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Pulling to the left
My car has started pulling to the left, ever since I went to get my wheel alignment checked and he f***** it up, "one of his gauges wasn't in properly" or something another. I've been to a four wheel laser alignment since, and it's not fixed the problem whatsoever. Recently went through an MOT, and it said "steering wheel has slight play" could this be the problem? People recommended a pinch bolt to fix this problem, but wasn't 100% sure what I was looking for!
when does the car pull to the left??
try driving on a straight flat piece of road and when safe to do so
take your hands off the steering wheel and see if it pulls to the left then
it could be the camber of the road and now that your wheel alignment has been completed and is correct - you may notice it more ??
with regards to the play in the steering - i would take it back to the mot testing station and ask them to clarify the diagnosis as when the testers used to manually write the advisories down they could be precise - now they have a selection of options that they can pick so its slightly more hit and miss- at least if they tell you the exact area where the problem lies you can get it sorted corretly - rather than tweaking the pinch bolt on the rack when the free play could be on a track rod arm
regards
Dez
0-Large smile ......every time it's driven
where the colum uj meets the rack under the bonnet their is a 13mm pinch bolt that works its way loose and gets crud in it. take the bolt out clean the shaft and uj then refit the bolt tight
I notice it on roads with a straight grade/without a camber, I let go of the steering wheel and it pulls left, or when I align the steering wheel central, it also pulls left! He's mates with my dad the MOT fella, so i'll get him to ring up and see exactly what the problem was!Originally Posted by deztroyer
when does the car pull to the left??
try driving on a straight flat piece of road and when safe to do so
take your hands off the steering wheel and see if it pulls to the left then
it could be the camber of the road and now that your wheel alignment has been completed and is correct - you may notice it more ??
with regards to the play in the steering - i would take it back to the mot testing station and ask them to clarify the diagnosis as when the testers used to manually write the advisories down they could be precise - now they have a selection of options that they can pick so its slightly more hit and miss
regards
Dez
People say it's inside the car, some say it's under the bonnetbut yeah I think i'm gonna take it to the MOT place first like Dez said, before I start messing with the pinch bolt. Thanks for the advice anyway guys!
It's rare to find a road without camber, even what looks like level and flat often isn't
I have managed to find one such road several miles away
The sign this is completely level is when it rains, as even with light rain it becomes like swimming pool!
Most UK cars will feel like they are pulling or driving to the left
You can recheck this by driving in the "wrong" lane, and if the car still pulls the left then you know the toe setting is incorrect
Quite often it can take two or more trips
Be specific when you get front wheel alignment done
Watch that the steering wheel is completely level when they fit the clasp
Equally, the engine should be running throughout (as the Vectra has power steering)
My car is very camber sensitive after fitting 18" wheels. I have stretched extra load (thicker side wall) tyres on which have virtually no give in them, and now mine pulls to the left, but if you drive on the opposite side of the road (when its safe to do so!!!!) it will pull to the right. It is also very affected by the white lines!
As far as I know this can be a common problem when fiting big wheels with lower profile tyres...
4 wheel laser alignment isn't the same as a full geoemetry set up. Some bed time reading http://www.wheels-inmotion.co.uk/tec...ignsystems.php. Might also be of interest to others with a pulling issue.
A full global set up "might" cure your pulling.
My dad recommended a full geometry check, what sorta money am I looking to spend on one of those?
Approx £60-80.
In my experience, knowing the basics of global geoemetry is a must BEFORE you take it to a place that claims they can do it. There are many, many garages that have the necessary equipemnt (Hunter or equivalent), to do the work but what most lack is the expertise and knowledge. There are people like Tony Bones at Wheels in Motion scattered around the county but you need to find them, usually by customer recommendation. A good rule of thumb is to find garages that set up track day cars, specials or exotica. Oh, and be prepared to travel to find a good un.
So, do your homework, ask the right questions, understand what you want from the garage and what your expectations are. Forearmed is forewarned.
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