The snow did it..

[CKniht90]

I was driving, it was snowing pretty hard. With about 3-4 inches already on the ground I was coming up to a 3 way intersection (go left or right) I slowed down.. started to turn left. Then I started sliding toward the right. then i slide into the curb with my right tire/rim. It damaged the rim with a few dents and scratches.. but now I notice my alignment is off and it the steering wheel shakes around 60-70mph. Would anyone know whats wrong? I dont know much about the front end and steering part of this car. If i were to take it to a shop to have it looked at what would I tell them to look at exactly so they dont spend extra time lookin at other things and charge me up the ass lol. please help! be greatly appreciated!

[Jrboulder]

Get another wheel if it's damaged.

[CKniht90]

the rim is ok.. its jus my alignment is off maybe.. and maybe something else? from 40-60 mph it rattles the car. It never did that before this happend.

[smokin_944]

Lemme guess...No snow tires?

[CKniht90]

No front snow tires .. I thought they were good enough.. til this. I know its horrible.. and I should of used front snow tires.

[Grandad#3]

Go to the shop, be honest and tell them what happened. It will help the mechanic know what to look at closer when he does the alignment, and just might save you money in the long run for other repairs. Everybody is not out to rip you off, well a few.

Cheers,
Larry

[CKniht90]

alright, thanks Larry. I might just have to do that instead of trying to figure it out on my own. Thanks

[Pettybird]

"It damaged the rim with a few dents and scratches"

"the rim is ok"

.............

if you're getting shake, it's because something is out of round or very loose. a bad alignment won't cause shake until it tears up something else. you bent the rim, even if you can't see it very well. rotate it to the rear and see if the shake goes away.

[CKniht90]

Alright thanks. I will have to do that when I have free time. if it is the rim.. When i go from 0-35mph its smooth ride but when I go 35+ it shakes.. probably the rim still? If the rim is damaged would I have to get it bent back? or is it screwed for life? haaha

[Arizona_928]

It would probably be cheaper to find a nice used one. probably around 50$

A good tire shop could tell you if your rim is bent aswell.

[CKniht90]

Alright. TYVM.

[geofen8036]

Originally Posted by Jrboulder

Get another wheel if it's damaged.

Yup... Have the balance checked at a tire shop.

[AaronM]

Depending on how bad the impact was and how much you were steering at the time, you might have bent a tie rod as well. Happened to me a few years ago when I hit a huge pothole mid-corner.

[CKniht90]

Ok.. well I haven't had time to go get it checked out.. but if it is the rim &/or the tie rod... then where would i find it on Pelican Parts? Pelican Parts - Automotive Parts and Accessories - Porsche & BMW I see them here. but I dont see one for my 88 944 w/ Power Steering.. btw.. I was wondering.. How is this car without power steering? Would it help my car perform better?

[AaronM]

Some people like the feel of the manual setup better, but as far as measurable performance gains there really aren't any, though the manual steering rack does save some weight and if you like the feel better that can definitely help.

[Tervuren]

A prior owner of one of my cars had put a wheel into the curb after I'd agreed to buy it, and before I picked it up. It had a pretty bad vibration, I took the wheels off one of my other 944's(both early offset), and it went away.

He hit had enough it toasted the sway bar bushings, and bent the control arm.

[CKniht90]

When you say manual steering.. you mean non-power steering, right? -Aaron
Thanks for the info Tervuren!

Where do I find a tie rod for power steering though? I cant find any on pelican for my car.
Also how do convert your car to manual steering?

[AaronM]

Originally Posted by CKniht90

When you say manual steering.. you mean non-power steering, right? -Aaron

Also how do convert your car to manual steering?

Yes, I mean non-power-assisted steering when I say "manual steering." You'd need to replace the entire steering rack with a manual unit to do it properly and gain the reduced weight advantage. Some people simply disconnect the pump and loop the fluid lines back while still using the power rack, but that still means you have the heavier PS rack and since it's not designed to be manual you won't get as much feel back as the manual would give you.

[917guy]

Do not ignore the wobble. Even if you can tolerate it, it will do damage over time. A friend here was going to buy a rim from me, but had it straightened instead. Very good rim shop; they did a nice job, but it cost more than a nice used 944 rim.

When you hit a curb, and do little damage, the rim is at risk, but so is the steering knuckle. If things seem not too bad, but the toe in has changed a bit, it is the steering arm of your front spindle unit. It is softish steel, and can take a few thou of bending, so an alignment should be all you need. If bent too far, the ackerman correction will not be right, and the print out will say so. Then you just shop for a better spindle. I have a pair of 944 front spindles on the aluminum trailer that carries my 917. Light, strong, cheap, and I like to use 944 rims on it.

[JJ 911SC]

Take the tire/rim for balancing and straightness test and you will have your answer.