hey guys, I got a 1997 civic hx. Im having problems with my front end, i hit a median one night and bent something bad. it was so bad i broke the left front rim and brake rotor in half. i replaced the spindle and other obvious broken components, but something is throwing off my caster on the left front I put adjustable upper ball joints on it to adjust it a little bit but its not enough car still pulls to the left. i have taken it to a few shops but no one gave me an answer on wat it could be. im thinking it might be the front subframe if you call it that on a civic. what do you guys think?

 

I think we need to know your alignment specs if the pulling is all you're worried about.

Does it pull when you try to track in a straight line? Only when braking? Slow return to center?

I would think the subframe being bent would also affect the camber, but it's possible that it's bent and only affecting caster.

 

WELL THE CAMBER WAS OFF BUT I PRETTY MUCH GOT IT IN SPEC WITH THE ADJUSTABLE UPPER BALL JOINT KIT I PUT ON IT. I DONT HAVE THE ALIGNMENT SPECS BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL IS FAR BACK CLOSE TO THE FENDER COMPARED TO THE OTHER SIDE. IT HAPPENS IN STRAIGHT LINE IT PULLS HARD IF YOU LET GO OF THE WHEEL YOUR GOING ACROSS 2 LANES PRETTY QUICK. SO I DONT KNOW IF ITS JUST MAYBE THE LOWER CONTROL ARM OR BOTH LOWER CONTROL ARM AND SUBFRAME. ANYWAY DOES ANYBODY know what a subframe costs?

 

From the sounds of it, it's wheel setback, and not caster that you're thinking of. I'd say it's the subframe, but there's always the possibility of the LCA and subframe being bent, too. I don't know prices to give you, but a subframe shouldn't be too much at a salvage yard or eBay/Craigslist.

 

yea thats wat i was thinking. Thanks alot. Do you think there is anyway the body of the car could be damaged?

 

ya it could be the lca or subframe.
my old 94 civic had bad caster when i got it. but after driving it for awhile and playing in the snow doing donutes screwing around i bumped the same wheel spinning backwards and it actually bent the bent part back within specs on the alignment rack. LMFAO
at least i think it was funny. it was just a fluke counter bend.lol

very hard to see whats bent by just looking. so if your going to replace anything i would suggest replacing it all at once, the subframe and lca and maybe the knuckle also. that way you only have to get a alignment once.

 

thanks for the info guys. yea thats what im going to do i hope it fixes it and i hope its not too bad of a repair. yea im a bmw tech so i can just throw on our alignment machine and adjust it myself