Damn cars....

[Musick17]

My mom has a 2000 ford torus that she hasnt had to long. The tires were shot on it when we got it so we replaced them. I have been planning a trip to Colorado for a couple months and the intent was to take her car since it will fit the people going and is better on gas.

I hadnt driven it at all since she got it and when I did drive it 2 nights ago I noticed a shaking in the steering wheel when it would go from about 10-35 mph. So I talked to some people I know today and got it in the shop for a quick alignment. I went back after work to pick it up and they tell me to go back and talk to the alignment guy (so I knew it wasnt gonna be simple). He tells me doing an alignment would do no good since the camber is actually what is off. He said your camber can be off 1 degree and this was off by 1.5 degrees. His assumption off the top of his head was that the strut was not attached where it should be so he would have to relocate it slightly further inwards. He is keeping the car for tonight, is going to drive it tomorow morning to see what he thinks, and then poke around a bit on it before he relocates the strut mount.

I wish my mom would have told me her car shakes more than 3 days prior to me taking it on a 2500 miles trip with new tires that would undoubtedly get toasted. But this is better than getting 800 miles in and having a tire blow out on me from being worn down.

She's one of those people that says "oh hell, its always done that".... she doesnt understand that it doesnt count to say it always has done that when youve only had the car 4 months....

Im just hoping I dont have to scrap my trip ...

End rant!

 

[koda6966]

No offense, but your mechanic sounds like an idiot.

 

[straycat]

His assumption off the top of his head was that the strut was not attached where it should be so he would have to relocate it slightly further inwards. He is keeping the car for tonight, is going to drive it tomorrow morning to see what he thinks, and then poke around a bit on it before he relocates the strut mount.


WTF?? Relocate the mount? It is the factory mount correct?? Duhhh, go someplace else, Bro!!!! Really!!!!

 

[Musick17]

It is the factory mount, its not bolted on like most, but welded. i did some googling and there have been numerous other people with tauruses that have had to do the same thing.

How else would you adjust the camber?

 

[Vanner1993]

Yeah I had to do that to a taurus once.

 

[Musick17]

See, at least one person knows im not crazy.

 

[fix_or_repair_daily]

Yes, the plates on the tops of the strut towers are spot welded in place. They can either drill out the spot welds to loosen them (pita because you have to remove the wiper cowl to access them all), or at the shop I did alignments at, I would just air chisel them loose and just straighten the plate out with a hammer and put it back in. This allows you to slide the strut outwards for positive camber or inwards for negative. A lot of times though it was the struts at fault for the negative camber and had to be replaced to get it perfect.

Josh

 

[adsm08]

On top of the fact that '00 Taurus' has problems with breaking springs.

 

[Musick17]

I hope moving the mount will fix it. Cause this car is going to colorado whether it likes it or not. I might be replacing a tire when I get back though...

 

[adsm08]

His assumption off the top of his head was that the strut was not attached where it should be so he would have to relocate it slightly further inwards. He is keeping the car for tonight, is going to drive it tomorrow morning to see what he thinks, and then poke around a bit on it before he relocates the strut mount.


WTF?? Relocate the mount? It is the factory mount correct?? Duhhh, go someplace else, Bro!!!! Really!!!!

While I do think some of that stuff sounds a little hinky too, know what you are talking about before calling someone an idiot.

That is the proper way to adjust camber/caster on a Taurus.

 

[Musick17]

While I do think some of that stuff sounds a little hinky too, know what you are talking about before calling someone an idiot.

That is the proper way to adjust camber/caster on a Taurus.

And the way I worded it was not a direct quote from him. It was through my own words. This particular mech. has worked on every vehicle in my family and doesnt give us the usual bullshit run around hullaballoo. But I understand where you guys are coming from.

Note to self: never buy a ford taurus.. unless its for the demolition derby...

 

[adsm08]

Note to self: never buy a ford taurus.. unless its for the demolition derby...

I didn't say that.

They are good cars, but like every other vehicle in the world, some years and engines are better than others.

And that is one of the last cars I'd take to the derby. They get good crash test ratings, but I doubt it would hold up in the derby.

 

[LearjetMinako]

That is the proper way to adjust camber/caster on a Taurus.

Wait, What!!? Are you f*ck*ng kidding me?? You mean you gotta destory a mount to adjust the camber? I need to find a Tarus to find this out myself. I can't believe it till I reverse engineer it.

 

[Musick17]

I didn't say that.

They are good cars, but like every other vehicle in the world, some years and engines are better than others.

And that is one of the last cars I'd take to the derby. They get good crash test ratings, but I doubt it would hold up in the derby.

I know you didnt say that, but in my personal opinion they are ugly as dog crap! And the one for the derby... ill snag an early 90's and run the compacts

 

[fix_or_repair_daily]

Just a note, Windstar vans have the same stupid ass design, and you DO have to remove the wiper cowl that houses the wiper transmission, wiper motor and all just to get to the plates you have to cut loose because it covers both strut towers. One of Ford's dumber ideas.

Josh