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Alignment keeps shifting

5K views 18 replies 5 participants last post by  countrychill 
#1 ·
So for some backstory I bought my Juke in September 2020 and after 3 weeks I had to get an alignment because it's pulling left. Canadian Tire says its the strut bearings but wants over 1K to replace so I took it to the local Nissan to get a second opinion, they completed the alignment and said the bearings were fine. This is when I started having issues. Ever since that alignment it's been day to day different on where "center" is for the wheels but i've tolerated it. A few weeks ago I got my oil change done and during Nissans multi point inspection they said the drivers side control arm bushings are getting worn and recommended replacing it. I got a local shop I trust box in and replace both sides for me and double check the alignment afterwards and all was well for about 4 days until the weird alignment issue came back. This started last Thursday and hasn't changed since which is different than before but still pulling to the left. To drive straight I have to have the wheel at around 10* to the right.

Apologies for the long lead up to my question but I thought it was necessary. Does anyone have a clue what could be going on? there is no history of accidents for the vehicle and it's relatively low mileage for a 2014 at 71Km at time of purchase (77Km now). From what I can find it looks to be a failing steering rack but i'm not 100% sure.
 
#3 ·
i've got the shop that did the control arms booked to full check over the front end later this week, any parts they find are getting replaced. i don't know how CT wanted to charge me 1K to replace those bearings
 
#17 ·
i don't know how CT wanted to charge me 1K to replace those bearings
It's crappy tire, that's what they do. A neighbour of mine had a Cyl3 misfire code in her Honda and CT wanted her to replace the engine. You bring to CT for service, you leave with huge bills for things that didn't need to be fixed.
 
#18 ·
It's crappy tire, that's what they do. A neighbour of mine had a Cyl3 misfire code in her Honda and CT wanted her to replace the engine. You bring to CT for service, you leave with huge bills for things that didn't need to be fixed.
yeah i've learned not to bring it to them for anything, got my wheels and tires and the tire sensors never stayed working, got a refund and got nissan to replace them. i get tools from them only because of lifetime warranty, any parts are either OEM or NAPA
 
#4 ·
Hooefully you won't have to dive into bushings and stuff further, when they said the control arms were worn, the bushings are probably what it was. Unfortunately, part-wise, you can't just replace the bushings, it has to be the whole part for some of those bits.

When I bought my juke new, I immediately got new wheels and eibach springs installed. It took 3 alignments, all at different shops to finally get it right... the last being at the dealership. Just something to keep in mind. Personally, I don't do any major work on my juke, and I will always take it to a dealership to have anything other than a few things done (tires, exhaust, etc. Things non-juke specific). Even if they screw it up, at least there is a large company behind it and their turnaround times are quicker than private shops (once you get it in).

Beyond that, is there any accident history on it?
 
#5 ·
yeah the dealer told me you can't get just the bushings so i ordered NAPA premium arms (less than 1/4 OEM replacement price) and had the local shop weld on plates to reinforce them. The thing is it was the nissan dealer that did the first alignment and it was still having issues so i'm probably going to bandaid it until spring and do a full front end refresh but it's disappointing how much i've had to put into a low mileage car in such a short time.
 
#6 ·
Update: Had an alignment done by a shop and they said it was pretty much perfect but noticed when taking it for a test drive that while coasting (fully off the gas) it'll drive straight but any level of throttle makes it pull right. I have it booked in at Nissan Thursday to figure out what's going on.
 
#9 ·
Gotcha. At least that is covered.




How much pull to the right ?
 
#7 ·
It can be a bad tire.

Did you rotate tires front to back ?
 
#8 ·
The tires are brand new Michelin X-ice Xi3 with maybe 4000km on them since mounted in November. I personally haven't rotated them since I put them on but I had the issue with my summer tires on stock wheels as well.
 
#11 · (Edited)
If there is rubber going bad there. It can be going bad in other places as you have seen in the control arms.

My Juke has torque steer something fierce. It is power related but she tends to pull hard to the right as well as then Saw right and left. Traction issues. In other words. I can go right into a ditch faster than what you are stating.

Has any alignment place centered the steering wheel properly or does the center change ?

Could be the steering rack.
 
#12 ·
If there is rubber going bad there. It can be going bad in other places as you have seen in the control arms.

My Juke has torque steer something fierce. It is power related but she tends to pull hard to the right as well as then Saw right and left. Traction issues. In other words. I can go right into a ditch faster than what you are stating.

Has any alignment place centered the steering wheel properly or does the center change ? Could be the steering rack.
i'm not sure if the dealer centered it on the first alignment when i first got the car but i know the last two places said they just fixed the alignment but it was barely out of spec. i'm getting the dealer to check all the mounts and bushings tomorrow. i did do some testing on back roads that were pretty flat with no real crowning and it was still there. i did notice however that any moderate to hard accelerations tended to shift the center point a bit after i let off so i'm thinking it could be subframe bushings being worn. i'm hoping i find out what the cause of this months long headache is tomorrow.
 
#13 ·
One of the easiest tests for the strut mount bearing is when backing out of your normal parking spot. When you pull in straight, everything settles well, then when you back out, do it gently and straight and after a foot or so, start to turn right or left (just enough to get some angle, not full cock). During all that, you stould hear and feel a decent clunk if the bearings are bad, as they shift.
Try to pay attention to that a few times.
 
#14 ·
One of the easiest tests for the strut mount bearing is when backing out of your normal parking spot. When you pull in straight, everything settles well, then when you back out, do it gently and straight and after a foot or so, start to turn right or left (just enough to get some angle, not full cock). During all that, you should hear and feel a decent clunk if the bearings are bad, as they shift.
Try to pay attention to that a few times.
I've done that a few times now and no abnormal sounds at all, just the sounds of snow crunching and the low rpm drone of my muffler delete. The dealer had a tech come with me for a test drive and of course it doesn't do it nearly as bad as it does for me...they did say to try doing a wheel swap side to side and double check pressures if i notice it getting worse but didn't want to take it in and diagnose anything :cautious:. I might call the shop that did the control arms and see if I can rent a spot on one of their lifts for an hour or two and look around a bit deeper.
 
#16 ·
yeah the michelins i've got are directional so it's only going to be swapped for the test drive and then put back regardless of outcome
 
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