I had the problem with my 97 Toyota and it was recommended that I rotate the tires. Did it. Made a slight difference. Recently bought 4 new tires. Nice straight ride. Now, lately, at higher speeds, the dang thing drifts left again. This makes me think of things like alignment or something mechanical in the steering. I’m bringing the car in to a guy I trust, but I’d like to have a clue before I go in there. What causes this?
Best odds are alignment. Heads up, some cars require a 4-wheel alignment. I have no idea about your though.
One of the simpliest things to check is the lug nuts - make sure they’re all tightened. This may not be it, as this is a common problem with a severe pull, but it wouldn’t hurt to check it first.
Also check the tires. If you rotate them and the pull shifts directions, thats a sure sign its the tires.
Of course there’s always the more complicated stuff, but lug nuts and the tires are the easiest thing to check.
Alignment. Or more specifically misalignment.
Uneven tire pressures.
Other related causes as improper tightening of lug nuts per above.
Unevenly worn tires.
The problem is either going to be the alignment (95% odds) or something really screwy and expensive. Get your alignment do. It isn’t that expensive, it doesn’t take long, it is safer, and you won’t screw up your tires.
If its on the Freeway , it could simply be the way the road was designed , some are graded slightly for drainage purposes.
Declan
Possible causes: misalignment, worn or bent steering or suspension part(s), tire, tire pressure(s), road crown. I have never known any of these to be speed-related.
If by “higher speeds” you mean highway speeds, my thinking is with Declan. All roads are crowned (higher in the center than at the edges) to facilitate drainage. On normal city streets and undivided highways, the high point is along the dividing line between traffic directions, and you’re always driving on a road sloping sightly to your right. Many experienced alignment techs actually adjust for a slight drift to the left to counteract this, so you aren’t constantly fighting the drift to the right caused by the road’s slope. On a divided highway, however, each traffic direction has its own entire road, separated by a median which is lower than the pavement. The high point is in the middle of the lanes going your way. If you’re in the right lane, you have the same slope to the right you encounter on other roads. But if you’re in the left lane, you have a slope to the left, causing a drift to the left. If the car’s alignment is set as mentioned above, the drift is exagerated.
So if the drift is only noticed on a left-side lane of a divided highway, it’s not your car, it’s the road.
That said, I always advise an alignment when replacing a set of tires. It’s cheap insurance that the new tires won’t wear out prematurely form misalignment.
Ahhh, now that makes some sense to me. I believe that I have noticed this at higher speeds, but the only roads I drive on at those speeds are, in fact, divided, and I’m pretty much of a left lane guy. Of course, I could easily test this by driving in the right lane - against my left lane faster-guy’s instincts - and see if I detect the drift. I’ll be back. xo, C.
I had “pull” on my car too due to bad alignment. But then again, seems like all Dopers already came up with the usual suspects.
Then again I blame the “liberal media”… it caused my roommate to “go left”. = )
Check the tie rod ends and upper control arms, especially the bushings thereof. Worn out front end parts can cause funky ride as well as being potentially fatal if they fail at high speed. Getting an alignment at a good front end shop will ensure all those front end parts being checked, as it’s impossible to properly align the front with worn tie rods, etc. An alignment is probably one of the best thirty-fifty bucks you can spend on your car, and I speak as one who spent a month in traction from a busted tie rod that went out at sixty mph on an outside sweeper.