Tein Flex Z Problems

[zussypoo]

UPDATE: Got a new steering assembly, steering feels more consistent between turning left and right now. The alignment shop this time double checked and verified that the steering wheel is centered as least on the machine. Car is still drifting to the right. If the steering wheel is tilted slightly to the left it no longer drifts right as quickly or just does not drift altogether. I'm thinking this may be the coilover's problem as the previous set of Buddy Club Racing Spec coilovers did not encounter this issue ever.

[quiksiv]

Originally Posted by zussypoo

I just installed the new Tein Flex Z coilovers about 2 weeks ago. After 2 alignments the front camber is at -1.6 on both sides, caster 6.0 left, 5.5 right, toe 0.04 on both fronts. The car is pulling/drifting towards the right significantly. Is there any way to remedy the caster problem? The alignment guy said there were no instructions on adjusting the vehicle's front caster. I did have an accident less than a year ago, but the Buddy Club Racing Spec coilovers and stock suspension on the car post-accident repair were both never pulling to one side like right now after the Tein Flex Z install.
In addition, I'm getting a lot of creaking over bumps now in the front right, the left has a bit of noise too but I cannot be sure. I did have a whiteline sway bar + endlinks installed in the front.

What should the steps be for me to take in fixing these problems? Any response is appreciated.

UPDATE: Got a new steering assembly, steering feels more consistent between turning left and right now. The alignment shop this time double checked and verified that the steering wheel is centered as least on the machine. Car is still drifting to the right. If the steering wheel is tilted slightly to the left it no longer drifts right as quickly or just does not drift altogether. I'm thinking this may be the coilover's problem as the previous set of Buddy Club Racing Spec coilovers did not encounter this issue ever.

Yeah man it could be the guy doing the adjustments, id go to a driffrent shop. Or worse case, tien sent you diffective coils. Just hit up customer support, do you still have your old coils? If not you may have to give them a deposit for the replacements and then they'll refund you once you send in the defective ones.

[zussypoo]

Originally Posted by quiksiv

Yeah man it could be the guy doing the adjustments, id go to a driffrent shop. Or worse case, tien sent you diffective coils. Just hit up customer support, do you still have your old coils? If not you may have to give them a deposit for the replacements and then they'll refund you once you send in the defective ones.

I have lifetime alignments, so I'll probably stop by a different Firestone just to verify it's not a machine calibration error. The one I go to I actually have a friend to do the alignments for me and he's pretty competent about these stuff. If only the front coilovers are interchangeable between the two sides....I could swap the two and see if it starts drifting the other way.
Neither Tein nor fteightysix got back to my emails.

[quiksiv]

Originally Posted by zussypoo

I have lifetime alignments, so I'll probably stop by a different Firestone just to verify it's not a machine calibration error. The one I go to I actually have a friend to do the alignments for me and he's pretty competent about these stuff. If only the front coilovers are interchangeable between the two sides....I could swap the two and see if it starts drifting the other way.
Neither Tein nor fteightysix got back to my emails.

If you sent them an email this weekend, they wont get back to you until monday or tuesday. If they still havent, id give FT86 a call 888-885-2002 ask for sean.

[cruizin01]

swap wheel/tires side to side? see if it follows?

[djdnz]

Sounds like a dumb question but have you checked your tire pressures?

[zussypoo]

Originally Posted by cruizin01

swap wheel/tires side to side? see if it follows?

Done. Still pulling to the right.

Originally Posted by djdnz

Sounds like a dumb question but have you checked your tire pressures?

Checked today. Even all around.

I'm currently waiting on my insurance company to get back to me to see if they can approve of it being checked by one of those laser frame machines. Meantime fteightysix and Tein both got back to me, and nobody thinks it's the actual coilovers having the problems. The lower control arm was not replaced post-accident, so that could be another problem region.

[Ashikabi]

Originally Posted by zussypoo

Done. Still pulling to the right.



Checked today. Even all around.

I'm currently waiting on my insurance company to get back to me to see if they can approve of it being checked by one of those laser frame machines. Meantime fteightysix and Tein both got back to me, and nobody thinks it's the actual coilovers having the problems. The lower control arm was not replaced post-accident, so that could be another problem region.

Was the knuckle replaced?

[zussypoo]

Originally Posted by Ashikabi

Was the knuckle replaced?

Yes it was. I just had the entire steering assembly replaced which included the gears and tie rods.

[Ashikabi]

Then lca is next on the list

[mav1178]

Originally Posted by zussypoo

I did have an accident less than a year ago, but the Buddy Club Racing Spec coilovers and stock suspension on the car post-accident repair were both never pulling to one side like right now after the Tein Flex Z install.

You need to add what was on the car when you had your accident, and the alignment report after your accident.

-alex

[zussypoo]

Originally Posted by mav1178

You need to add what was on the car when you had your accident, and the alignment report after your accident.

-alex

Great point. The car was bone stock in terms of suspension and I never received the alignment printout after the accident. I suspect that the alignment shop at the time may have did a bad alignment just to balance out the pulling to one side.

[zussypoo]

Update 2:
Got new front passenger lower control arms and bushings and had the car realigned. Alignment specs will be attached below. The car is STILL pulling/drifting to the right. I pretty much narrowed down the following options or steps to continue figuring this out:
-Could be coilovers, but Tein is of absolutely no help so far and refuse to acknowledge it may be a faulty part.
-The bolt on the subframe mount connecting to the sway bars was hard to put back in, and it could be the subframe slightly tweaked since the car had damage primarily on the wheel, front of the fender, and the bumper from the side to where the crash beam starts since I believe the subframe sits right behind that intersection of fender and bumper? The insurance company refused to pay for a laser frame machine setup for diagnosis of frame damage due to the damage being impossible to have subframe damage, or so they say.
-More steering assembly issues, or some kind of steering sensor/positioning needs to be reset, as the steering wheel tilted slightly to the left will cause the car to drive mostly straight.
I'm getting tired of paying out of pockets for alignments constantly, and a lifetime alignment at Firestone isn't going to solve the problem since I do have to get it to other shops to get a second opinion or to verify it is not a machine calibration issue at these alignment shops. If anyone has any other good ideas please feel free to contribute.

Alignment specs:

[strat61caster]

The difference in the front end camber/caster is unusual, I think that may be a symptom of your underlying issue. Most alignment sheets I've seen (mine included) are dead even left/right across the fronts unless an adjustable element is added and out of whack. Not sure if you already got that lifetime alignment deal but swapping back to OE struts and top mounts in the front would imo eliminate the front (and if you feel like doing the rears too) Teins as a potential cause. Then you'd be looking at the knuckle/hub, lower control arm, steering rack and rods, and subframe.

Again, good luck.