I’m not exactly sure when the alignment got out of whack, but a couple years ago he had his front struts and shocks replaced, so that could have something to do with it.
Anyways, what I found was that his right front wheel was slightly cocked to the left, what they call tow-in regarding alignment. Welp, I just basically eyeballed it once, turned the adjustment about 3 full turns, locked it down and had him go for a test drive around the block.
Second check, I realized I slightly overshot good alignment and went back about ⅓ of a turn, then had him test drive it a couple days.
Today I felt it was still ever so slightly overshot, so I turned it back about ⅓ more turn, and now it drives perfectly smooth!
Disclaimer: You’ll find a lot of videos online about this and how supposedly easy it is just with some string and reasonable mechanic common sense, but that isn’t always the case. Sure the string/laser methods are fantastic and all, but that only works if the front wheelspan and the back wheelspan are equal.
Not all vehicles are like that, I used to own a car where the back wheelspan was about an inch and a half wider than the front wheelspan, meaning the string trick couldn’t possibly work right on that car. Thankfully my roommate’s vehicle apparently has equal wheelspan both front and back, making the process easier.
But don’t always trust YouTube, know your skills, your tools, and your vehicle before doing anything, especially if you’re not sure…
Saving money is always good, but aren’t boat trailer tires a different stiffness and grip?
I had 13" on an old Hyundai
Also just type 175/70r13 into amazon, they will bring them to your door. The amazon guy might hate you though if you ordered 4
Meh, it’s not like we live in a snowy or muddy area, and on average, the car probably sees less than 20 road miles a month. Hell, the struts are long ago shot and the doors are starting to rust off the thing, the least of the worries is the tire stiffness.
Mom just wants to keep the car running well enough to make it to the local grocery store and to the doctor once or twice a month. It definitely ain’t going back on the interstate anymore, save for a true emergency, and even then it shouldn’t have to go on the interstate.
Well +1 for extending the life of it, and not wasting resources by buying something brand new
Oh, I do actually order and install new parts on her car too, as necessary anyways. You know, new brake pads and rotors, new fuel filter and fuel lines, new radiator…
What’s weird about her car is just how well the engine and transmission still run, its like a fucking racecar LOL!
I keep trying to convince her to sell it for parts and get another vehicle, but I think she just doesn’t give a shit anymore as long as her current vehicle still runs… 🤷