Question: I just bought new tires for my truck. The tire place recommended an alignment because the front tires were wearing more on the inside of the tread. They then called and said they can鈥檛 align it because I need a 鈥渇ront end overhaul鈥� to the tune of around $900! The truck has 225,000 kilometres and seems to drive, stop and turn great. I asked what is the worst thing that could happen if I didn鈥檛 fix it, and they said my new tires will wear out too soon and I could lose control if I hit the wrong kind of bumps. What鈥檚 your opinion? What is done in a 鈥渇ront end overhaul鈥�? I wasn鈥檛 planning to keep it more than another year or so.
J.L.
Answer: It wouldn鈥檛 hurt to get a second opinion in a situation like this. The symptoms of worn-out suspension or steering parts might be irregular and rapid tire wear, pulling to one side, the truck following grooves in the pavement, noises and/or clunking felt in the steering wheel.
A 鈥渇ront-end overhaul鈥� could mean different things; I鈥檇 interpret it as the replacement of all ball joints, tie rod ends, suspension bushings and perhaps front struts or shocks. It鈥檚 a grey area as to how much looseness should be tolerated and/or corrected.
It鈥檚 best to renew worn suspension and steering parts before performing a wheel alignment, as the procedure is done while the vehicle is at rest, and road forces act on the loose parts, messing up alignment during actual driving conditions. Suspension and steering parts are somewhat like your hips, knees and ankles: While it might not be too difficult to align your feet while sitting or standing still, imagine how they might flop around as you ran across varying terrain with loose joints from the hips down.
Testing suspension and steering parts is fairly easy with the vehicle safely elevated. The various joints and bushings can be flexed or compressed to check for excessive looseness. Some parts, such as ball joints, may have a visible wear indicator or looseness specification, while other parts require a subjective evaluation. Any general repair shop should be capable of inspecting and replacing worn suspension components. You might find their opinion will differ from that of the tire shop folks, and you can weigh the merits of replacing perhaps a couple of worn parts or all of them. Let鈥檚 say you have moderate looseness in many parts (a performance but not a safety concern). This may cut the lifespan of a $700 set of tires by a third, versus the large cost to restore a truck you鈥檒l not be keeping much longer to preferred condition.
Q: Is it just me or do other people have this problem? It seems today鈥檚 automobiles are built too low to the ground in front. I have seen a lot of damage to front ends that drag or get caught on those front parking curbs. Could the curbs be made lower? Front ends higher? Two reasons I did not buy a Dodge Dart: Front end too low and fuel filler on the right-hand side.
R.A.
A: It鈥檚 not just you. It is me, too. A parking curb broke the air dam on my new car only weeks after I took delivery. Worse yet, I am supposed to know this stuff. Aero plays a big part in the design, as turbulence under the vehicle robs fuel economy. For years, designers have been talking about making a completely flat surface down there, but until that happens, low-hanging stuff will be with us. And yes, the fuel filler should be on the driver鈥檚 side.
Q: I recently had a routine oil change on my 2015 Chrysler 200 completed at a local quick lube outlet that I trust. During the oil change, the technician pointed out a very apparent leak from a gasket that was not present six months prior. I dropped the car off one morning at the dealer. That afternoon I got a call it was done. The invoice (which was for $0.00) stated 鈥淐leaned off normal seepage from left-side cylinder head. No oil leaks found.鈥� Needless to say I was rather shocked. Is this 鈥渘ormal鈥� or is the dealer trying to get out of warranty repair work?
K.S.
A: It seems that you have a good dealer and not one trying to avoid warranty work, which pays the dealer instead of the customer. Just keep an eye on it to see if leaking recurs.
Brad Bergholdt is an automotive technology instructor at Evergreen Valley College in San Jose, California. Readers can email him at [email protected]; he cannot make personal replies.
鈥� With a file from Bob Weber, TNS
