# Strut/tire rub



## Thrashed (Dec 16, 2004)

Well, just finished throwing on a new set of tires and getting a four wheel alignment at 15k miles. Noticeable mark on both front struts from tire rub and the toe was way out on the left and the camber way out on the right. Guys, if you've had this same problem as many of us have, please call the complaint line in your owner's manual and tell Pontiac. The guy told me that I was the first to file a complaint about this issue. I know it's kind of widespread, so please call them. They need to issue a recall about this problem before someone's tires blow out on them on the highway. That, and I want to be reimbursed for the $900 I just spent fixing this problem!


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## J.E.T. (Sep 30, 2005)

Thrashed said:


> Well, just finished throwing on a new set of tires and getting a four wheel alignment at 15k miles. Noticeable mark on both front struts from tire rub and the toe was way out on the left and the camber way out on the right. Guys, if you've had this same problem as many of us have, please call the complaint line in your owner's manual and tell Pontiac. The guy told me that I was the first to file a complaint about this issue. I know it's kind of widespread, so please call them. They need to issue a recall about this problem before someone's tires blow out on them on the highway. That, and I want to be reimbursed for the $900 I just spent fixing this problem!


The problem is well known, don't let 'em bull**** you. Demand a partial payment for your new tires. You got 15K out them which is not too bad but I know others who ran them nearly 25K miles, of course they didn't have a strut rub issue like you did for some reason. I changed my tires out after just 4K miles because I didn't care for the stock snow tires. Went with the new Goodyear F1's. My shop saw a slight strut rub on the passenger front and shimmed it out for me. Go back to the dealership with all your receipts in hand and ask to speak to the manager/owner of the dealership, not the service manager, he'll just jack you around.

JET


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## Jeffs386 (Nov 1, 2005)

its all part of the BS denial procedure.........when I called about the paint problem on my car the person I spoke with said it was the first time she had heard of this even though I eventually found a TSB about the problem


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## Thrashed (Dec 16, 2004)

Just by coincidence, I'm taking it in today for the paint peeling off of the passenger side rocker panel! I love this car, but some of the little problems are getting old!


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## QSGTO (Nov 21, 2005)

I am an alignment tech and suggest that you have the camber raised to 0 degrees during an alignment. This will stop the strut rub issue and the inner tire wear issue on the front. As for the rear camber, I hear that pedders has a rear camber adjuster, but I don't know anything about it. I am going to order one to see if it will help. Since the caster is so high, the wheels lean way out on turns like a Mercedes and causes the tires to chop pretty bad. I would suggest rotating your tires every 3K miles instead od the standard 6K miles.:seeya:


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## rwilson831 (Aug 23, 2004)

I just got my car back from one of the dealerships here in vegas. I just put new tires on at 20,000 and noticed the same damage on all the tires on the inside. That is the only reason I had to get new tires. So I spent almost 800 dollars on yokohamas, no problem but both of them rub on the struts in the front. I immediately drive to the dealership and leave it there. The next day my service rep calls me and tells me that they have to file down my struts and do an alignment to my car. I say ok, he says that will be $270. I said, I am being charged? He says his hands are tied and that his service manager says it is my problem. I said I will be right up there to speak with him.
When I show up they are waiting for me at the door. As we are walking back to the car my rep is trying to tell me why they won't cover it. I told them it is a manufacturing problem and that I am not the first one to have this problem. The service manager says he never heard of it. I told him "on the internet you can see that this is a big problem." He yells back at me "I don't care about the internet!" I begin yelling at him about how much i have paid for this car and how much b. s. this is. He tells me that i never complained about the alignment before. I corrected him and told him that I mentioned on my second oil change. He say if that is the case then that changes things. We go in his office and he looks up the service reps notes. We all see plain as day that he typed "customer complains of car pulling to left". I ask him if that counts? He walks out of his office and won't even look at me. My rep tells me to leave it there and they will call me. They call me back in a half hour. They told me to come back. I went back and they had a 2006 GTO there with the wheel off. They put it on my car and showed me that the wheel from the new car did not rub when they spun it. They told me either the tires are too big or the rims are bent. I said well the tires are the same specs, and I don't believe that all four rims are bent. He puts my wheel back on and my wheel doesen't rub either. I said what did you do? He says I don't know, thats weird yours doesen't rub either. The tech tells me my only solution is to get new rims, and or a different brand of tires. 
After all this they first wanted to grind down my struts and do an alignment on my car, then it is the tires (even though they are the same specs) are too big, or my rims are bent. Either case they pulled out every stop to weasle out of fixing my problem. My wheels still rub and I am taking it to another dealer in town. I have an appointment and they told me it will be no problem. I hope so. I am so upset with this situation I can't see straight. Let you know how it goes.


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## adearmas2 (Jan 2, 2006)

rwilson831 said:


> I just got my car back from one of the dealerships here in vegas. I just put new tires on at 20,000 and noticed the same damage on all the tires on the inside. That is the only reason I had to get new tires. So I spent almost 800 dollars on yokohamas, no problem but both of them rub on the struts in the front. I immediately drive to the dealership and leave it there. The next day my service rep calls me and tells me that they have to file down my struts and do an alignment to my car. I say ok, he says that will be $270. I said, I am being charged? He says his hands are tied and that his service manager says it is my problem. I said I will be right up there to speak with him.
> When I show up they are waiting for me at the door. As we are walking back to the car my rep is trying to tell me why they won't cover it. I told them it is a manufacturing problem and that I am not the first one to have this problem. The service manager says he never heard of it. I told him "on the internet you can see that this is a big problem." He yells back at me "I don't care about the internet!" I begin yelling at him about how much i have paid for this car and how much b. s. this is. He tells me that i never complained about the alignment before. I corrected him and told him that I mentioned on my second oil change. He say if that is the case then that changes things. We go in his office and he looks up the service reps notes. We all see plain as day that he typed "customer complains of car pulling to left". I ask him if that counts? He walks out of his office and won't even look at me. My rep tells me to leave it there and they will call me. They call me back in a half hour. They told me to come back. I went back and they had a 2006 GTO there with the wheel off. They put it on my car and showed me that the wheel from the new car did not rub when they spun it. They told me either the tires are too big or the rims are bent. I said well the tires are the same specs, and I don't believe that all four rims are bent. He puts my wheel back on and my wheel doesen't rub either. I said what did you do? He says I don't know, thats weird yours doesen't rub either. The tech tells me my only solution is to get new rims, and or a different brand of tires.
> After all this they first wanted to grind down my struts and do an alignment on my car, then it is the tires (even though they are the same specs) are too big, or my rims are bent. Either case they pulled out every stop to weasle out of fixing my problem. My wheels still rub and I am taking it to another dealer in town. I have an appointment and they told me it will be no problem. I hope so. I am so upset with this situation I can't see straight. Let you know how it goes.


You are not alone both in having the strut rub and GM's unwillingness to admit they have a problem.

These cars came with alignment problems. These cars were designed for 235/45/17 tires and they placed 245's for better weight management coming into the US market. Worst of all, your basic, real and worst problem is that no matter what you do the OEM wheel offset is just plain wrong. Moreover, the strut housing has a welding ring around its 2/3ds height which protrudes into your tire sidewall, most difficult to avoid whatever you do. This portion of the weld can trimmed with a dremmel at the contact point and repaint.

We all have the same problem and the solution can be as simple as a regular wheel alignment to bring you front camber around -.3 and test if you get rid of strut rub. You may go a step further and go for suspension upgrades.

I went to my daler and got the same runaround the bush deal. I thanked the service manager and walked away to solve this problem on my own. Other than that what can you really do short of plastic nose surgery. This problem could cost your life. It is a serious issue which you must resolve inmediately. 

Good luck.


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## QSGTO (Nov 21, 2005)

Dude, I'm telling you, bring the camber to 0.0 degrees and it will never rub again and it won't wear as much on the inside edges of the tread. I am an alignment tech and a mechanic. I know what I am talking about.


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## TexasAggie (Mar 2, 2005)

QSGTO said:


> Dude, I'm telling you, bring the camber to 0.0 degrees and it will never rub again and it won't wear as much on the inside edges of the tread. I am an alignment tech and a mechanic. I know what I am talking about.


That's an interesting suggestion. Why would the techs at the dealership not simply do this?


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## S2kracka (Mar 13, 2006)

With 0.0 camber the car will handle much worse. Your turn-in and grip will be negatively affected.


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## S2kracka (Mar 13, 2006)

QSGTO said:


> Dude, I'm telling you, bring the camber to 0.0 degrees and it will never rub again and it won't wear as much on the inside edges of the tread. I am an alignment tech and a mechanic. I know what I am talking about.


0.0 camber may fix the rubbing issue, but the handling of the car will go downhill.


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