Rep Power: 0

I tried to take in my 93 Si for an alignment because when I go over 40 it'll shake bad. I even had new rotors on. But then the guys said that they wouldn't be able to change the alignment in the back because it probably had gotten into an accident before & couldn't work on it, so that I would have to get a whole new suspension. I'm all new to this, so what exactly what would I need to get?

Thanks.

 
Rep Power: 811

well first off, alignment issues do not cause shaking at certain speeds. thats due to a bad wheel balance. as for not being able to align the car, it can be a bunch of things but usually alignment related parts are control arms, tie rods, possibly shocks. a bad alignment means the wheels are not facing straight ahead and this can cause the car to wander left or right instead of driving straight. thats all alignment has to do with. unless you have a serious problem like the wheels are visibly sideways, it will not affect vibration. and im guessing since the car can drive 40mph, its not a serious issue.

 
Rep Power: 187

Since the car can only drive 40 mph, has a bad shake, and was in an accident, I would say the rear suspension has a very serious problem and you should NOT drive it until you get a better estimate to fix it.

If the alignment shop you took it to could not replace a few basic parts to fix the problem, you must have some pretty bad damage, or improperly repaired damage, which requires repair skills and tools beyond what they had available. It could be such a mess, they don't even want to touch it.

It could be several different things, including the possibility of a major suspension component breaking and causing an accident.

If you have a jack AND JACK STANDS, jack the rear wheels up off the ground and pull and yank on the tires and different suspension struts. I'll bet you will find something very loose. I also highly recommend you do this with someone who has a lot of experience with suspension. It could be dangerous.

 
Rep Power: 284

I'm going to sum this thread up.

Needing to replace your entire suspension is bizarre, if it were truly that bad then the car would likely not be drivable at all. Go to another shop, that can at least tell you what the specific damage is and re-access at that point. Bad ball joints can cause the steering wheel to shake a bit.

 
Rep Power: 216

Don't forget them tie rod ends. I'm leaning towards what mindbomber and GB are saying. The wheel balancing is often neglected and this ends up happening.

 
Rep Power: 312

Take it to a different shop