alignment problem: pulls right, got it aligned, still pulls to the right...

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Old Aug 13, 2007 | 08:47 PM
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Default alignment problem: pulls right, got it aligned, still pulls to the right...

just got my car aligned, but it feels the same as before, still pulls to the right.

i went through a car wash but i'd turned off the ignition while it was still rolling on the tracks. so i'm pretty sure the wheel/steering was fighting with the metal tracks as it rolled through it. it has been pulling to the right since then.

took it to get it aligned today and gave them specific specs (for high speed stability).

caster: +4.5*
camber: -.7*
toe in: 1/32

my question is, do they perform the alignment (change the degree) relative to it's current state?

i would think they would have to correct the problem first, THEN apply the changes i want.
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Old Aug 13, 2007 | 08:59 PM
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you might have tire pull. what tires are on the front of the car?
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Old Aug 13, 2007 | 09:12 PM
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Have you recently curbed the car or hit a big pot hole? When you look at the camber adjustment bolts on either side, are they fairly even in the adjustment slot?

Bending a knuckle (some folks call it a spindle) is a lot easier than you might think. In my road racing car, hopping an FIA apex curb I have tweaked a knuckle before.

Did teh alignment tech perform a camber sweep? Basically, if the knuckle is bent, it will arc the wheel in a strange curve. There is a tolerance.

Or it might be as simple as the tech didn't tighten the camber or caster bolts tight enough and they've moved. It's happened before and something I always check before I load the car to head for the track ... those and the torque arm bolts.
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Old Aug 13, 2007 | 11:20 PM
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well, when it went trough the carwash, the steering wheel was turned very slightly to the left. the ignition was off, so the steering wheel was locked, couldn't move it.

so if the steering wheel was turned a little to the left, i'm thinking the carwash rail was pushing against my front driver side wheel/tire.

something like this:



what exactly is a camber sweep? is that like "reseting" it? moving it to the max each way and finding the center?
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Old Aug 13, 2007 | 11:21 PM
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rotate your tires and come back, pretty positive it's that
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Old Aug 13, 2007 | 11:22 PM
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Originally Posted by 2 SLOW
you might have tire pull. what tires are on the front of the car?
this started happening after the carwash, it never pulled to the right like that.
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Old Aug 13, 2007 | 11:35 PM
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i guess the carwash damaged the sidewalls on your tires, thus causing tire pull....since you said it was rubing on the rails. Switch the L/F tire with the R/F tire and see what happens.

Do you have the paper that shows what the actual specs were set at for the alignment?
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Old Aug 13, 2007 | 11:41 PM
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left front
camber: -.7*
caster: 4.2*
Toe: .06*

right front
camber: -.6*
caster: 4.7*
Toe: .06*
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Old Aug 13, 2007 | 11:41 PM
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well if he has directional tires then he'll want to change with the same side of the car
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Old Aug 13, 2007 | 11:43 PM
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Originally Posted by reject
well if he has directional tires then he'll want to change with the same side of the car
also 9.5 and 11's in the back
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Old Aug 13, 2007 | 11:49 PM
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what about your thrust angle?

I still think it would be your tires or you f'd something up on the rear.
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Old Aug 13, 2007 | 11:54 PM
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doesn't have any info on the thrust angle
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Old Aug 14, 2007 | 06:35 AM
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Originally Posted by Reznor
what exactly is a camber sweep? is that like "reseting" it? moving it to the max each way and finding the center?
Camber sweep is measuring the changes in camber as the steering wheel is rotated, sweeping the knuckle through it's range of motion.

It will indicate if a knuckle is bent.
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Old Aug 14, 2007 | 09:32 AM
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Originally Posted by Reznor
left front
camber: -.7*
caster: 4.2*
Toe: .06*

right front
camber: -.6*
caster: 4.7*
Toe: .06*
setting should be fine , think problem be tires , thrust line would/could cause problem if off a great amount (0.25-0.30 or so to cause problem at driving speed, if more than 0.10-0.13 may effect pull only at hard lough)just my .02' Johnny
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Old Aug 14, 2007 | 05:39 PM
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it might also be a brake caliper hanging slightly........just my thoughts. I know i had that problem with my car once.

Brent
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Old Aug 14, 2007 | 08:43 PM
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All those answers are good ones. Id start with a bent wheel though. spin it on a balancer and see how bad it wobbles. The alignment is obviously good enough to keep from a massive pull. the side with more negative camber will cause a pull in opposite direction.

left front
camber: -.7*
caster: 4.2*
Toe: .06*

right front
camber: -.6*
caster: 4.7*
Toe: .06*

for instance it will pull a hair to the right.
where as the side with the lowest caster will pull in that direction. so it would pull left. Camber pulls twice as much as caster.

next question. is it a legitamate pull or is the steering wheel just off center.
There is a big difference. Tires will cause a pull. If they are non directional then just swap the left and right. if they are directional you'd have to swap the tires and wheels around.
Next up. When I and my co-workers do alignment we set them to pull slighty to the left with a caster pull. Remember caster is a non-wearing angle. We get cambers dead even and offset thecaster to compensate for the natural road crown. Roads in texas do have a pretty bad road crown.

Hope this helps. Good luck. Its one of the above.
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