Alignment issue - what causes rear tire to wear on outside edge?

[idosubaru]

My daily driver 2002 OBW H6 is wearing heavily on the outer edge of the rear passengers tire. It's definitely not air pressure related.

 

What bolts/adjustments are there for the rear alignment in that direction?

I have no problem going to get an alignment but I'd like to check things out first myself to see what's going on.

 

I picked this up over a year ago wrecked and rebuilt it, salvage certificate, etc, but it was a front end collision, no rear damage. No uneven wear at all on the fronts, LOL?!

[Turbone]

I know the rear suspension can get mis-aligned, but I dont know what components need adjusting. Contact Caboobaroo, he's our resident alignment specialist. He aligned the rear on my RX.

[idosubaru]

oh yeah, right he's the man on that stuff. thanks rob!

[Fairtax4me]

Rear toe or camber is out of whack. But only the toe angle is adjustable IIRC. If the camber is out it's because the strut or the knuckle is bent. One of the lateral arms has adjustments where it attach to the rear crossmember.

They should cover most of that in the FSM. The one for my 96 had all the specs in it for alignment.

[idosubaru]

They said it was "pretty far off" and said they got it right. Time will tell I suppose. Slight steering vibration is now gone, sweet.

[bheinen74]

check for bent lateral links.

My brothers 99 Outback front deer hit salvage car, had both sides rear lat links bent, they are supposed to be 100% straight, his were bent but they looked same on both sides. Due to forklift movement of the car at the salvage lot. His wore the insides down to the metal cords of the tires.

Had to get good used lat links, then a old fashioned alignment of the toe.

You say your had salvage hit front. Be they moved it with forks too.

 

check the lat links, better yet, post a pic, i can tell you if they look good or not.

[bulwnkl]

Rear toe or camber is out of whack.

 

Probably both, but has to be a toe problem either way.

[idosubaru]

thanks BH, got me curious now. didn't see anything obvious - which are the lateral links on this thing?

[Fairtax4me]

Lower: 11. Uppers: 20,24 http://opposedforces.com/parts/legacy/us_b12/type_21/suspension_and_axle/rear_suspension/illustration_2/

Then there is another link pictured here... Number 9.

http://opposedforces.com/parts/legacy/us_b12/type_21/suspension_and_axle/rear_suspension/illustration_1/

 

Dunno why they couldn't combine those two pictures and have it all in one place.

That's a different setup than the older legacy. I believe the adjustment would be made on either Number 9 in the second diagram, or number 11 in the first. Or maybe you can adjust both, or even all three on that one I can't tell from looking at the diagrams.

[Caboobaroo]

Gary, if you took it in to have it checked, could you post up before and after specs of the car for me?

 

Anyways, yes, there is only a rear toe adjustment (17mm nut, 22mm bolt head) front camber adjustment (19mm nut and bolt) and a front toe adjustment (19mm lock nut, 13mm tie rod).

 

If its only doing it on one rear tire, it can be excessive toe in or positive camber on that side. If it is a toe issue, it will cause the car to crab walk on you, which will also cause the steering wheel to be off centered. If it was a camber issue, it'll be because of bent parts.

 

Obviously you can get camber adjustment parts for the rear end but why put a band-aid on something that could have a bigger issue as far as bent parts? If parts are bent, you install a rear camber adjustment and it'll get it back into factory specifications but you'll also run into a handling issue since the geometry of the suspension side to side isn't the same.

[Gloyale]

My brothers 99 Outback front deer hit salvage car, had both sides rear lat links bent, they are supposed to be 100% straight, his were bent but they looked same on both sides.

 

Those bent arms are not from forklift.

 

99 was the last year that suspension design was used on Legacy Outbacks and they are all bent.

 

Every one of the 99's are this way

 

It threw me off too at first.

 

But I've had 7 or 8 now in the shop.....99 model outbacks........and they have those bent arms. All 4 of them have an arc that starts about 2/3rds of the way out.

 

I think it was to give a cleaner look underneath from the rear, and a tad more clearance.

 

You must have replaced them with straight arms from an earlier Imp, Legacy or Outback, or from a Forrester (which continued with straight arms till the redesign in 09? )

 

It's an oddball thing only on the 99's

 

 

 

But anyhow, it doesn't really matter to this thread because Gary's 2002 is a totally different rear end setup.

Edited May 22, 2010 by Gloyale

[idosubaru]

everything looked good in the back comparing side to side. thanks for the feedback. i'll look at those rear adjustment bolts on that side.

 

thanks russ, i didn't get the numbers, read your reply after the fact. they said it was out a good bit and adjusted fine, but wish i would have gotten some specifics.

 

different but related subject one of the front drivers side control arm bolts is not quite lined up right and the crossmember it bolts too is pushed about 1/2" forward. that tire has always been fine with wear and the car tracks straight so i'm not worried about that at the moment, that looks like a huge job either pushing that crossmember back 1/2" or replacing it completely. don't see that happening any time soon.

Edited May 22, 2010 by grossgary

[Gloyale]

 

different but related subject one of the front drivers side control arm bolts is not quite lined up right and the crossmember it bolts too is pushed about 1/2" forward. that tire has always been fine with wear and the car tracks straight so i'm not worried about that at the moment, that looks like a huge job either pushing that crossmember back 1/2" or replacing it completely. don't see that happening any time soon.

 

front as in front axle? Or the front arm of the rear suspension?

 

If the front, you are reffering to the bolts that hold the rear pivot of the control arm? or of the inner pivot on the engine crossmember.

 

I am having a hard time visuallizing what part of the control arm bolts to any crossmember other than the Engine support.

 

FWIW, The rear pivot of the control arms may have been moved by the alignment guys.

[idosubaru]

front as in front axle? Or the front arm of the rear suspension?

Yeah that was a terrible description. The drivers side front control arms rear most mounting point has two bolts in it. It looks as if the mounting points on the body are pushed forward and the control arm is shifted back to compensate.

 

* It was like this before the alignment as I was checking this out before.

 

The crossmember (i think) also appears pushed forward about 1/2" - as there is 1/2" less clearance behind the inner tie rod compared to the other side and the boot barely touches the metal.

 

Drives smooth, tire wears perfect, no pulling, and 25-26 mpg so all seems okay. I'll take a picture someday and get some feedback.