SnakeS Posted September 29, 2007 Share Posted September 29, 2007 Hey guys, On my 1998 Pathfinder at highway speeds 100km and up there is a shake in my steering wheel and the car wants to wonder to the right. Could this be fixed by doing an alignment or does it have to do with the half shafts? Also a tire wont hold pressure for more than a week, i think it's leaking around the rim, just re-seating it would fix it? What are your opinions on filling tires with nitrogen. What approximately would all this cost with rotation. Thanks i just don't want to look like an idiot if i go to the shop and they tell me some prices that i can't afford, save me the embarrassment also so they don't try and inflate the price. The pathfinder had 50,000 km on it so i don't think is would be the shocks. Thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerranoNZ Posted September 29, 2007 Share Posted September 29, 2007 The shake is most probably balance of the front tyres, if at low speed (leaving your driveway) the steering wheel moves back an forth a little it's a separated tyre. The pull right should be alignment. Could also be a bias pull in the tyres, you could try swapping wheels side to side. If it pulls left then it's bias if it still pulls right then it's alignment. The leak could be anything a nail of screw, mud in the bead, faulty valve of a crack in the rim. Someone else will have to tell you the $$$, NZ pricing wouldn't do you much good Hope that helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnakeS Posted September 29, 2007 Author Share Posted September 29, 2007 yes it does thank you! The slow leak it on the front passenger side so i guess it wouldn't help the drifting. I could just get a balance and rotation and see if that fixes the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glenn Posted September 30, 2007 Share Posted September 30, 2007 I agree with TerranoNZ; I've had similar problems and careful wheel balance solved it;be aware that in my case it took clip on weights on both the inner AND outer rims on some tires to get a good balance[some weighted tape on the inner wheel , like some places tried ,won't do it]The vibration became a much more noticable problem when I went from stock to 32x11.5 tires; Also the drift is probably the alignment. I would go to a Nissan dealer as they were the only ones near me that could ever get it right. In S.Cal. a dealer done balance and alignment would probably run about $100-150, I couldn't say how much elsewhere. Good luck! -glenn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnakeS Posted September 30, 2007 Author Share Posted September 30, 2007 ok thanks for the replies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Pickles Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 Yep, yep, and the leak should be a cheap fix. If its a really slow leak and a shop can't find it, maybe new valve stems and/or a can of Fix A Flat could solve it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnakeS Posted October 3, 2007 Author Share Posted October 3, 2007 ya just went to the dealership and booked a rotation, balancing for all tires and a reseal for the flat one, around 80 bucks so i thought that was reasonable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Pickles Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 ya just went to the dealership and booked a rotation, balancing for all tires and a reseal for the flat one, around 80 bucks so i thought that was reasonable Wait, that's just for that, without an alignment? Yikes! Skip the stealership. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
95shakinPF Posted October 4, 2007 Share Posted October 4, 2007 (edited) fixing a tire worst case $15usd. Rotation and balance(gotta have the tires off to balance,so no charge for rotation!)worst case$30usd!!!!!!! Please get a different quote!! Edited October 4, 2007 by 95shakinPF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerranoNZ Posted October 4, 2007 Share Posted October 4, 2007 Damn...Why is this so expensive over there? NZ Firestone Rotation = Free Puncture = Free Balance = $60 for all 4 at the most. Still not worth the drive though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted October 4, 2007 Share Posted October 4, 2007 Guys, you forget thats in Canadian funny money. Balancing around here is at minimum, $10 per tire. A plug is $15-20. Rotation, however, should be included, as they have to take all the wheels off to balance them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnakeS Posted October 5, 2007 Author Share Posted October 5, 2007 wow sorry i didn't look here looks like i got screwed over as usual! they quoted me 87 and then hand me a bill for 120!!! i was pissed but it did fix the problem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Pickles Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 (edited) Damn...Why is this so expensive over there?NZ Firestone Rotation = Free Puncture = Free Balance = $60 for all 4 at the most. Still not worth the drive though Egg-sactly. Just came home from Firestone tonight. I paid around $100 or so for the lifetime alignment on sale back in 2005, although it looks like the regular price is now up to $169 locally. This was at least my 6th or so alignment since then, all with absolutely no hassles and prompt service. Every time has been either after installing new parts or (very obviously, mud caked to the bottom of the truck) after a trail run. The wife and I showed up tonight after work at about 6pm, dropping it off for alignment, plus balance/rotate, and expecting to leave the Pathy and pick her up tomorrow. The guy was like "were you planning to wait for it, or drop off?" Excuseme?! "Well, we could have it ready by 7pm when we close." Allll-right. LOL- afterward, he started to explain that it looks like my center link is about shot, and wanted to explain what a center link is, what it does, etc. I'm like "yep, expected that, hope to drop in a new one after the holidays. I've got new tie rod ends waiting at home in the garage too. I put in new ball joints not too long ago when I put in the new UCA's. Did you like my trashed CV boots?" With a nod and a grin, his next comment? "Dude, you should swap in a solid axle in that thing! Those trucks are great! And they're getting more popular." LOL! I like this guy. Oh, and the balancing/rotation? $39.99 Anyways, yeah, I think you got just a little hosed at the stealership. Not too bad though, really, all things considered. Just keep in mind, I'd bet 95% of the peeps on this board would suggest: 1) If you can reasonably do it yourself, do it. 2) If you can't do it, don't go to the dealership unless you have to (warranty, etc.). 3) Find a shop you can trust, and/or... learn to do it yourself! I'm curious. Why did the bill climb to $120? Guys, you forget thats in Canadian funny money. Balancing around here is at minimum, $10 per tire. A plug is $15-20. Rotation, however, should be included, as they have to take all the wheels off to balance them. Last I checked, the Loonie wasn't that loonie. Even par with the US$. I'd be curious (in an off topic post) to see some price comparisons for things. Considering our trip to Victoria a few years ago when the exchange wasn't nearly so even, dinner and accomodations wasn't exactly "cheap" even then. ouch Edited October 5, 2007 by Mr. Pickles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 Everything in Canada is more expensive. Western Canada (BC) is probably the worst, though, Ontario is pretty bad as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnakeS Posted October 6, 2007 Author Share Posted October 6, 2007 yeah i usually do everything myself except i don't have a balancing machine or a tire seater. Apparently there was salt corrosion and buildup on the aluminum rims so they had to clean them to get the tire to reseal properly this apparently took an extra 1/2 hour so theres where the extra came from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerranoNZ Posted October 6, 2007 Share Posted October 6, 2007 yeah i usually do everything myself except i don't have a balancing machine or a tire seater. Apparently there was salt corrosion and buildup on the aluminum rims so they had to clean them to get the tire to reseal properly this apparently took an extra 1/2 hour so theres where the extra came from. 1/2 hr my A$$ What'd they use? A nail file Well your problems fixed anyway...Lets focus on that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnakeS Posted October 6, 2007 Author Share Posted October 6, 2007 not sure what they used but there were nice and clean, it drives much better and nice and smooth on the highway. Still could use an alignment. About this Firestone lifetime alignment does anybody know if this is available in Canada. Theres a local Bridgestone dealer nearby i wonder if they would offer it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
95shakinPF Posted October 6, 2007 Share Posted October 6, 2007 (edited) Well Im glad to see you got your problem fixed, good deal! As far as a lifetime alignment now-a-days is gonna be hard to find. Auto repair shops are getting farther and farther away from giving anything with a lifetime warranty! So good luck with that one! Edited October 6, 2007 by 95shakinPF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Pickles Posted October 9, 2007 Share Posted October 9, 2007 As far as a lifetime alignment now-a-days is gonna be hard to find. Auto repair shops are getting farther and farther away from giving anything with a lifetime warranty! So good luck with that one! I can't directly quote availability in Canada, sorry. But I just bought the lifetime warranty again on our Acura about 6-9 months ago. Used it twice already, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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