I completed the right side replacement of control arm today and went straight to import front end alignment shop. Unfortunately, the extended time getting it in (see my other control arm post) took so long they were completely booked for today. Have to take it back in Monday. On the dive to there and home, the car felt ;funny". Almost like the front end were sliding on ice. When I got hime, looked carefully at everything and pics attached show what I found.

I can't figure how replacing a rigid manufactured component can/could throw the front out thus far. The left us business as usual. The rear front lower did nothing to alignment. Anyone have an idea or experience seeing this?



Left side, steering centered, tire straight



Right side, tire is like 3" toed outboard

 

So I carefully drove a few blocks to tire shop to rotate tires before alignment Monday. On way to shop, front end felt like it was "marshmallowing" side to side hitting bumps. Checked all components on lift, can't see any problems, breakage, etc. They rotated the tires and upon setting on the ground, this occurred = front right tire (as well as left are true and parallel again, see pics).

BUT....driving home the front still moves left & right when hitting road imperfections and the steering wheel (to drive straight) is turned to the left about an 1/8 of a turn.

Need some input if anyone has some guidance.

 

You need to have it 4 wheel aligned again after doing anything to the suspension.
Use the revised alignment specs as found in the TSB's (technical service bulletins) for your model/year

 

Yeah, as mentioned doing that. Still does not address the stated problems/conditions. I'm not talking about normal out of alignment stuff. This feels like (for lack of a better explanation, if you've ever had it happen), a broken sway bar. It's actually frightening trying to drive it down the road. The normal very tight steering in the wheel is gone. It's like herding cats down the road, swinging the steering wheel 1/4 to 1/3 of a turn to keep it going.

 

I understand what you mean, I've had it on previous cars where the alignment looks fine to the eye but when driven it's all over the place, tracking sorted that problem.
When cars go up in the air then back down, they will 9 times out of 10 settle straight, it's only when you move them that they go back to where they want to be, in your case, crooked.
See what it's like after the alignment, if it's still there then you have another problem.

 

The straightened wheel latter pic is after driving back home (certainly noticed it as they settled the car off the lift). I really expected it to toe out again driving home. It was all over the place driving, but tire still straight @ home. That's when I took the pic. Called Jaguar, explained the timeline of events, and outcome. They had never heard of this, had no recommendation or guidance as what could be happening. I'm baffled. I can understand odd handling with misalignment, but the greater concern is how loose the steering is while driving. The normally extremely tight steering wheel feel is gone. I turn the wheel several inches either way to feel resistance from steering.

 

Okay folks, here's what happened.
Took car to alignment folks this morning. Still makes me sick driving it there, feels like it's sliding left and right on the front end, steering is 1/8 to 1/4 turn before resistance is felt and response. Pulled into facility and heard sort of a dull thunk. Friend got out and watched as I turned wheel stop to stop. He motioned me out and pointed at the right tire, this is what we saw =



Note wheel/body lack of clearance.
Thunk was tire rubbing.
When the shop opened I related the above thread story to him and he came out to look at the "new" development. He asked me to rock the car forward and backwards as he looked from the side underneath. He said the rear of the control arm was moving in and out. I told him that would be impossible as it had a single bolt, through frame to the bracket on top w/a nut. He said the tire was moving from the picture above to fully to the front of the wheel well. Asked me to do it a third time and as doing it, he kicked the tire towards the engine compartment. It gave a very loud juddering, grinding sound when he kicked it. I said what the hell was that? He said I think the CV came loose. I crawled under the car and in addition to his supposition, the ball joint had fallen out as well. He said you must not have seated it properly. I disputed this as on installation we used a block of wood under the joint and a 2 pound hammer to drive it up with the satisfying bang when it seated. "Well, I'm telling you you didn't seat it properly. Okay, so I'm stupid and the rubber boot is touching the bottom of the assembly where it connects. Not going to argue.
Tech comes out to reinstall the ball joint. Fights it a bit, cannot get it to go back in. Finally gets a 2 1/2 ton jack and lifts the bar and there is the satisfying "SNAP" of it seating. He continues jacking and a second lower sounding snap occurs. Tightens it up, drives into bay, checks everything for loose, damage. Completes alignment.
I question the tech on my installation and discerned, the snap of seating I heard was the first portion of the ball joint. And what I seen with the lower boot touching (compressed a little bit) the assembly on the unit was NOT FULLY SEATED. The boot on the lower ball joint (bottom) is to the eye pretty much completely "smashed" flat when correctly installed and fully seated. All my fault on installation of the control arm.
Here's the downside of understanding and results. Steering is tight as a frog's butt again, tracks down the road straight and true with no drift.
BUT.....At speed (& particularly bad on acceleration) the car will shake you out of your seat. CV joint destroyed and having them replace the entire thing tomorrow. An expensive mistake and learning experience on my end.

 

Post alignment specs =

 

Sounds like a mixed blessing. On the one hand, having it drive straight and true must make it feel like a new car again. Then again, having to replace a CV must really suck. Then again, once it is all done all the bad will be forgotten, or at least moved further back in your mind. Enjoy!

 

CV replaced, Cat is back purring!! What a dumb mistake on my part (well kicking the messed up tire damaged the CV, but I installed the control arm wrong).

 

Glad to hear everything is now back to normal. Sounded like quite an ordeal start to finish.

Sounds like in hindsight this might be one of those things where they always say, "don't try this at home".