Whats bent!!

thunder039 · Post by **thunder039** » Sun Feb 05, 2012 9:19 pm

a while a go i hit a big pot whole while out in the bush. hit it pretty fast but was unavoidable.
i was turning hard right at the time and hit it with the mt left front wheel.
the problem i am having is that now my steering pulls to the left pretty hard.
i have had a wheel and steering alignment done since then but still no fix.
so im now guessing that something is bent. i was wondering if anyone could give me some idea on what could be bent.
thanks jake

taza · Post by **taza** » Sun Feb 05, 2012 10:02 pm

Did you get the wheel rebalanced?

I did the exact same thing going sideways on a gravel road and bent one of my steel rims.

Otherwise it could be the control arm, strut (bent) or at the worst the steering rack. But im not an expert.

longy99gt · Post by **longy99gt** » Sun Feb 05, 2012 10:44 pm

Taza got you off to a good start...
get it on a hoist? have a good look..
see if your strut is straight (i've bent one like a banana once)....
balance and alignment will help.
you'll narrow it down soon enough!

thunder039 · Post by **thunder039** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 7:10 am

i will get wheel balanced.
i have had it on a hoist as this was when i did my springs and strut seemed fine. so mayb rim or part of the steering arm which is what i was worried about

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 7:44 am

I'd have it back witht eh people that did the FWA or 4WA afterwards as they should be best at picking it !

Post by **Alex** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 9:20 am

Wheel balance won't make a difference to the he car pulling. You've bent either a strut, control arm or most likely a radius rod.

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taza · Post by **taza** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 11:44 am

Alex wrote:Wheel balance won't make a difference to the he car pulling. You've bent either a strut, control arm or most likely a radius rod.

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Yeah true. If a wheels bent then you will just get steering wheel wobble..

thunder039 · Post by **thunder039** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 11:47 am

thanks guys for your help. i had a look will anything look obviously bent? because everything ok...
i dont think its the strut mainly because i have already had it out and seemed strait as a dye. is the radius more likely to be bent then the control arm just due to to the thickness?

taza · Post by **taza** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 11:51 am

thunder039 wrote:thanks guys for your help. i had a look will anything look obviously bent? because everything ok...
i dont think its the strut mainly because i have already had it out and seemed strait as a dye. is the radius more likely to be bent then the control arm just due to to the thickness?

I really don't know here but from what ive seen people do in Subarus is bend the control arm. Since you hit it on an angle and the strut plus control arm hold up the wheel it could be the CA since the strut seems fine.

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 12:32 pm

steptoe wrote:I'd have it back witht eh people that did the FWA or 4WA afterwards as they should be best at picking it !

Alex wrote:Wheel balance won't make a difference to the he car pulling. You've bent either a strut, control arm or most likely a radius rod.

Yeah the guys that did the wheel alignment should have picked up on anything that was bent or out of shape. After a wheel alignment you should ask for a print out or to talk to the fella about the condition of the front of your car - he might have something of interest to your maintenance to share with you.

I didn't think that the EJ series subarus had a radius rod - the shape and strength of the control arm deletes the need for the radius rod - hence why guyph did his front end the way it is now with the latest setup...

thunder039 wrote:thanks guys for your help. i had a look will anything look obviously bent? because everything ok...
i dont think its the strut mainly because i have already had it out and seemed strait as a dye. is the radius more likely to be bent then the control arm just due to to the thickness?

If it's a bent strut you'll notice the wheel's angle - small bend in the strut = massive angle in the wheel.

The other thing to check out is that all the body mounts for the control arm and other suspension components and also check out your bushes in the front end.

Also look over the rear end - one side may be creating drag that's pulling on the front end like a hinge to a door...

Cheers

Bennie

thunder039 · Post by **thunder039** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 1:43 pm

well the wheel doesnt look bent so id say the strut would be good. will get it booked with the mechanic to have a look at the control arm and the mounting for the control arm.
the rear end of the car i would say is fine due to i only hit the hole with front wheel.

thunder039 · Post by **thunder039** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 2:01 pm

car booked in for the 16th so well soon find out the answer!

Battlewagon · Post by **Battlewagon** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 3:48 pm

I'll hazard a guess and vote for the strut itself being bent.

Post by **Alex** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 4:03 pm

El_Freddo wrote: I didn't think that the EJ series subarus had a radius rod - the shape and strength of the control arm deletes the need for the radius rod - hence why guyph did his front end the way it is now with the latest setup...

yeh, when i replied to this i was on my phone which doesnt show signatures, but it does show avatars, so i assumed it was for a brumby as in his avatar (cant see what car this happened to anyways???)

id got for a bent strut as well. EJ control arms are freaking strong. Make sure the mounts for the control arm are okay (especially the rear mount)

thunder039 · Post by **thunder039** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 4:50 pm

ok thanks. its for 1999 subaru forester

thunder039 · Post by **thunder039** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 4:53 pm

if it was a bent strut wouldnt the wheel have a massive angle as el freddo said?

Battlewagon · Post by **Battlewagon** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 5:42 pm

Not necessarily, it may be bent so as to give more caster, rather than camber. Just a couple of degrees of incorrect caster can make a car handle like a shopping trolley

mud_king91 · Post by **mud_king91** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 7:11 pm

id go radius all i ever hear is people wanting radius rods as they,ve bent theirs

RSR 555 · Post by **RSR 555** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 6:07 am

mud_king91 wrote:id go radius all i ever hear is people wanting radius rods as they,ve bent theirs

Hey mud_king91... are you related to Spike? he writes like this.. sorry if you're not but you need to read whats already been said and also try and use commas in your replies. It will make it easier to read.

Foresters don't have Radius Rods.

Thunder039, I'd be getting them to check you steering rack bushes and arms.

thunder039 · Post by **thunder039** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 9:07 am

RSR 555 wrote: Foresters don't have Radius Rods.
didn't think so as i could no see one

Thunder039, I'd be getting them to check you steering rack bushes and arms.

thanks for that! i will put this on the list with out other front end components to be checked out.