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I assumed tire shops were where I'd go. I am asking around, here... as stated above, just moved here, know no one.
The problem is, "here" is not where you are. I've dealt personally with five outstanding shops that do that sort of work in my life, one independent Firestone franchise, two independent Goodyear franchises, one corporate Big O store, and one unbadged independent. But all of them are hundreds of miles from you, and my endorsement of any one of them won't mean you'll have a good experience at similar shops in your area.
That being said, now that I know you're in the Indianapolis area I do know someone. I'll send it to you in a DM.
I was on the road for 2-yrs, with a car packed to the roof (Honda CRV). It seems the heavy weight eventually made my brand new tires wear out on the inside... they were leaning inward due to excess weight in the back... the front tires were fine.
Step 1: Went to Honda dealer in SoCal for oil change & tire rotation. I asked if I needed an alignment & they said no.
Step 2: Drove out of SoCal, next day & my front tires were wobbling & vibrating so intensely, I needed to stop at the closest tire place (20-mi away), which was a Goodyear. They rotated & balanced the tires. I drove away (was relocating to IN) & it was okay 'til I hit Denver mountain roads & the vibration was so severe, I thought the tires might fall off... I had to hang onto the steering wheel with all my strength.
Step 3: Stopped at another Goodyear (I had a 90-day warranty)... they said they wouldn't do anything unless I emptied the car, because the weight of all my belongings was causing the pigeon-toed tires.
Step 4: Stopped at another Goodyear in Denver... same... empty the car. Drove to the nearest Goodwill & completely emptied my car of all my belongings, but didn't like the Goodyear guys, so just moved on.
Step 5: Drove to IN & stopped at a Goodyear... my car was empty but I had to pull the steering wheel far to the left (1/4 turn) to keep the car on the road... obviously the alignment was off. They fixed it.
Stop 6: Today, 3-mos later (expired warranty)... my car is suddenly misaligned. I have to pull to the left, slightly, to keep the car going straight... if I let go of the wheel, it veers right.
My q's:
* Obviously the alignment is off again, no? There is nothing in the trunk, the tires are all even at 30psi.
* Should I bring it to a Honda dealer, a Goodyear, Firestone, Sears? Any one place better than the other? Honestly, even with a full car, heavy weight for 1-yr, my car was perfectly aligned 'til the Honda in SoCal rotated tires... so, I'm reluctant to trust Honda again, although I get that was 1 facility.
* Any suggestions on which place is better to visit? Tire shop like Goodyear, Firestone or Sears?
Any help is appreciated. I'll be beginning a new job in 2-wks, so would like to get it fixed this wk.
Uneven wear patterns on tires DO indicate misalignment. The first stop (dealer) should have obliged when you asked. Why turn down money?
Being out of warranty doesn't change much about an alignment, as I've never seen an alignment covered (or required, for that matter) inside a warranty period. Just make sure you don't try to have it aligned with poorly worn tires. A good shop should advise against that.
You need too check after driving so long and so overloaded,that you did not warp the frame. This is a serious potential problem. It is more likely with a unibody vehicle rather than a vehicle with a truck type frame. Vehicles are not designed to be driven in an overloaded state.
Take your car to a good body shop to have this checked.
You could try an Autozone or Advance Auto or other parts store on the chance they would make a recommendation. I am really surprised at the reaction from the clerks, etc you have tried.
I get it. Since I'm approaching them in their place of business & don't know them personally, they might be prohibited by mngmt from making such recommendations or feel put on the spot & don't want me to return, blaming them for inferior service, should that happe
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gatopescado
If you have a bunch of worn-out components (ball joints, bushings, suspension parts and tires), you will chase your tail endlessly trying to get the thing to go straight.
Good luck finding someone...
Thank you!
Quote:
Originally Posted by duster1979
The problem is, "here" is not where you are. I've dealt personally with five outstanding shops that do that sort of work in my life, one independent Firestone franchise, two independent Goodyear franchises, one corporate Big O store, and one unbadged independent. But all of them are hundreds of miles from you, and my endorsement of any one of them won't mean you'll have a good experience at similar shops in your area.
That being said, now that I know you're in the Indianapolis area I do know someone. I'll send it to you in a DM.
Yes, after all the posts, I understand now, Duster. I asked in the Auto forum, rather than local Indy forum, as with my limited vehicle knowledge, I thought anytime a wheel was pulling, it was misalignment & the tires needed straightening & that perhaps certain cos had better reps.
Thank you for your recommendation. It's not far from me, so I'll check into them next wk.
Thanks so much again, Everyone! This has been incredibly helpful.
Maybe you've found your good alignment shop. I'll post this anyway. I asked a well-respected body shop. They work on lots of cars that need alignment and send their cars out for alignment after everything else is repaired. They use a Goodyear (independent) tire shop, so that's where I took mine. I've also used a local "Alignment Pros" shop that's been around for decades.
The other recommendation I'd have, since you've had this ongoing problem, is the Honda dealer. They *should* know what else to look for, other than just the alignment. Tell them about your unsuccessful efforts to get it fixed and that you want them to give the front end a thorough inspection. Some will take it as an invitation to rip you off, but that's true with many mechanics besides dealerships.
Maybe you've found your good alignment shop. I'll post this anyway. I asked a well-respected body shop. They work on lots of cars that need alignment and send their cars out for alignment after everything else is repaired. They use a Goodyear (independent) tire shop, so that's where I took mine. I've also used a local "Alignment Pros" shop that's been around for decades.
The other recommendation I'd have, since you've had this ongoing problem, is the Honda dealer. They *should* know what else to look for, other than just the alignment. Tell them about your unsuccessful efforts to get it fixed and that you want them to give the front end a thorough inspection. Some will take it as an invitation to rip you off, but that's true with many mechanics besides dealerships.
Thank you, WN. I haven't had it fixed yet... am going to do so mid to end of wk, but I had a delay of a few days with interviewing, which is great, because my a/c suddenly isn't getting cold as it normally does. I researched a bit & it looks like it might need recharging.
If you read any of the above, consensus seems to be that it's not my alignment that's off, but that's just a symptom, but I'll let you or others sift through it, if you'd like.
Thanks for the recommendations. It will take me a few days before I have it figured out where to go.
Just wanted to update the thread, since people were so kind to offer info & it might be useful to someone else. Brought the car to a local garage, which was a great choice. I liked them & thought they did a good job.
They fixed my a/c. Said the freon was 1/2 gone, which indicates 1 or multiple leaks. So, they filled it (it says evacuate, so I'm guessing they emptied it... I forget what he said), recharged system & added a fluorescent dye to detect leaks. They didn't detect a leak now, but they said the dye will help to detect a leak/s with subsequent service. It now blows out brutally cold... I hadn't realized how long it's been only slightly cold 'til they fixed it.
With the pull to the right... they test drove it, found a slight drift to the right, cross rotated the front tires & it's fine. He told me a bunch of stuff you guys all listed before, which I cannot recall now... meaning, they checked to see if there were a reason for it & everything was fine, so if there's a continued issued, it's the tires.
The tires are 2-1/2 yr old Yokahamas & have 25K on them. I was told by a number of you & others that if there's a tire defect, Yokahama should replace them. I got them new at a place called Tuffy in FL & they have a Tuffy store 3-hrs north of me, in IN, although they could be independently owned & not a franchise. In any event, it's a moot point, as I checked Yoka's site & they said if you have a tire issue, you need to prove you had tire rotations every 5-6K miles. I don't. And, I only rotated them once/yr, I believe.
Still, they said they didn't detect anything wrong with the tires, there's no or minimal wear (forget what he said) or abnormal wear. Best part is they didn't charge for the rotation & it was slightly over $100 for the a/c service.
So, I'm glad I found them. I begin a new job next week & they're not far from me, but they're also close to work, so I'll continue to use them for everything. Glad it's fixed now, too, cuz I have time to drive to MI for a couple of days at the beach before I begin work.
Thank you very much, again, Everyone.
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