jhp012

Hi all,

Had some crazy winter this year in NJ and went thorugh several potholes. Am curious as if anyone knows how strong these g37xs are with potholes?

Seems like the car maybe driving a lil different but it can be all in my head!

btw, I have an 2010 G37xs with 18s (lil less rubber prolly then 17s) for more info.

Wondering if I should get an alignment done? then again I here they never get to factory spec anyways and its seems all eyeballed at the mechanic.

and INFINITI prolly charges an arm and a leg if anything., Dunno how well they will do it?

All input will be appreciated. Thanks!

TheIvoryG

iTrader: (3)

I get an alignment about every year(probably more like 12-18 months in reality)even if my car isn't pulling. Don't go to Infiniti though, save money and find a reputable alignment shop. I even have a Les Schwaab that does a good job through proven results.

If you have a shop that is eyeballing alignments, go somewhere else. If you aren't modified, and they can't get within spec, go somewhere else. Both are examples of poor work.

Long story short though, potholes can definitely throw your alignment off.

BLKG37X

iTrader: (-1)

Potholes can definitely throw your alignment off. However, nothing's as good as your original factory alignment, so I wouldn't mess with it unless there was a problem:
- The car pulls to the left or to the right at cruising or braking
- Noticable increase in body roll on turns
- Noticable increase in tire noise or tire squeal
- Increased vibration or shaking of the steering wheel at high speeds (the wheel shouldn't shake much even at 100+mph, if it does then something's off)

To check all of that, drive fast on a straight road that doesn't tilt, and see how the car behaves, just make sure you have an even air pressure in all 4 tires.

On my previous cars I've done many alignments and it was never perferct. The steering wheel was always a bit crooked, the car would sometimes pull to one side, even though the alignment machine showed almost 0.0 angle for each tire.

So don't fix it if it ain't broke

HappyG

If your car is less than 1 year old and less than 12,000 miles on it, you could get a free alignment at Infiniti dealer. Of course, I"m assuming you didn't mod your car such that it affected your alignment.

chuckie311

iTrader: (3)

should have it checked at least once a year

TinsleyC

I used to get mine done when I replaced the tires. I don't recommend you go that long...

Firestone shops (at least in the Dallas area) offer a lifetime alignment for something like $150. I recall it being just under the cost of two alignments. With that, you can take it in whenever you want to get it checked or aligned. I did that on my previous car (Honda Pilot) and it was well worth it.

I haven't had my G done yet - I'm at about 17K miles but don't recall hitting any BAD potholes... yet. I estimate my factory tires will go to 25-28k, so I may wait until then.

As BLKG37X said, you don't have to unless something has gone wrong. But, you can add more miles to your tires by doing so. I would add uneven tire wear to BLKG37X's list.

My Pilot wore through the first 2 sets of tires getting 22-24K on each set, but it drove fine. I never noticed it pull or drive funny. I had 30k on the set of tires with tread left when I sold the car - after keeping it aligned. Before those tires (when I bought the lifetime alignment), the guy at Firestone had me run my hand across the tire in the direction of travel and it was smooth - pulled it the opposite way and it was like dragging my hand across sandpaper. I think that's feathering. It wore my nice Geolanders to nothing!

With G tires costing a LOT, a $150 lifetime alignment pays for itself in avoiding premature wear.

spect2k

How do you have it checked? Short of tire wear, I've never heard of a dealer or local shop that is able to determine your alignment without putting it on the machine (which is just as expensive as having the alignment done - unless that's what you meant)

Hapa DC5

iTrader: (1)

Checked/done I assume. Tires can feather, wear unevenly etc.

bitNine

I happened to run across this video while researching my G37. Dude's airbags went off when he hit a pothole, however it also ruined his tire and wheel.

YouTube - 2009 Infiniti G37 Airbag Defect - Bad Customer Service

stratos

^ He was doing ok with his little video up to the point he started talking about BMW's customer service. I'm sure BMW will take care of a similar situation, no problem. LOL

My money is that he's trying to scam Infiniti to pay for his "accident".
Good luck to him.

Almatti

jhp: I hit a pothole at 50 or so on the Major Deagen, Cursed so LOUD that my poor dead Momma could hear me ....BUT to the G's credit, she drives straight as an arrow - no drifiting, no other than normal tire noise {the RSAs are only so -so). I will keep an eye on it for uneven wear, but I rortate my tires religiuosly every 5k miles. If it Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It.... that's the mantra from many old mechanics. I will say , the catch word is "old" - the modern cars with Aluminum composite rims can bend easily and the tire can go out of balance easily as well - that will cause both feathering and uneven tire wear in conjunction with poor wheel alignment.