Raghu Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 I recently bought a used 1999 Corolla CE. Everything is fine with the car except for the little up and down movement I see when there a bumpy road. Sometime does on a smooth surface too. I put new tires on it today and also had the alignment done. Still I feel it is some what doing the same thing. Can somebody let me know what could be wrong and if anybody is seen or experienced this problem. It happens more on the rear side. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fidgits Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 Sounds like worn bushes to me.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raghu Posted January 11, 2006 Author Share Posted January 11, 2006 Thank you! I have taken it to the mechanic and see what he will come up with. Hope it is not too pricy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fidgits Posted January 12, 2006 Share Posted January 12, 2006 replacing them is quite labour intensive... so prepare for a nasty labour charge.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raghu Posted March 18, 2006 Author Share Posted March 18, 2006 Changed the struts in the front. Has improved a lot. But happens some time when you hit a real bumpy road. Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevelaw Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 Did he tell you if the strut mounts were worn when he put th new struts in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raghu Posted March 22, 2006 Author Share Posted March 22, 2006 Did he tell you if the strut mounts were worn when he put th new struts in? No, the mechanic didn't tell. Have you guys seen this kind of a problem before? He said the front passenger side wheel base is 7/8th of an inch lesser compared to the other wheels. God knows why it is like that. Can that cause this floating or bumping? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leighcm Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 The wheel base is shorter? As in the distance from the middle of a wheel on one side to the middle of the other wheel on the same side? How does that happen? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevelaw Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 How did he determine that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joehyundai Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 No, the mechanic didn't tell. Have you guys seen this kind of a problem before? He said the front passenger side wheel base is 7/8th of an inch lesser compared to the other wheels. God knows why it is like that. Can that cause this floating or bumping? Have you ran a carfax on this car? sounds like it may have had previous frame damage?!? The wheelbase needs to be equal on both sides for the car to track properly... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raghu Posted March 25, 2006 Author Share Posted March 25, 2006 Have you ran a carfax on this car? sounds like it may have had previous frame damage?!? The wheelbase needs to be equal on both sides for the car to track properly... Yes, I checked the carfax and it came with no damage or accidents. Not sure if having the wheel base shorter would cause this problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joehyundai Posted March 26, 2006 Share Posted March 26, 2006 If the alignment went ok that there shouldn't be any problems because they usually catch those problems so that they can charge you to correct them. Did they do a 4 wheel alignment or just the fronts? A 4 wheel alignment would show any frame issues. If I remember correctly, the rear suspension on a corolla is adjustable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raghu Posted March 31, 2006 Author Share Posted March 31, 2006 Yes, it was a 4 wheel alingment. They didn't find anything. I am getting tired of this now. Don't know where to go now. Toyota dealer could not even find the problem. That's strange. Let me know if having wheel base 7/8th inch lesser will cause this problem. Also, my mechanic said the right side front and rear wheels are different compare to left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leighcm Posted April 2, 2006 Share Posted April 2, 2006 Yes, it was a 4 wheel alingment. They didn't find anything. I am getting tired of this now. Don't know where to go now. Toyota dealer could not even find the problem. That's strange. Let me know if having wheel base 7/8th inch lesser will cause this problem. Also, my mechanic said the right side front and rear wheels are different compare to left. What do you mean by different wheels? Different size, design, brand, what? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raghu Posted April 2, 2006 Author Share Posted April 2, 2006 What do you mean by different wheels? Different size, design, brand, what? Mechanic says different size and design. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leighcm Posted April 2, 2006 Share Posted April 2, 2006 Mechanic says different size and design. :( Has your car been seriously damaged? Previous owner had an accident? Did you happen to pull a Carfax? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joehyundai Posted April 4, 2006 Share Posted April 4, 2006 Has your car been seriously damaged? Previous owner had an accident? Did you happen to pull a Carfax? read back a little, he's already done the carfax. Sounds to me like you have a problem child on your hands. Someone probably traded that car in for a reason and I think you should do the same.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leighcm Posted April 4, 2006 Share Posted April 4, 2006 Hmmm...missed that part. Not everything shows up on a Carfax, though. It may be a good idea to have it inspected for accidents. Some easy ways to tell: pop the hood, and see if the bolts along the fenders are all original (ie, not removed, no marks on them, all matching, no weird paint, etc.). Also check for the small VIN labels under the hood, trunk, etc. They're little white stickers with the VIN on them. Step back, and look to see if the hood lines up, if the gaps are even. Do you have some unusual wind noise or other noises? Check to see if the paint is fairly smooth, or if it has a sort of ripple to the surface (or more obvious stuff like runs, fish-eyes, or dimples). Look inside the doors, fuel door, trunk, hood to see if there are any tape marks and different color paint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raghu Posted April 6, 2006 Author Share Posted April 6, 2006 I saw all these and I think this car has been in an accident. The fenders don't line up, etc etc. It has reduced a lot after I got the struts changed and tie rods. But some time when it hist real bumpy road, it does sway. Checked with Toyota delaer too. It was a waste of money. They could not suggest anything, but took $52.00 for inspection. Any idea how to over come this or who would best be able to tell what it is and how it can be rectified? Other than this it is a great car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leighcm Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Where did you buy your car? From a dealer, private owner, or auction? Unless you're completely in love with the car, you should have it inspected by a good body shop or dealer just to have independent verification that it's been wrecked (and an idea of how bad). If you purchased it from a dealer or an auction and there's definite signs of a major accident that was not disclosed, you may be able to get it bought back. If you bought from a private owner, you're probably out of luck (sorry...). One other thing to do: there's more than just one company that does vehicle history reports. Carfax does (and maybe you should check into their buy-back guarantee) history reports, but so does a company called Autocheck. Sometimes things will show up on Autocheck that don't show on Carfax (and vice versa, of course). It's www.autocheck.com. Just to be on the safe side, make sure there's no frame damage, etc. Depending on the extent of your accident, your car may not be as structurally sound or safe as it was pre-accident. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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