i see, it looked from those pictures as if the hubs had four bolts, but I now see that that is only for the drum brakes. That's certainly a bummer.
Rear axle replaced under warranty; new axle within specs
Rear axle replaced under warranty; alignment is still off
Waiting for warranty replacement axle
Axle temporarily or permanently aligned with DIY fix
Rear alignment inspected & deemed within specs by dealer
i see, it looked from those pictures as if the hubs had four bolts, but I now see that that is only for the drum brakes. That's certainly a bummer.
2014 Mirage GLX 5MT Plasma Purple
2004 Accord EX 5MT Graphite Pearl RIP
No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public. -- That's why Ford outsells Mitsu in the US
Yeah that's correct, I never had an alignment done BEFORE the new tires were put on. I'm by no means a mechanic. The car tracked straight with no pulling to one side and holding the wheel straight meant the car drove straight. After the 4 new tires and alignment were done, the car veers to the left with the wheel straight. To actually drive straight I have to hold the wheel cocked to the right. So how can this be? What changed? Help the clueless out.
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View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 52.2 mpg (US) ... 22.2 km/L ... 4.5 L/100 km ... 62.6 mpg (Imp)
Thats correct. An alignment performed when the new tires were installed. I noticed the steering wheel was very off center going down a straight road, so I brought the car back the next day to have the alignment rechecked. At that point they told me the right rear wheel was way out of spec and there was no way for them to correct it. The following week I brought it to my local Mitsu dealer who inspected it, agreed it was out of spec, but would not investigate the issue further because the newly installed tires were not OEM size. They wanted that ruled out as the issue. BS as far as I was concerned. Needless to say, I wasn't about to have all 4 tires changed out AGAIN. I'm trying to get as much money as I can out of this tire set until I have new OEM tires put on and take it back to Mitsu, but before I surpass the 60k mile mark. At 52k miles now.
Sorry I don't have alignment specs from before the new tires were put on. Didn't have issues before the new tires. Only have alignment specs from 32k miles when new tires were put on. I'd have to dig up the print out. I vividly recall the issue being the right rear camber being out of spec. The arrow was in the red range. All 3 other tires were good. The tire shop even said "normally you shim that wheel, but it's not possible on your car."
That stinks how dealers allow no warranty work if there are modifications - but that's how the game is played. The good news is your dealer gave you a way through this.
If I lived nearby I would loan you a set of factory wheels. Maybe there's another forum member nearby who could help you out. That, or find a set on Craigslist or eBay.
That's the problem with modifications - it can invalidate the warranty.
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View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 49.6 mpg (US) ... 21.1 km/L ... 4.7 L/100 km ... 59.5 mpg (Imp)
Thanks, Eggman. I never in a million years would have thought slightly (8mm) bigger tires on the factory alloys would cause such a headache. I only went that route because they were $48/tire, versus the $94/tire I was quoted for OEM. I was not at all impressed with the performance of the OEM tires and felt the cost was crazy high for what they deliver. Honestly, the bigger tires made a noticeable improvement to grip in corners and steering response. I have to bring Kermit in to Mitsu for a recall notice I just received, so I'll bring up the axle again.
I don't have an exact explanation for your car...but I can give you a plausible scenario why this might have happened. Your front end could have easily been out of alignment when you bought the car. Remember...it is rare that someone has posted their 4 wheel alignment specs on a new Mirage and all 4 wheels are properly aligned from the factory. If your front end was out of spec, it could have been masking the issue with your rear alignment.
For example... If your front wheels cause your car to pull to the right, but your rear wheels are trying to push the car to the left, your steering wheel position might be fine as the 2 forces effectively cancel each other out. Then you fix the front end alignment, and suddenly there's nothing to counteract the fact that the bad rear alignment is still trying to push the car to one side. But you notice it immediately.
Edit - One other question...
Does your car actually pull to one side...or is your steering wheel just off-center? For example, if you are rolling along on a flat road (with the steering wheel held off-center to keep the car going straight), and you let go of the steering wheel, will your car immediately begin wandering left or right...or will it keep going straight? Sometimes the alignment guys don't center the steering wheel before they do an alignment. Even my own Mirage (which has a good alignment) has a steering wheel that is slightly off-center because the dealer didn't do the alignment right. But the car doesn't pull to one side. It's annoying though and I will probably have the private shop I use just correct it.
Last edited by Top_Fuel; 12-04-2017 at 01:59 PM.
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View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 52.2 mpg (US) ... 22.2 km/L ... 4.5 L/100 km ... 62.6 mpg (Imp)
mine is also slightly off center.
2014 White SE with CVT
I made a point to pay attention if it actually pulls to one side or not. I was mistaken. It doesn't pull. The wheel is just very off-center. To drive straight, the wheel is turned to the 1 o'clock position. Enough for me to notice and annoy me.
I'm sure you are not the only Mirage driver to be annoyed by alignment problems. The cool thing is you know about it and what needs to be done to fix it - and it appears it should be covered under warranty. All the details you need to get this addressed are here in this thread (and this thread too - Rear Alignment Problem FAQ.)
Here's hoping you are able to get it resolved without too much hassle.
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View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 49.6 mpg (US) ... 21.1 km/L ... 4.7 L/100 km ... 59.5 mpg (Imp)