This is probably a stupid question, but when you get an alignment done do they center your steering wheel? My car goes straight when I take my hands off the wheel but the wheel is pointed at about 1 o'clock 1:30.

I was trying to turn back out of a street that was flooded and I hit the sidewalk really hard with my passenger side front wheel. There's a scuff mark on the rim. I didn't notice the steering wheel until about 15min later.

I called my dealer and they said it's $100, is that too much? I don't really trust walmart or the other small shops around here.

 

umm dude...i think you bent the lower control arms. 1 o'clock seems like some suspension damage to me.

 

Lexus of Austin wanted 170 to align mine. Yes, they straighten the steering wheel to match the straight wheels. Take it to Lexus (in case you need special parts.)

 

It's more like between 12 and 1 o'clock. Should I tell them I hit a curb or should I just tell them I need an alignment? I feel like if I mention it, they'll rip me off and say everything is damaged and needs to be replaced.

 

I did mine @ 10k service,
factory warranty covers 1yr/12k for the alignment,
hope there's no major damage...

 

well if they see the curb mark on the wheel and that caster is off on that side...it will be a sure sign you hit something.

the hit probably bent a control arm causing your toe and caster to go off on that side.

 

just tell them to align it....just becuz you have a scuff on the rim doesn't mean they can't align it.

 

really need to check if there is suspension damage tho

 

i took my car to be aligned at lexus here in houston (the steering wheel was also off-centered between 12-1). they charged 100 and everything seems fine now.

 

I went back to the street where this all happend and it looks like I actually an into a huge pothole when I was turining around. The whole street was flooded so I couldn't really see anything but I was pretty sure I was a car length from the curb and I heard a lot clunk. I went to a parking lot to check what happend and I saw the scratches on the rim so I assumed I ran into the curb. I thought I ruined my front bumper. So it looks like the pothole just messed up my alignment, but I'm also hearing a vibration on th highway when I go over 70mph. It's a very faint voom....voom....voom pulsating sound. I don't feel it in my steering wheel.

 

I wouldn't tell the alignment shop that you hit anything. If there is suspension damage, it will be obvious when they align it. There's no reason to give them an excuse to charge you more. You probably did tweak your front wheel though. If you take it to Discount Tire, they can check to see if it is bent, and can even have it repaired pretty cheap.