Car pulling left - even after alignment

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6614 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1872870 26-Sep-2017 09:26

tehgerbil:

Aren't cars designed to gently pull to the left due to the camber of the road? A road is not straight, it slopes gently for rainwater run off. If your wheels are straight, it will follow the road sloping left, so will slope to the left.

LHD cars are designed to naturally pull to the left in the case drivers fall asleep as well. I put my money on bushings. Those alignment figures could have been Dialed in a lot better.

At 100KPH on a flat road how much play do you have in the steering? In my car I went from 2.5 inches either way to 10mm after a suspension overhaul. It also didn't send me flying across the road when I hit a rough patch!

Coil

6614 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1872874 26-Sep-2017 09:28

Paul1977:

Toyota Mark X with 215/60R16 tyres. So not low profile tyres, or a particularly low ride height.

A lot of posters still suggesting that the road camber is the likely cause, but I have ruled this out by driving on a few roads dead on the crown.

Lots of good advice here though, so I have a few things to look at.

As I mentioned some posts back, it is due for it's yearly service in about a month which will be a good opportunity to get them to check many of the possibilities that have been suggested.

I'm not fighting the steering wheel trying to keep it on the road or anything, just one of those things that once you notice is very hard to unnotice!

Make sure you note for the mechanics to check all bushings and balljoints in the front end. As with tie rod ends and the rack. For all you know the rack could be shot.
I doubt a brake would be dragging or a bearing fault.

Paul1977

5039 posts

Uber Geek

#1872941 26-Sep-2017 10:37

Coil:

LHD cars are designed to naturally pull to the left in the case drivers fall asleep as well. I put my money on bushings. Those alignment figures could have been Dialed in a lot better.

At 100KPH on a flat road how much play do you have in the steering? In my car I went from 2.5 inches either way to 10mm after a suspension overhaul. It also didn't send me flying across the road when I hit a rough patch!

Is "play" how much you can move the wheel with the car actually doing anything?

Coil

6614 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1872944 26-Sep-2017 10:41

Paul1977:

Coil:

LHD cars are designed to naturally pull to the left in the case drivers fall asleep as well. I put my money on bushings. Those alignment figures could have been Dialed in a lot better.

At 100KPH on a flat road how much play do you have in the steering? In my car I went from 2.5 inches either way to 10mm after a suspension overhaul. It also didn't send me flying across the road when I hit a rough patch!

Is "play" how much you can move the wheel with the car actually doing anything?

Correct, So i could get about 2.5 inches side to side or 1.25 inches from centre without the car reacting at all.

Paul1977

5039 posts

Uber Geek

#1872949 26-Sep-2017 10:49

Coil:

Correct, So i could get about 2.5 inches side to side or 1.25 inches from centre without the car reacting at all.

I don't think there's much play, but will have to check next time I drive it.

Coil

6614 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1872951 26-Sep-2017 10:52

Paul1977:

Coil:

Correct, So i could get about 2.5 inches side to side or 1.25 inches from centre without the car reacting at all.

I don't think there's much play, but will have to check next time I drive it.

Do so! It may not indicate unevenly worn suspension easily but one good thing to check. Don't become like me and sit there paranoid as heck constantly checking the rotational play.

Generally the left side of the vehicle wears faster than the right. Due to people cornering harder around a right hand bend and the road surface being a lot worse on average on the near side.
Wouldn't surprise me if you have a flogged ball joint just on that one side.
Whats your tire wear like?

Paul1977

5039 posts

Uber Geek

#1872959 26-Sep-2017 10:57

Coil:

Do so! It may not indicate unevenly worn suspension easily but one good thing to check. Don't become like me and sit there paranoid as heck constantly checking the rotational play.

Generally the left side of the vehicle wears faster than the right. Due to people cornering harder around a right hand bend and the road surface being a lot worse on average on the near side.
Wouldn't surprise me if you have a flogged ball joint just on that one side.
Whats your tire wear like?

I think it's pretty even, but those tyres have only been on the front for 2 months after the last rotation. I'll have a check of the backs when I get a chance (which had been on the front for the previous year).

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Coil

6614 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1872965 26-Sep-2017 11:05

Paul1977:

Coil:

Do so! It may not indicate unevenly worn suspension easily but one good thing to check. Don't become like me and sit there paranoid as heck constantly checking the rotational play.

Generally the left side of the vehicle wears faster than the right. Due to people cornering harder around a right hand bend and the road surface being a lot worse on average on the near side.
Wouldn't surprise me if you have a flogged ball joint just on that one side.
Whats your tire wear like?

I think it's pretty even, but those tyres have only been on the front for 2 months after the last rotation. I'll have a check of the backs when I get a chance (which had been on the front for the previous year).

My destroyed front end worn out 2 brand new tires 50% more on the insides over 6000 KM than outsides. Need to replace them soon. But you may see slight scrubbing.
Like this:

1cloud

164 posts

Master Geek

#1873047 26-Sep-2017 13:04

Paul1977:

Toyota Mark X with 215/60R16 tyres. So not low profile tyres, or a particularly low ride height.

brand of the tyres ?

Coil

6614 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1873048 26-Sep-2017 13:06

1cloud:

Paul1977:

Toyota Mark X with 215/60R16 tyres. So not low profile tyres, or a particularly low ride height.

brand of the tyres ?

You just jogged my memory, thank you! I recall OP said the tires were all the same brand.

Just double check OP that you do not have a directional tire on that same side or axle as an asymmetric.

Paul1977

5039 posts

Uber Geek

#1873068 26-Sep-2017 13:53

Bridgestone Turanza Serenity Plus.

They are asymmetrical, but not directional.

Coil

6614 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1873070 26-Sep-2017 14:08

Paul1977:

Bridgestone Turanza Serenity Plus.

They are asymmetrical, but not directional.

Just make sure all of them are orientated the correct way. As these have an outside and inside edge.
Otherwise, Book in with your mechanic. If you are based on the North Shore of Auckland then i strongly recommend Causeway Motors on barrys point road. I wont give an essay why but as someone with an automotive background and quite the petrol head i can not go past them.

tdgeek

29740 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1873079 26-Sep-2017 14:30

xpd:

I can usually take my hands off the wheel and the car will ever so slightly drift across to the left. All my cars been like this. If its doing it within 50m, I'd be slightly concerned. Could be somehting other than alignment causing it too, such as suspension.

NZ road camber? Or do they dial that out, but camber would vary?

Coil

6614 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1873084 26-Sep-2017 14:37

tdgeek:

xpd:

I can usually take my hands off the wheel and the car will ever so slightly drift across to the left. All my cars been like this. If its doing it within 50m, I'd be slightly concerned. Could be somehting other than alignment causing it too, such as suspension.

NZ road camber? Or do they dial that out, but camber would vary?

The alignment is always to factory specification which is generally symmetrical, Never is the road surface taken into account for alignment unless its a dirt track car :)

Higher end performance cars with custom parts or aftermarket will have their own set alignment figures but thats for anyone to argue whats the best..

dacraka

766 posts

Ultimate Geek

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#1873140 26-Sep-2017 14:56

I've gone to get many alignments over the years and all of them except one have done a good job (always noticed the wheel was not straight after alignment was supposedly done). Hyper Drive are the only ones that do a good job from multiple experiences.

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