[CL9] Steering pull to left :(

[chuboy]

Hey guys, just posting because since I got my Euro a year ago I have been experiencing a slight pull to the left when driving.

At first I thought it was the worn tyres but when I changed them to new ones (different brand) the problem did not go away. I had a wheel alignment done and it seemed to reduce the severity of the pull for a while (may have been a placebo effect) but a few weeks later it came back. Yes the power steering hose recall has been done.

The pull is not really strong... but if say I am cruising on the highway (no road camber) and I let go of the wheel it will gradually drift out of the lane. To keep it straight I have to hold the steering wheel about one or two degrees clockwise.

Does anyone know what could be causing the problem and suggest a fix?

[y.vtech]

I got the same problem. I thought that was just how a front wheel drive car behaves. Im not really sure.

[HunterZero]

Hit any potholes while you owned the car? Any accident history to the car? Suspension mods?

Note that all Australian roads are cambered, even highways, to aid water runoff.

It's probably just the wheel alignment. Unfortunately, even though wheel alignment is something that's pretty commonly done, it's not uncommon for the alignement to not be done 100% correctly. If your alignment isn't set correctly for the camber of the road, you'll get uneven tire wear and pull left.

- HZ

[chuboy]

Before me it was strictly a highway cruiser and since I have owned it I don't remember hitting any potholes. I have been in two fender benders, one with a rabbit and one with a towbar at a roundabout at >10km/h. Either way the problem was around before then.

I still get pull on uncambered roads like car parks.

Suspension is all stock. I suppose it could have been the alignment although my mechanic told me the guy he sublets sussy work to has been in the business for 30+ years.

[HunterZero]

Suspension is all stock. I suppose it could have been the alignment although my mechanic told me the guy he sublets sussy work to has been in the business for 30+ years.

It's possible that the work was done by a less experienced employee. I'd get the alignment rechecked. While they are at it, get them to check for issues with suspension wear or minor suspension link damage that could affect alignment.

Check under the bonnet and in the boot for any signs of repair, eg overspray or edges of respray work, or mismatched paint.

If the car has always pulled left since you got the car, I'd be unfortunately inclined to suspect it's a possibility that the car had been in an accident before you got it. That may be the reason why the previous owner offloaded it.

Good luck, hope it was just a dodgy alignment.

- HZ

[HuyT]

I had the same problem, I thought i just needed to go and get the wheels realigned =/

[chuboy]

It's possible that the work was done by a less experienced employee. I'd get the alignment rechecked. While they are at it, get them to check for issues with suspension wear or minor suspension link damage that could affect alignment.

Check under the bonnet and in the boot for any signs of repair, eg overspray or edges of respray work, or mismatched paint.

If the car has always pulled left since you got the car, I'd be unfortunately inclined to suspect it's a possibility that the car had been in an accident before you got it. That may be the reason why the previous owner offloaded it.

Good luck, hope it was just a dodgy alignment.

- HZ
I would be inclined to think dodgy owner also if it were for the fact that it was owned by my aunt/grandma from new before it was sold to my dad and 'lent' to me while I study :p The only thing wrong with the car when I got it was worn tyres and a chip in the windscreen.

I will take it to the mechanic for an oil change in a few thousand k's and see if they can double-check the alignment. The mechanics themselves are A1, they don't bullshit and I'm satisfied if they trust the guy who does the alignments. I don't know if he had an apprentice, in fact I recall they mentioned that the owner did my car personally because he had some harsh words to say about my generic Roadstone tyres XD

I talked to them about the problem at the last service and they said other than alignment they couldn't think of anything that would cause tracking like that, other than road camber (this was after they had checked over the whole vehicle and noted wear in bush bearings etc).

Who knows I guess :confused:

[Fredoops]

I would be inclined to think dodgy owner also if it were for the fact that it was owned by my aunt/grandma from new before it was sold to my dad and 'lent' to me while I study :p The only thing wrong with the car when I got it was worn tyres and a chip in the windscreen.

I will take it to the mechanic for an oil change in a few thousand k's and see if they can double-check the alignment. The mechanics themselves are A1, they don't bullshit and I'm satisfied if they trust the guy who does the alignments. I don't know if he had an apprentice, in fact I recall they mentioned that the owner did my car personally because he had some harsh words to say about my generic Roadstone tyres XD

I talked to them about the problem at the last service and they said other than alignment they couldn't think of anything that would cause tracking like that, other than road camber (this was after they had checked over the whole vehicle and noted wear in bush bearings etc).

Who knows I guess :confused:

Roadstone is Nexen, N7000 is pretty good actually

[HunterZero]

I would be inclined to think dodgy owner also if it were for the fact that it was owned by my aunt/grandma from new before it was sold to my dad and 'lent' to me while I study :p The only thing wrong with the car when I got it was worn tyres and a chip in the windscreen.

It's good that you know the ownership history, but even though it has been in the family, it's still possible it had a minor accident and repairs that you don't know about, or they hit a kerb or a pothole in it that put the alignment out.

When I got my first car from my grandmother's sister, I was told that it hadn't been in an accident. Then I discovered a huge amount of bog in the front left guard...

The mechanics will probably take a more thorough look now that they know what they did last time didn't permanently fix the problem.

- HZ

[chuboy]

It's just come back from a thorough service, I spoke to the mechanics about the problem and they were quite concerned that the alignment was done wrong, they sent it to be double-checked and the owner of the place (a suspension specialist) said it was spot on and that the issues would probably go away if I put a good set of tyres on. I have Roadstone N2000 which he has twice said are average at best.

Although I'm sure I remember having the same issue when the OEM Dunlops were still on there.

Interestingly the mechanic also noticed some feathering on the front tyres which are consistent with a left pull... now they have always been pumped to 35psi and the wheel alignment is sweet, so it must just be the tyres combined with the FWD...

[senna]

I would be looking at the caster bushes on the front lower control arms. Replace these with offset units and with a good alignment your problem should be gone

[dale_s15]

I had a similar problem with both my Euro's. When i took the old one in for an alignment they told me its just how the Euro's are.. and because they were across the road from the Northside Honda dealership they said that Honda brings all the cars over to them to do the alignments etc and they've seen it quite a lot.

Must just be a Euro thing??

[HunterZero]

Might be a dodgy tyre? My wife's car had a nasty pull to the right on her second set of front tyres (Continentals) until those front tyres wore out and she had them changed to her third set. Afterwards the car was fine, so I suspect an issue with one of the tyres.

- HZ

[ergot]

you gotta remember that most australian roads are cambered which means its sort of leaning towards the left for the rain water. hope that helps. happens on my euro too did alignment but still the same