butterfly22 2007 vibe rear end alignment issues

[butterfly22]

Rear end alignment issues. I recently took my 2007 to a GM dealer for routine maintenance. I was told I needed a rear end alignment. The rear hubs were removed and shims were placed behind them to push them out. But during the process of removing the rear hubs one of the hubs and a bearing were ruined. Of course, this was another added expense. I've been told by several people that rear end alignments are not necessary on vibes. And a mechanic at another GM dealership confirmed this when I asked. I ended up paying close to $700.00 for this alignment, which does not seem right. Has any other vibe owner run into this problem? Is this a design flaw in the Vibe?Thanks

[lovemyraffe]

No alignment is necessary, but if you want your tires to wear properly and the car to handle right, you should have an alignment done. I haven't bothered getting the rear aligned because mine is so close to being right, I'm not overly concerned. I don't think I would have paid for the hub and bearing if they were the ones who broke it.

[06pvibe]

$700 is ridiculous. And if the dealer/shop caused the rear hub/bearing to be destroyed, they should have foot the bill. That would be very hard to prove however.DO NOT TAKE YOUR CAR BACK TO THAT SHOP, EVER, if at all possible, but let them know that and that you are not happy with the extraneous charges.I have seen many people, especially women (men too,) who have no idea what they are being told taken for hundreds of $$$ by places like this.All cars can benefit from a 4 wheel alignment once in a while, but some are easier to do than others. The Vibe, as with my Mazda, is not equipped from the factory with an adjustable rear suspension so other steps must be taken. Shims are rather simplistic and old-school, but work well, and are usually not that expensive. In my Mazda3, I had to buy new rear upper control arms that were adjustable using a sleeve and a threaded end link. (

[butterfly22]

Thanks for the input. I really appreciate the advice. What made me very suspicious about the need for a rear end alignment is when the service rep told me that all front wheel drive cars must have rear end alignments and that this is more important than front end alignments on front wheel drive cars. I know that is not true. I have been driving front wheel drive cars since 1977 and have never had a rear end alignment on any of them. I feel that this GM dealership ripped me off. I did call the GM complaint division ut was unable to get this issue resolved. I definitely will not be taking my Vibe back to this dealership for future repairs.Thanks for all the feedback.

[jake75]

Quote, originally posted by lovemyraffe »No alignment is necessary, but if you want your tires to wear properly and the car to handle right, you should have an alignment done. I haven't bothered getting the rear aligned because mine is so close to being right, I'm not overly concerned. I don't think I would have paid for the hub and bearing if they were the ones who broke it.I wonder what Bob & Ray would have to say about the need for rear wheel alignments. And certainly you would not have to have it done unless there was a problem. When I had my Conti's replaced on my '03 per TSB for cupping the dealer talked me into a front wheel alignment but never mentioned anything about the back.

[RBColbert]

Just yesterday did I have my alignment problem on my 06 vibe addressed properly and now I am a happy camper. This isn't a flaw but a normal alignment issue. However, too many alignment shops are ignorant of the repair process. Yes there is a shim that is installed. The shim is a variable thickness; meaning if laid flat on 0 degrees it may be 1/32 inch in thickness and 180 degrees it may only be 1/64 inch in thickness. The shop must be familiar with 4 wheel alignment. The runout on the vehicle is checked and at that time the machine will show how much each wheel is out of alignment. (addressing the rear) The rear wheel hubcap and wheel/tire is removed. The brake drum removed, and then on the back side of the plate holding the brake lining there are 4 bolts that are removed. The backing plate can then be removed and the shim is placed over the protruding spindle. (probably not the proper terminology) but it is the part that sticks into the axle. This variable shim is rotated to bring the rear wheel into alignment and installed. Reversing the order of removal/ reinstall the tire and wheel. Check the alignment on the machine and repeat as necessary to bring the alignment into acceptable manufactures tolorance specifications. I went to Sunrise GMC Buick in Memphis on CovingtonPike to have this work done. It was personally supervised by the service manager (Rudy) and although an awkward visit. I left satisfied. I truly hope this helps.