My car used to always pull to left and had to hold steering wheel at an angle (to the right) to drive in a straight line. I took the car to a garage to get the tracking/wheel alignment checked out and was told that one of my front tires was out of shape. I had two new tires put on the front and had them balanced, aligned and tracking was done. When I took the car out it was pulling slightly to the right, and had to hold the steering wheel slightly to the left to go straight. This is the opposite from before. I took it straight back and got them to re-check tracking etc and no change. They checked the suspension bushes and lower arms but all seemed fine.
Any ideas of what could be causing this problem?
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 14/09/2009 at 13:54
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Be careful to distinguish genuine pulling from a simply mis-aligned steering wheel.
It sounds like the steering wheel itself wasn't properly centred when the tracking was checked and adjusted. If so, take it back, and get them to let out one side, and take the other in the same amount - so, the tracking doesn't change, but, the steering wheel will line up again. Don't allow anyone to take the steering wheel off and move it round on the splines - that's a massive bodge.
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Thanks for reply,
I took it back after it was first done and got them to check the steering wheel was perfectly aligned and i checked it myself. If the steering wheel is dead centre and they adjust so that both sides line up the same shouldn't the car go in a straight line with the steering wheel in the middle?
If it doesn't work is it ok to offset the tracking (let out one side, and take the other in the same amount) to account for it?
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Don't allow anyone to take the steering wheel off and move it round on the splines
I think anyone trying this with an airbag fitted may have a small problem ...
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>>shouldn't the car go in a straight line with the steering wheel in the middle?
Ideally, yes. There may be errors in the other angles of the front wheels, perhaps camber or castor, and the rear wheels may also be misaligned.
Happily, I've avoided most French cars, and so, I don't know the details of the suspension, but, many Pugs have problems with a bearing on the rear axle failing and making the rear wheels adopt very strange angles.
>>I think anyone trying this with an airbag fitted may have a small problem ...
I'm afraid the presence of an airbag does not deter the ardent bodger! They usually aren't held in with many fasteners
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My 2001 Hdi was pulling to the left after one garage said they had aligned it. I took it back to them and they checked it again and showed me the steering wheel was in the middle and the lasers seemed ok, and they explained why they thought they were right, but then i am not a tracking expert.
Another garage (who i trust a lot more than the first) told me the tracking was out and reset it, but then on the test drive it was still pulling. So they then set the wheels dead inline and dead straight ahead and it was much better! The Pug standard is to have the front wheel pointing the nearside curb slightly, but if you can get the garage to ignore this then all may be well.
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