Shocks, struts, control-arm bushings, tie rods, and sway-bar links are common mobile jobs. If the car still pulls after the parts are replaced, that next step belongs in a shop with a rack. We will say so. We do not do alignments.
If a ball joint is play-dangerous, we will not send you down I-4. Safety comes before convenience.
Sounds and what they usually mean
A clunk over bumps is often a link, a mount, or a bushing. Wandering steering can be a worn tie rod. Uneven tire wear can be a suspension part, not a bad tire. Those are general clues, not a diagnosis from a paragraph. We inspect each corner on the car.
The common driveway jobs are shocks, struts, control-arm bushings, tie rods, and sway-bar links. We torque to spec. If a ball joint has dangerous play, we will not send you down the highway. If the car needs an alignment after the parts are replaced, we tell you to get one at a shop. We do not do alignments.
A noise that only happens over one style of bump is still worth measuring. We do not replace a whole corner because one side clunked. You get the corner we actually found loose, and you approve it before we start.
After the parts are in, the car can still pull if the alignment was already off, or if it went off when the old parts were worn. That next step is a shop with a rack. We say that in the driveway, not after you have paid for parts you did not need.
We inspect each corner before we name a part. A clunk on one side does not mean the other side is worn, and uneven tire wear is a clue, not a diagnosis from the driveway photos. You see what moved and what did not, and you approve the corner before we start.
Torque to spec is part of the job. A link or a strut left loose makes a new noise and can be unsafe. If a ball joint has dangerous play, we will not send you down the road on it. If the leak is in the steering rack, or the car needs an alignment after the parts are replaced, we stop. We do not do alignments.
The driveway jobs we actually do are shocks, struts, control-arm bushings, tie rods, and sway-bar links. We inspect the corner, show you the play, and quote that part. We do not sell an alignment, and we do not tell you a clunk will go away if you only get the tires balanced.
Questions about this job
Do you do wheel alignments?
No. That is not a driveway job. We replace the worn parts here. If the car still needs a rack after that, we will tell you.
Related services
FD Auto Solutions is a mobile mechanic in Orlando.
