My alignment was out on front and back right only???dont understand this.

[ChiliSky]

SO, my Chili was hit by deer on left side, when I got it back I drove the Georgia Fun run and noticed it did not do the curves as well and that the back end kind of slipped, So after Skip told me to have an alignment done, I took it back to the place that did the paint, after 4 hours of sitting they brought the car back, said that both the front and back right side were out really bad???? How can one side be out like that it does not make sense to me, that would seem then that the left would be not aligned properly.

So someone help me understand this. I think I need to take it to DDM and pay myself for a proper alignment.

[Skip]

The deer pushed your Chili sideways when it was hit. It is like smack on one side leads to the other side being out. It should be covered by the Insurance company as part of the overall claim....Skip...

[ChiliSky]

yep it was covered, this time. but why would both front and back on the right side be out, if you adjust both on one side does that not put your left out then? And it was not that hard a hit, ya it did a big ding but it didnt push me off the road. Plus it was left rear area.

[Skip]

Kimberly as long as the alignment is to the track of the car and to all 4 wheels then it should not be a problem. As to why it would throw one side out and whatnot I think our resident engineer , Bogie , can fathom it out for us...Skip...

[ChiliSky]

Thanks ole wise one!!!!!!!!!

[IKenn]

if you lost any wheel weights on any tires that can cause an alignment to be off

[MidniteBlues]

Some vehicles can have ALL four tires checked for alignment, actually ALL vehicles can be checked, the issue is, can the rears be adjusted?. I would probably would prefer and go as far as to recommend that a dealer take a look at this issue since they could probably not only do the work to see if it can be done, but then also IF a problem exists with lets say the frame, they would be able to tell you what you need to correct this issue.. IF the car is under warranty AND it is NOT covered because of the accident, I would contact the insurance company and tell them the problem. Then have Saturn fix it and bill insurance company..

[WishfulThinking]

Alignment relative to the body makes on the back, where they are supposed to stay in the same place all the time. I can see how one wheel could be out of adjustment on the back. I can also see where the confusion comes in on the front. You would think that the right would be aligned relative to the left. They're either pointing toward each other too much, or away from each other too much. The problem with that, is that it's focusing completely on toe-in. When you think about caster and camber, I don't think the left-to-right comparison quite fits anymore.

[SkyBaby]

Interesting... Hope it stays aligned for you... My son is having huge issues with this on his car.... I havnt had a problem yet.... just hope the deer around here are afraid of cars... Yeah right... always dead ones.. anyway... ... What about... if you accidentally hit a curb or drive over a curb/corner with only one tire.. would that do it? No.. I havnt done that, but I think I know someone who has and had that problem with only one or two tires. Just wondering. SkyBaby

[JRinKY]

IKenn : if you lost any wheel weights on any tires that can cause an alignment to be off

Wheel weights are for the elimination of vibration caused by an out-of-balance wheel and tire. They have nothing to do with alignment.

The most primitive alignment is the measure of toe, and with solid rear axle vehicles, it can be fairly successful as the only alignment done. Even with a simple toe measurement, however, it is possible for only one side to be out of alignment. The steering wheel has to be centered and a measurement taken to each wheel to reference it to the center of the car before an accurate toe adjustment can be made.

Modern alignment is done commercially with computerised equipment and lasers, but it can also be done successfully with strings and measuring tapes or scales. Regardless of equipment, the principle is the same: The centerline of the car is found and measurements are taken to each wheel. These measurements are used to calculate toe, caster, and camber. Since everything is referenced to the car's centerline, it is quite common for one side to be correct and the other to be wrong.

[Bogie]

Keep in mind a blow on the left side will often be absorbed by the right side suspension. Take an extreme case of pushing on the left side to the point of tipping the car on its side. As it tips up, the left side suspension is hanging free while the right side is sustaining the entire weight of the car.

I would take it to a dealer or someone who can look at the whole suspension and frame support.

[IKenn]

I stand corrected

I was just offering an opinion, the statement was that chili wasn't taking the curves well and the back was slipping.
Yes even wheel vibration can give the feel that it could be out of line
As we can All do IMO is guess until vehicle is taken in to a trained professional
From a sister KY ,born and raised in Barbourville ,KY

[Skip]

Thanks Bogie for doing it simply. ChiliSky did you understand what happened with the Sky when a deer tried to hijack the Sky....To bad yall did not keep all that good meat...Skip.... Oh and as an addon....The rear end aline has a special tool to do the weird adjustments to it. It should be part of the spec tools with the launch of the Sky back when....

[ChiliSky]

yep Skippadoodle I understand what Bogie said, but the car was not hit that hard, so that is where the confusion is.
I still think I will take it too Saturn first and go from there

[Bogie]

Originally Posted by ChiliSky

yep Skippadoodle I understand what Bogie said, but the car was not hit that hard, so that is where the confusion is.

It is not always easy to tell how an impact translates through a frame and suspension. Deer are massive animals and carry a lot more momentum than it seems, and tend to deposit that momentum on a narrow portion of a vehicle.

Also keep in mind it could have occured during the tow, or during some unauthorized test driving?

[JRinKY]

ChiliSky : yep Skippadoodle I understand what Bogie said, but the car was not hit that hard, so that is where the confusion is.
I still think I will take it too Saturn first and go from there

The alignment that was done as part of the original repair was most likely done improperly, resulting in the right side being wrong.

It is much less likely that a left-side impact affected the right-side alignment, and even if it did, that should have been corrected during the original repair.