2000 Pontiac Sunfire Tie Rods, ball joints and axles

AKNOLLEN

MEMBER
2000 PONTIAC SUNFIRE
4 CYL
FWD
AUTOMATIC
130,000 MILES

I would love some info. I ran into a curb the other day, bright I know, but was sidetracked for a second entering an off-ramp from the interstate, and smacked the curb fairly hard. I heard a pop and now if I don't make an extra-wide right turn, I hear the tire rubbing on the wheel well. How does a tire get moved like that?~Okay, that is not my real question, what I am wondering is what you would guess my problem would be, obviously without looking at it, and what kind of price I am looking at?

1 Reply

ZACKMAN

MECHANIC
4,202 POSTS

You didn't say which side that was curb-checked. I need you to measure the red line (as pictured) for both tires, and they should be the same measurements for both driver and passenger tires.

My guess is that the measurements won't be the same, and that the side that was curb-checked, the front will be longer and the rear will be shorter.

In order to protect more damage to the vehicle and its occupants, your control arm is designed to absorb most of the impact. You may want to raise the vehicle and compare both side. As the control arm moves, it moves the ball joint, which may have moved the strut position and possibly the tie rod end.

rockauto.com has your control arm for 65, and takes one hour labor to replace.