The Subaru SVX World Network   SVX Network Forums
Live Chat!
SVX or Subaru Links
Old Lockers
Photo Post
How-To Documents
Message Archive
SVX Shop Search
IRC users:

Go Back   The Subaru SVX World Network > SVX Main Forums > Technical Q & A

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 05-29-2008, 10:00 AM
tiv0's Avatar
tiv0 tiv0 is offline
svxless
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Omaha, NE
Posts: 629
Registered SVX
inner tie rods

my alignment is off pretty badly and i took my car in to a place called Ron's Garage to have it fixed (i had recieved a coupon in the mail to have the alignment fixed for $60) but when i got in there he told me the alignment could not be fixed until my inner tie rods were replaced. and then he proceeded to tell me that instead of paying $60 for the alignment it would run me around $300+ for the inner tie rod replacements and alignment

my question is, would it be better for me to do the inner tie rods myself, or is that something i should let a specified person do (my option there would probably be the subaru dealership in Bellevue, NE; the mechanic there is an SVX owner himself)
__________________
Trevor
Avondale, AZ

1992 LS-L Liquid Silver 126k "BXR6" Sold 3/23/13
1992 LS-L Claret 178k totaled 10/26/09

1987 BMW 325is

60% of the time it works, every time
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 05-29-2008, 10:17 AM
Hocrest's Avatar
Hocrest Hocrest is offline
Freezepop's are Awesome!!!!
Subaru Silver Contributor
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Pittston, PA
Posts: 5,334
Send a message via AIM to Hocrest
I don't know Ron, or anything about your car, but is it possible that everyone that takes Ron a coupon needs parts?

Don't get me wrong, the inner tie rods do go bad on these after all these years. But I would be suspicious...

Also, around here $60 isn't even that good of a price for an alignment.
__________________
Dave
- 03 Baja - 92 SVX - 86 Brat - 08 OB 3.0
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 05-29-2008, 10:19 AM
tiv0's Avatar
tiv0 tiv0 is offline
svxless
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Omaha, NE
Posts: 629
Registered SVX
[QUOTE=Hocrest;549489]I don't know Ron, or anything about your car, but is it possible that everyone that takes Ron a coupon needs parts?
QUOTE]

you know, i kinda wondered that myself
he claimed he told me the first time i was in that my tie rods were going bad and should be replaced soon...but idr that
i guess that could just be their way of making money
__________________
Trevor
Avondale, AZ

1992 LS-L Liquid Silver 126k "BXR6" Sold 3/23/13
1992 LS-L Claret 178k totaled 10/26/09

1987 BMW 325is

60% of the time it works, every time
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 05-29-2008, 10:51 AM
Wikedjuggalo's Avatar
Wikedjuggalo Wikedjuggalo is offline
Rebuilding
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Salem, Oregon
Posts: 2,419
Registered SVX
[QUOTE=tiv0;549490]
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hocrest View Post
I don't know Ron, or anything about your car, but is it possible that everyone that takes Ron a coupon needs parts?
QUOTE]

you know, i kinda wondered that myself
he claimed he told me the first time i was in that my tie rods were going bad and should be replaced soon...but idr that
i guess that could just be their way of making money
Yeah I went to a local shop to get an alignment but contiuned to tell me how my Steering rack was leaking and how much it would cost to fix it. I promptly paid them the 27.00 for moving my car and what not I looked myself Failed to see a leak. Now my car leaks oil like no tomorrow but I havent seen a leak like that. I am gonig to do the alignment myself as there was something posted here about how to do it yourself (Here or NASIOC).
__________________
1994 SVX L - FWD Barcelona Red 190K miles ~ SOLD

1994 SVX LS - 5spd AWD Emerald Green 202k miles PWR Radiator, HID 5000k, New paint job with issues, 17" STI BBS wheels, converted to 5spd AWD from FWD. Purchased from SVXyGirl 2/20/09 -- Undergoing complete rebuild
1993 Justy 4wd 5door- Teal of sorts , beater.
2008 OBXT Newport Pearl 65k miles
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 05-29-2008, 11:40 AM
lechnoid's Avatar
lechnoid lechnoid is offline
Tech & Almost Lawyer
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: St. Cloud, Minnesota, US
Posts: 91
IMHO, DIY alignments are worthless. I once worked for a guy (quite a while ago) whose alignment machine consisted of 4 aluminum brackets, 1 per wheel, and fishing line. Needless to say he sold a good deal more tires than the local population should have been supporting.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 05-29-2008, 12:58 PM
kwren's Avatar
kwren kwren is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: washington state
Posts: 3,499
Getting ripped of...

Ripped off is routine at mechanics shops. For people with a mechanical aptitude, reasoning ability, gathering information from this form gets us through just about any problem.
However, trying to to do a wheel alignment is not on my list.

I took my SVX to Renton Subaru in Renton Washington for a alignment.
They offered a lifetime guarantee for about $120.00.
I try to get as many things on our car guaranteed for life as possible. If there is a day that I am not around and my wife is, I want things to be as easy as possible.

After a careful professional diagnosis , I was informed that it couldn't be aligned because the ball joints were so bad. That would cost me $1,200.00 so i went to plan "B".

Plan "B"... purchase the ball joints wholesale from another dealer, (this dealer does not do alignments, in case you are wondering why I went to Renton Subaru in the first place) and install then myself.
I paid about $80 each I think but not sure... Has been a while.
One ball joint was totally tight and the other one had a little but hardly detectable looseness.
In other words, a scam!

I changed them both in a total of about an hour and with only a floor jack in my crowded garage.

Took it back and got the "lifetime alignment"!!!

My car seemed to be pulling slightly to the left, probably needed tires rotated, but why not take it in to Renton Subaru to make sure the alignment is good?

So, off to Renton Subaru for the second of my lifetime guaranteed alignments! I pretty much know the people that run the place, but I happened to get one that didn't know that I can do all the necessary repairs on my car...

I will be 78 years old this coming June and easily fall prey to crooked folks.

I was greeted warmly and had a sheet pushed in front of me that said it was necessary for me to get the $200.00 Maintenance thingie because I hadn't been in for a while.

I went over the list and explained that I actually do all that myself. I reiterated that I was here for the lifetime guarantee alignment. He responded that they would just do an alignment check... But that was $55.00 with taxes. The lifetime guarantee covered turning the alignment bolt but did not cover checking to see how far to turn the alignment bolt.

I am an easy going person, but the ensuing conversation drew a crowd.

He took off the $55.00 and ended up no charge. They kept me there for a couple of hours and finally, after expert diagnosis, determined that my frame was bent, assuming he was referring to the car's frame.(of course it isn't... car has never been in a wreck) On second thought, he might have been referring to me, my frame???

A few years back his frame might have been bent!

I got the tires rotated at Costco, a great company, and everything is great.

I think about my wife if I wasn't around to help her and her trip to Renton Subaru, or frankly just about any other place. She wouldn't know how to handle the scams.
I am so blessed!

I suggested that all you people.. don't be afraid to try to learn. Willing to try is a great start!

Keith... in case you didn't catch the name, it is Renton Subaru...in Renton Washington

Last edited by kwren; 05-29-2008 at 01:07 PM. Reason: spelling (of course) LOL
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 05-29-2008, 09:49 PM
redlightningsvx's Avatar
redlightningsvx redlightningsvx is offline
Collision Refinishing Tech
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Huntingdon, PA
Posts: 2,279
Registered SVX
My all wheel alignment cost me 60$ at work Stuckey Subaru in Hollidaysburg. They also do a full check on everything free like brakes,rotors,leaks and others. One thing I thought was funny was at the time I had a bad valve cover leak and they wrote on the report leaking oil but don't know where ( it was obvious by the oil all over the covers). Plus if they would EVER scam me, I would walk 10 feet to the shop and raise hell.
__________________
Seth
94' Barcelona Red w/ Tricoat black 2-tone AWD Ls -Sold
Mods:AWD conversion/4.44 swap by Budfreak, Custom red interior lights, Custom Satin black dash, Power mode switch, Cold air intake, Permecool tranny filter,Sony xplode 10" sub, Sony xplode 1000w amp, Blitz in-line driver, DDM Tuning 6000k HID's, New paint job/body work by me, 97' Grill, QC shift kit, 17'' MB Motoring rims, 15&20 min mod, front & rear urethane swaybar bushings, Custom fiberglass sub box, Custom red led a/c control unit, perrin lightweight crank pulley, Black wrinkle finish powdercoated intake manifold w/ clear hoses , 02' outback heated/power black leather seats
Soon to come:Fiberglass hood, upholster ALL suede to black leather
Past subies:

92' Pearl White/black top LS-L-SOLD
96' Legacy Outback-TOTALED
99' Legacy Outback Limited 30th anniversary edition-TOTALED
98' Forester L -Totaled
Other toys:
99' Forester S -WRX brake upgrade, soon an 04 wrx motor swap
06' B9 Tribeca-Stock
1982' Yamaha xj650 Maxim
Mods:
work in progress
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 05-30-2008, 08:15 PM
Crazy_pilot's Avatar
Crazy_pilot Crazy_pilot is offline
Moar shifty!
Subaru Gold Contributor
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Toronto, Canada. Eh?
Posts: 4,560
Send a message via MSN to Crazy_pilot
Registered SVX
I get my alignements done for free, but that's because I work in a shop that does alignements. There's no reason one can't be done with some small play in the inner tie rod ends. Mine both have play, and the car lined up fine. If your car is towed out 1+ degree and has all sorts of wonky camber issues, an alignement, even with play in the inner tie rods, will sort most of that out.

Changing the inners is a bit of a pain. Not hard, but you want to have the right tools to do it. Ideally an inner tie rod replacement tool, but at least a big crows foot socket that fits. You should probably replace the boots while you're at it.

subaruparts.com lists inners for something like $40 each, and another $40 each for the boot kits.
__________________
Chris

92 Ebony Mica LS-L "A Rolling Restoration": 223,250 KM - Sleeping
2007 STi 6MT, Stance GR+ coilovers, PWR Rad, JDM hood badge, svxfiles 6000K HIDs, JDM Clear Corners, $15/15 min mod, $20/20 min mod, Energy Swaybar Bushings, Hella Supertones horns, Gold STi BBS rims, Group A lightweight crank pulley, A/C system removed, Custom header-back exhaust, Hybrid carbon/metal rear sway bar, restored headlights with CCFL halos
2008 Subaru Legacy Spec B - Diamond Grey Metallic - Sold
2020 Ram 1500 Longhorn - Red Pearl

Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 06:31 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
© 2001-2015 SVX World Network
(208)-906-1122