Steering pulls

[240 2NR]

OK, I thought I solved this last week, but at highway speeds the problem persists.  As of right now, with no effort on the wheel, my car pulls a bit left, the odd thing is that the wheel turns with it, so it is also about 3-5degrees off center.  Turning the wheel back to center seems to correct this and the car will once again drive straight, but it is really a pian in my arse.

Now I noticed this probelm only after I swapped wheels and tires.  On some 195/60/15 A/S tires, the car drives straight (or so I remember) but in my lower profile 225/45/16 kuhmos, the car exhibits this tendancy to try and oval race.  I swapped the driver's side tires front to back in hopes that maybe it was a tire pressure/size problem, but it's still there.  Then I tried adjusting the camber (driver's side was near zero, passenger side is around -2).  Now they are closer to even and the problem is a bit less, but still present.

Whatelse could it be?  It's not the brakes as far as I can tell as applying them doesn't change anything, and if one was dragging, due to the sporty pad, either the problem would get worse as one warms up, or it would pull more when stopping at tolls since one pad would be warm and the rest cold.

About all that's left that I can think of is caster.  But at the same time, if it was uneven, wouldn't the car no longer go straight on center?  Any ideas?

[importcargarage]

Chris, it sounds like a toe problem. It is made worse by the wider, lower profile tires. I set mine at 1/32 in of toe in. Make sure to also do the back.

Marty

[240 2NR]

What do you mean by toe?  Too much, too little?  My understanding is if I have too much to one side the car should still track straight, but the wheel will be turned a bit.  I still have a centered wheel when straight, but a pull left when no pressure is added.

[uiuc240]

<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='???'> &nbsp;No, if the toe is off, it can pull. &nbsp;The only time that toe doesn't matter is if it's EVEN on both sides. &nbsp;But if one wheel is toe'd more or less than another, it will pull. &nbsp;For instance, if your left wheel is slightly toe'd out, and the right is straight, it will pull to the left. &nbsp;Make sense? &nbsp;I'm going to take my car back to the alignment shop soon and have them check mine because it's doing the same thing. &nbsp;Except mine pulls hard right.

Eric

[240 2NR]

I think I understand what you're saying, but wouldn't that mean that when the wheel is straight, it would pull to whatever direction is toed out more?

[uiuc240]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (240 2NR @ Sep. 16 2002,1:06)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I think I understand what you're saying, but wouldn't that mean that when the wheel is straight, it would pull to whatever direction is toed out more?</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
Yes. &nbsp;Isn't that what it's doing?

...email me some crack or something because you must be smoking something good.

E-to the-R-I-C

[Danio]

Maybe the roads you drive on are sloped downward to the left. :p

[240 2NR]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (uiuc240 @ Sep. 16 2002,1:14)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"><!--QuoteBegin--240 2NR+Sep. 16 2002,1<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':0'></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (240 2NR @ Sep. 16 2002,1<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':0'>6)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I think I understand what you're saying, but wouldn't that mean that when the wheel is straight, it would pull to whatever direction is toed out more?</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
Yes. Isn't that what it's doing?

...email me some crack or something because you must be smoking something good.

E-to the-R-I-C</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
What I'm saying is when the wheel is centered/straight the car goes straight. &nbsp;When I let go, the wheel and the car go left. &nbsp;That's whay I'm confused. &nbsp;By all indication, the car is aligned, when it is steered straight, but it's off when I let go.

I know that the roads are graded to the side, which is why it's more pronounced in the left lane, and mild in the right lane.

[uiuc240]

Just because the wheels is "straight" doesn't mean that things are right. &nbsp;The car should track straight without any input from you...unless the road is "crowned" (the proper term for the natural arc of the roadway). &nbsp;In my car, when I let go, the wheel goes to the middle, but the car pulls right. &nbsp;Am I making sense? &nbsp;I'm just saying that just because the wheel is pointed straight ahead in your case, doesn't necessarily mean the wheels are set perfectly straight ahead. &nbsp;Did you ever actually get an alignment? &nbsp;I don't remember you doing that.

Eric