so i hit a pole.... alignment related

[sixhex]

well last month, washington got hit by a big long snowstorm, and i being the young inexperienced driver i am, managed to slide straight into a pole the first night of ice, not even 10 feet from my driveway...
since then, my alignment has been a bit off...
the passenger front wheel is pulling to the left, so to go completely straight, i have to tilt the wheel slightly right...

i'm taking it in for an alignment tomorrow, but i'm so paranoid of shelling out more money than expected, or being talked into something unnecessary...

do you think an alignment will fix the problem, or is it probably something worse?

[Kevin]

if you slid hard enough into the pole bro and your alignment is that noticeably messed up, there could be extensive damage done.. ie undercarriage/steering rack could be twisted up. but likewise, from the picture, if the pole was over say the height of the fender and you managed that little damage on the body, an alignment should fix your problem. and by the way, if you need a white passenger's side fender, i'm parting out my white 94 lx.. so it's perfect for ya. 10 bucks plus shipping (could be up to 20 possibly to ship because of all the protective packaging i'd opt to use, but thats your call) and to boot, it's already painted and in fairly good condition. let me know. good luck with the alignment.
kevin
bah, the extra cost for shipping wouldn't be for materials, it'd just be the bulk of the box it'd get shipped in.. let me know

[sixhex]

you've been PMed...

thanks for the info... i'm hoping the alignment fixes it... it was really low speed(i just pulled out of my driveway and slid across the street), but everybody has been filling my head with 'might be frame damage' and alignment horror stories...

[Kevin]

well, it'd have to be pretty fast to do that kind of damage. an ex-co-worker of mine had a 91 honda accord coupe.. bombed out of his gourd on dope and alcohol ended up side swiping the back end of an escallade.. panicked and drove off. absolutely trashed the car he had gotten just 4 months prior. basically what it boiled down to was bent under carriage assembly including the steering rack, ball joints, front passenger's side strut blown, broken corner lamp and headlight. needless to say he hasn't been arrested yet.. but my conscience might have something to do with that . bottom line, you shouldn't be in bad condition.. but even so..and alignment isn't exactly a cheap repair. good luck, gimme 3 weeks and i'll get to shipping your fender
kevin

[XxToKeSxX]

Wait... Kev... why are you parting your car out? are u gettin rid of it?... nooooo

[Kevin]

yup, not leaving the boards anytime soon, you guys will have to put up with me for a long while . but if you need any parts, check the forsale section.
peace

[silver03p5]

yup, not leaving the boards anytime soon, you guys will have to put up with me for a long while . but if you need any parts, check the forsale section.
peace

dammit, i was hoping wed get rid of you :p: just kidding

[sixhex]

it drives fine now... the difference wasn't very apparent at first, then after taking a few turns and driving on the freeway, it was amazing how much better it felt...
cornering feels smooth again, and acceleration doesn't pull to one side anymore...
well spent $75, i suppose...

they guy also suggested a camber kit, for like, another $100, because my alignment is 'just within specs' but things are getting worn out...
since i'm planning on lowering it and such within the next couple months, it seemed unnecessary...