pulling to the left

[Smokin]

hi all - the surfs always pulled a little to the left since i bought it 18 months ago - however when i bought 31 x 10.5's before christmas the problem was exagerrated even more - you wouldnt want to let go of the steering wheel for too long! ive put up with it till now, but was calling back at the tyre place for a new battery today and got the wheel alignment checked - after about 10mins and some head scratching the chap said 'my tracking was spot on' and couldnt give an explanation. anotherone suggested that one tyre could 'dig' more than the others thus causing the problem?

not being an expert in this department - any ideas?

atb

chris

[Tallyman]

Possibly stricking brake pads. Jack up the front end and check how freely the wheels rotate, allowing for the fact you will be turning the driveshafts.

[BUSHWHACKER]

Or a sticking caliper piston, causing brake to drag on that side.

[TonyN]

Or wear in the steering idler or ball joints, slack in the steering or suspension links may let the wheels move slightly as the brakes are applied.

[Uplander]

hi all - the surfs always pulled a little to the left since i bought it 18 months ago - however when i bought 31 x 10.5's before christmas the problem was exagerrated even more - you wouldnt want to let go of the steering wheel for too long! ive put up with it till now, but was calling back at the tyre place for a new battery today and got the wheel alignment checked - after about 10mins and some head scratching the chap said 'my tracking was spot on' and couldnt give an explanation. anotherone suggested that one tyre could 'dig' more than the others thus causing the problem?

not being an expert in this department - any ideas?

atb

chris

Hi,
Here,s a list (including Tallyman's suggestion) of the possibilities:-

Incorrect tyre pressure

Tyres on front wheels in differnt states of repair /wear

Brakes binding

Broken Spring

Weak Spring /s

Incorrect front wheel alignment....all angles check !

Rear, yes rear, axle loose ....once had that one, took 4 hours to find
the snag, then the customer didnt believe us, fortunately two other
witnesses and we could replicate the fault if he didnt want to pay !

Peter

[BUSHWHACKER]

Or wear in the steering idler or ball joints, slack in the steering or suspension links may let the wheels move slightly as the brakes are applied.

I was thinking that, but the problem has been on-going for eighteen months.




Apparently

[TonyN]

I was thinking that, but the problem has been on-going for eighteen months.

Apparently

Yeah, but fitting bigger tyres always exaggerates and wear issues in the front end, it could have been worn for ages.

And it wouldn't show up checking the alignment as the wheels are just sitting there, not under pressure from applying the brakes and having 2 ton of truck flexing against any worn steering parts.

Also thinking about it, after 18 months any sticking calipers would have munched their way through a set of brake pads while the other side would be OK and the problem would have been obvious.



This is to much thinking for this time of night, I'm going to bed!!

[BUSHWHACKER]

But wouldn't it have been noticed at the last mot?

[TonyN]

But wouldn't it have been noticed at the last mot?

Depends how good the MOT man is, most MOT's aren't worth s**t, its just a piece of paper to get you a tax disc......

[BUSHWHACKER]

O.k. the defence rests, you go to bed now 'big t'

[kitesurf_phil]

I had my tracking checked twice. Fitted new steering idler arm bushes and it has been alright since. BTW. It was pulling to the left and grabbing the tram lines that the HGVs carve into the motorway.

[Gizmo]

If you have a larger offset on the rims and been bashing em about [off-road, pot-holes] etc the rims could be out of shape

[Smokin]

wow - cheers for th ereplies chaps - sorry for delay in coming back but had frozen and burst pipes round the house - more feckin expense!!

as for some of the suggestions - it pulls all the time not just under braking (in fact the effect seems lessened when braking now i think about it. tyres we re bought in set of four (camac terras 31x10.5)

something else has just come to mind - another fault since the new tyres - it comes and goes, and when it does happen only for a few seconds - a noise from the front left wheel area, sort of sounds like rubbing but with a slight creak added for good measure - no visible signs of wheel rub anywhere. The noise is sometimes started after going over a speed bump - dunno what it is , could they be related?

whats the standard procedure for checking steering idler/ball joints etc

thanks for your help all!

atb

Chris
(off to B&Q for more pipe)