-manufactured one for $100. It's not worth trying to fix one if it is actually bent or broken. The weird part is if it is bent it should have introduced some serious vibrations that increase or decrease in intensity with speed. If that is not the case then there is probably something else going on.

[joatmon]

is it a base, GT, or an AWD Vibe?

[hummingbird]

It's a base. When I picked it up today the mechanic said I needed to take it to a body shop because they really couldn't tell what was going on. He did mention a possible bent frame. Is this really a possibility? Wouldn't the front alignment be messed up too?I had it checked by a mechanic before I bought it and they found no problems. I didn't take it to a body shop, though. It had new tires so I wasn't able to check for uneven wear. Had clean carfax. Can't remember if it pulled... if it did it wasn't much. Thanks again for all your advice. I'm getting ready to move next weekend so I'll probably wait until then to take it in. I'm really stressed out that I may have been duped

[hummingbird]

Do these alignment numbers mean anything to you?L rearcamber -1.6, toe .42R rearcamber -1.7, toe -.27Thanks!

[09vGT]

Always be careful when buying a car; I wouldn't strictly rely on carfax. I had a friend who bought a 1 year old loaded out Jeep Grand Cherokee that he had purchased from a woman who was in a wreck. It would have been a total, but she I'm not assuming, didn't turne it into insurance, or had no insurance, because the car still had a clean title. I would next time purchasing a used car, have it inspected for any visual problems by a mechanic..

[hummingbird]

Thanks for the advice. I did take it to a mechanic. He found nothing wrong. I'm looking at the report right now and they did not check alignment but they did check suspension, steering linkage, shock/struts, c.v.boots, fuel lines, brake lines, exhaust system, tires, filters, belts and hoses. Could a car have a bent frame and show no other problems at all except alignment out of whack? I'm pretty sure there was no front end body repair because it had some chipped paint like all vibes seem to have after a couple of years... didn't look replaced or repainted.

[hummingbird]

can anyone help me decipher those alignment numbers I posted earlier?Thank you, thank you, thank you. I do have an appt. at the body shop on Monday but just wanted some ideas.

[keithvibe]

Quote, originally posted by hummingbird »Do these alignment numbers mean anything to you?L rearcamber -1.6, toe .42R rearcamber -1.7, toe -.27Thanks!The numbers are indeed quite a bit out of wack... is this the numbers before or after he attempted to do the alignment?Attached is a pdf showing what the rear alignment should be.

Attached files service4.pdf (18 KB) 

[joatmon]

a couple of pages that talk about camber and toe inhttp://www.familycar.com/alignment.htmhttp://w ... ....htmlIf nothing else, the numbers should be symmetrical, and since you have positive toe on the left and negative toe on the right, it's as if the rear axle isn't square with the rest of the car, making the one wheel turn in toward the car too much and the other turned out away from the car.The pubs I have say the rear alignment isn't adjustable on base Vibes. So, if those numbers are accurate, seeing a body shop might not be a bad idea

[frankiemenz]

It does look like the rear axle is shifted to the right, just like joatmon suggested. Maybe something is loose or shifted that anchors the rear axle and can be re-centered bringing alignment back into specs. It isn't a 100 dollar axle like an axle shaft, this is the rear mono-trailing arm, definitly worth looking into seeing if it can be re-centered vs. replacement. I think that might be correctable by shims, you would need to do both sides though. Maybe that right side toe-out is too much for a shim , I can't say for sure. If you want pm me I can tell you more, and give you my# to call me by phone, I used to perform alignments, maybe give some options.---Frank

[hummingbird]

Thanks joatman, frankiemenz. The mechanic at the alignment shop tried to repair it using shims and said it wouldn't fix the problem. I was lucky he was honest. Frank, I'll try to contact you this evening. Thanks so much for that offer.