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Problem with lower arm?

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Old 05-19-2010 | 05:58 AM
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BillyGR's Avatar
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Problem with lower arm?

So my sis took my car while I was in the army, crashed it and they fixed it up without me knowing anything.
Didnt really matter because shes ok and stuff but I have noticed something at my front right wheel. The car got smashed at that position so most of the compoments were changed. Anyway, dont know if I can explain it good enough for all to understand but I'll give it a try...
On the left wheel (the good one ) I can fit 4 fingers between the tire and the panel. So lets say you're looking at the wheel from the side, 4 fingers fit in the gap on the right side of the tire.
Now, on the right wheel (the bad one ). Looking at the wheel from the side again I can fit only 3 fingers, where on the other wheel theres more room. Also when turning the wheel left to right you can see it barely touching the plastic panels.
I went for an alignment and these are the numbers for up front.
Left (good wheel):
Camber -0.60
Caster 7.00
Toe -0.02

Right:
Camber -0.58
Caster 7.02
Toe -0.03

The guy there told me he adjusted the wheel the best he could and explained to me that the lower arm (?) is not fully installed right.
What does he mean with that? Are the swing arms adjustable on the RX8, if so is it just a labor job needed to fix it?

Last edited by BillyGR; 05-19-2010 at 06:03 AM.
Old 05-19-2010 | 06:06 AM
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If you have the tools and equipment, u can check it out first. Otherwise bring it back to the repair shop
Attached Thumbnails Problem with lower arm?-arms.jpg  
Old 05-19-2010 | 01:19 PM
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Sounds to me that the control arms are either slightly bent or the attachment points on the chassis for the control arms are tweaked.
Old 05-19-2010 | 02:59 PM
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Could a worn out bushing do this? Could it give so much free sag to the wheel?

Originally Posted by Gripen
Sounds to me that the control arms are either slightly bent or the attachment points on the chassis for the control arms are tweaked.
What can I do if the attaching points on the cradle are bend?
Old 05-19-2010 | 05:40 PM
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Originally Posted by BillyGR
Could a worn out bushing do this? Could it give so much free sag to the wheel?


What can I do if the attaching points on the cradle are bend?
A worn or broken bushing would be felt. Either through dull or sloppy handling when said bushing is under load.

If the attatchment points are bent, it would require a trip to a good collision or chassis shop to straighten out, but it won't ever be perfect again. All that'll be done is to get it to as close to factory as possible and then adjust the alignment. Call a BMW, Mercedes-Benz, or Porsche dealer and ask who they go to for collision repair.
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