sccmoore

Was pulling out of a parking lot the other day with my S3 and hit a curb with the rear passenger side wheel. Took a tiny chunk out of the rim. I wasn't going fast at all, probably under 5 MPH. The weird thing is that now my steering wheel is off center and the rear wheel on the other side looks like it's crooked. Did I really f*** it up or what? Why would the other side be damaged?

kapitanemo

Hm, I would confirm if the other wheel is indeed crooked; take a closer look or use a true edge to compare it to. I don't see why it would deform unless there is something it hit that you can't recall because you are fixated on the memory of hitting the curb?

As for the steering wheel being off center, that could have also been the case before the incident? Also a little unlikely your steering would get affected... unless by mounting the curb your vehicle's body was 'thrown' and it put undue force on the steering parts; but you said it wasn't fast right?

arU4ic

Sounds like you threw-off your alignment, threw-off Toe in the rear on one side that would def push the car forcing the steering to compensate.

Have someone drive behind you in a straight line a see its aligned front to back... well.. or take to a shop.

sccmoore

No, definitely didn't hit anything else and I definitely wasn't going fast at all. And I know the steering wheel wasn't off before that because it's annoying me so much now--I would have noticed it.

kapitanemo

Ah then I think what arU4ic said probably better diagnoses what is going on.

I wonder if in general quattro causes the re-alignment to be less straightforward than it typically is at a garden-variety tire shop...