Had an Alignment, still pulls to the right.
11-05-2008, 12:31 PM
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Had an Alignment, still pulls to the right. Ok guys, Had my alignment done since I got new tires and it pulled to the right, and it still pulls to the right. I'm thinking I might have a right caliper locking up and rubbing causing a slight pull. Any advice will be great. Here are the specs from the paper they gave me.
Before:
L Caster: 5.4* L Camber: -0.4* L Toe: -2.15*
R Caster: 5.6* R Camber: 0.3* R Toe: 1.35*
Total Toe: - 0.80*
After:
L Caster: 5.3* L Camber: 0.0* L Toe: -0.05*
R Caster: 5.3* R Camber: 0.4* R Toe: 0.05*
Total Toe: 0.00*
Before:
L Caster: 5.4* L Camber: -0.4* L Toe: -2.15*
R Caster: 5.6* R Camber: 0.3* R Toe: 1.35*
Total Toe: - 0.80*
After:
L Caster: 5.3* L Camber: 0.0* L Toe: -0.05*
R Caster: 5.3* R Camber: 0.4* R Toe: 0.05*
Total Toe: 0.00*
11-05-2008, 12:39 PM
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You sure its not just tracking the road? I know my car has a staggered setup (wider rear) and it will track the road grooves pretty strongly pulling it to one side.
11-05-2008, 12:48 PM
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Even on the left side of the highway it will still pull to the right. If it was tracking it would still go straighter with the road than it does now.
11-05-2008, 04:40 PM
#5
I started a thread here that got pretty big after the same thing happened to me.
Tire kingdom bullshitted me about this crown in the road making ALL vehicles pull bullshit. May be true there is a crown in the road but....
After three tries they gave me my money back.
Then an independant shop tried it, and it was the same ****, still pulled.
I finally brought it back to them very upset and they actually got it right.
If you think it might be the brakes, just drive it for a while, bring it home, jack it up and see if all tires spin free. Also check to see if the pads are worn more on the side it pulls to.
Tire kingdom bullshitted me about this crown in the road making ALL vehicles pull bullshit. May be true there is a crown in the road but....
After three tries they gave me my money back.
Then an independant shop tried it, and it was the same ****, still pulled.
I finally brought it back to them very upset and they actually got it right.
If you think it might be the brakes, just drive it for a while, bring it home, jack it up and see if all tires spin free. Also check to see if the pads are worn more on the side it pulls to.
11-05-2008, 07:14 PM
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When I was doing alignments as a mechanic I started getting really good at getting all cars to drive perfectly strait even with road crown. If you set the car with slightly higher caster on the right side then the left side. You also need to make sure that you have even camber on both sides. The higher the camber on the right side, it will tend to pull to the right.
I would recommend checking the brakes first though. I would always check the brakes on a car before an alignment for a pulling issue. The wheels are already off the ground to set the runout for the heads. If the right side wheel doesn't spin as freely as the left, then you have a caliper, caliper pin, or swollen hose on that side. If that isn't the problem bring it back and have them fix it.
I would recommend checking the brakes first though. I would always check the brakes on a car before an alignment for a pulling issue. The wheels are already off the ground to set the runout for the heads. If the right side wheel doesn't spin as freely as the left, then you have a caliper, caliper pin, or swollen hose on that side. If that isn't the problem bring it back and have them fix it.
11-05-2008, 07:14 PM
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the way those specs it looks like they didn't do a good job,looks like the left wheel is pointing inward and the right wheel outward on toe and camber on one wheel is straight and the other is out more.What I did on mine was set camber to 0.0 and toe
+1 degree out Left and 0 on the right to compensate for road crown,she doesn't pull anymore.Does the pull occur during braking or just driving?
+1 degree out Left and 0 on the right to compensate for road crown,she doesn't pull anymore.Does the pull occur during braking or just driving?
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11-05-2008, 07:18 PM
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the way those specs it looks like they didn't do a good job,looks like the left wheel is pointing inward and the right wheel outward on toe and camber on one wheel is straight and the other is out more.What I did on mine was set camber to 0.0 and toe
+1 degree out Left and 0 on the right to compensate for road crown,she doesn't pull anymore.Does the pull occur during braking or just driving?
+1 degree out Left and 0 on the right to compensate for road crown,she doesn't pull anymore.Does the pull occur during braking or just driving?
11-06-2008, 11:06 AM
#11
When I was doing alignments as a mechanic I started getting really good at getting all cars to drive perfectly strait even with road crown. If you set the car with slightly higher caster on the right side then the left side. You also need to make sure that you have even camber on both sides. The higher the camber on the right side, it will tend to pull to the right.
I would recommend checking the brakes first though. I would always check the brakes on a car before an alignment for a pulling issue. The wheels are already off the ground to set the runout for the heads. If the right side wheel doesn't spin as freely as the left, then you have a caliper, caliper pin, or swollen hose on that side. If that isn't the problem bring it back and have them fix it.
I would recommend checking the brakes first though. I would always check the brakes on a car before an alignment for a pulling issue. The wheels are already off the ground to set the runout for the heads. If the right side wheel doesn't spin as freely as the left, then you have a caliper, caliper pin, or swollen hose on that side. If that isn't the problem bring it back and have them fix it.
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Check out our KONI prices, our Master Cylinder Brace, and new Xtracker Hub/wheel bearing upgrade kits!
11-08-2008, 06:09 PM
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^^ thanks sam, im no handling expert though. I wish I had all the suspension knowledge that you have. I have the ASE cert for Suspension and steering, but I really dont know that much about how to set up a car for handling.
11-19-2008, 06:46 PM
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sorry to beat a dead horse but my car is pulling right slighty after 3 alignments. spec sheet shows everything is in spec. brakes straight. car was lowered and aligned correctly when i bought it. put stock springs back on and it drove straight that night ont he way home from my buddies garage. pep idiots touched it and its never been the same. i got my money back and i have begun to think the car is bent lol. i hope a good independant shop can starighten this thing out.
11-19-2008, 08:15 PM
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I been doin alignment for a while and reading what you put it will still drift to the right bro, If the mechanic fixes the right side it will not pull. What he need to do is bring caster up on the right side which will bring camber down to match that left camber 0.0 spec and would give you a R 6.1 and L 5.3 still. You normally want the right side caster to be higher due to how they make the roads. If you look at mostly all the road they are crown so that when it rains the water rushes to the right of the street or road. Do that and I bet the drift to the right will go away. If not check your tire also, could be a tire pull aswell even tho there brand new. let me know
11-19-2008, 08:39 PM
#15
I'm about sick of hearing this crown in the road bullshit.
There are several roads around here that are four lane divided roadways.
Meaning they are built just like a regular two lane road with a crown. Two lanes one way, two lanes the other way. Wide grass median with curbs in the center.
If this crown/alignment bullshit was true everyones car would handle like **** when they drive on the left side, the lane by the median.
We all have our own trades, I know we never have a duh I don't know answer. So we all create these long winded excuses.
Another example, why can I go out to a long, straight, empty crowned road and drive on the wrong side for a while and never feel a pull in a vehicle thats properly aligned? Because it's bullshit to shut the customer up, get the money and move along to the next sucker.
There are several roads around here that are four lane divided roadways.
Meaning they are built just like a regular two lane road with a crown. Two lanes one way, two lanes the other way. Wide grass median with curbs in the center.
If this crown/alignment bullshit was true everyones car would handle like **** when they drive on the left side, the lane by the median.
We all have our own trades, I know we never have a duh I don't know answer. So we all create these long winded excuses.
Another example, why can I go out to a long, straight, empty crowned road and drive on the wrong side for a while and never feel a pull in a vehicle thats properly aligned? Because it's bullshit to shut the customer up, get the money and move along to the next sucker.
11-19-2008, 10:39 PM
#16
I'm about sick of hearing this crown in the road bullshit.
There are several roads around here that are four lane divided roadways.
Meaning they are built just like a regular two lane road with a crown. Two lanes one way, two lanes the other way. Wide grass median with curbs in the center.
If this crown/alignment bullshit was true everyones car would handle like **** when they drive on the left side, the lane by the median.
We all have our own trades, I know we never have a duh I don't know answer. So we all create these long winded excuses.
Another example, why can I go out to a long, straight, empty crowned road and drive on the wrong side for a while and never feel a pull in a vehicle thats properly aligned? Because it's bullshit to shut the customer up, get the money and move along to the next sucker.
There are several roads around here that are four lane divided roadways.
Meaning they are built just like a regular two lane road with a crown. Two lanes one way, two lanes the other way. Wide grass median with curbs in the center.
If this crown/alignment bullshit was true everyones car would handle like **** when they drive on the left side, the lane by the median.
We all have our own trades, I know we never have a duh I don't know answer. So we all create these long winded excuses.
Another example, why can I go out to a long, straight, empty crowned road and drive on the wrong side for a while and never feel a pull in a vehicle thats properly aligned? Because it's bullshit to shut the customer up, get the money and move along to the next sucker.
11-19-2008, 11:21 PM
#17
Road crown is a very true effect and being an Alignment Tech where i align hundreds of cars a week i know this. Everyone is right about setting the right side caster a little higher but no more than -.5 as the split or it will pull because of that. Take your car back to that shop and tell them you want the the camber on both sides to be the exact same or no more than -+.1 difference which on F-body's the range is .6 to -.1 and get them to change the right side caster to 5.8 and your pulling issue will go away.
