Reasons for pulling to left?

[lolsteve]

Pretty sure it's not in my mind but the car seems to pull to the left on the motorways and can feel a bit...floaty? unconnected?

Went to get tracking sorted and they say it's 1 degree out if that and not worth having it done since it wouldnt make a difference. Also said the tyres seem in good condition with even wear. Tyre pressure if fine on them both with the difference being a couple of psi

While car was in the area they tyre people had a quick look about and said nothing seems broken/damaged. Had a quick look at the springs and said they look fine too.

Anything else I can check? Driving from tuh' nurth tomorrow to Coventry and would like to make sure it's not going to have a paddy on the hard shoulder

[1616six]

Do you often drive with a clinically obese passenger?

[silverzx]

Could be brake related, either near side brakes binding slightly?

[THE_Liam]

Could be headgasket failure causing the left hand cylinders to fill with water therefore weighing that side down and pulling the car that way?

In all seriousness, wheel bearing?

[C.A.R.]

Went to get tracking sorted and they say it's 1 degree out if that and not worth having it done since it wouldnt make a difference.

1 degree is still 1 degree. Take it they didn't charge you as a result of not actually doing anything?

When we replaced my TRE's the tracking was 1.5 degrees out and you could feel the difference.

Otherwise, as others have said, check for a binding brake...

[Mattcheese31]

worn suspension bushes . . . .or as Liam said . .

[Piggy]

1degree is a fair amount!!!

[Niall]

1 degree is a fair amount!
Could be it was out previously and the tyres have "scrubbed" that way. Try swapping one of them to the back and see if it carries on.

[lolsteve]

He might have said less than 1 degree, it was enough that he said it wouldn't be worth the time. Didn't charge either which is expected but nice, since I can imagine some chain places might have done nothing and charged
Could be brakes, have noticed a slight wobble when braking hard on the motorway. Guy said it could be warped discs or because the little screws that hold the disc on snapped the heads off when I changed them

[C.A.R.]

He might have said less than 1 degree, it was enough that he said it wouldn't be worth the time. Didn't charge either which is expected but nice, since I can imagine some chain places might have done nothing and charged
Could be brakes, have noticed a slight wobble when braking hard on the motorway. Guy said it could be warped discs or because the little screws that hold the disc on snapped the heads off when I changed them

Was this garage in the Wild West?!

[Mattcheese31]

He might have said less than 1 degree, it was enough that he said it wouldn't be worth the time. Didn't charge either which is expected but nice, since I can imagine some chain places might have done nothing and charged
Could be brakes, have noticed a slight wobble when braking hard on the motorway. Guy said it could be warped discs or because the little screws that hold the disc on snapped the heads off when I changed them

no, those "little screws" don't make any difference mate . .

[daddyfixit]

1 degree is miles out !!!
wheel alignment is usually set to zero degrees (parallel) with an allowance of about 1/6th of a degree either way---so wheels are as near to pointing forwards as possible. if its been driving at 1 degree, then the tyres will wear to a coned shape, the nearside one more so due to road camber, so if you did get tracking done now it will still pull over due to the shape of the tyres.
cheapest option is swap front wheels to the rear and then get tracking done ( rear tyres wear evenly ) so the newly swapped tyres wont cone out.

[Connor]

He might have said less than 1 degree, it was enough that he said it wouldn't be worth the time. Didn't charge either which is expected but nice, since I can imagine some chain places might have done nothing and charged
Could be brakes, have noticed a slight wobble when braking hard on the motorway. Guy said it could be warped discs or because the little screws that hold the disc on snapped the heads off when I changed them

no, those "little screws" don't make any difference mate . .

They do if theyre sticking out and wont let the disc sit flush with the hub face, had that when I bought my second dturbo

[Jtrigga]

Could just be the road as all roads are slightly cambered left to drain rain water. Try drive straight in a long carpark see if it still pulls.

[lolsteve]

Ergh, great don't want to have to go back again as it's a bit of drive and I'm leaving tomorrow so the debate of rush around tomorrow morning to sort it or just drive on until I'm back in southampton

[C.A.R.]

Take it to a better garage when you return bud. Decent tracking will be around £25 and you will get a printout before and after (hopefully with it corrected to 0.00" or very close)

Assuming the tyres are all the same brand across axles aswell right?

[jammapic]

Or... just leave it. It'll be right.

[THE_Liam]

Or... just leave it. It'll be right.

*groan*

[lolsteve]

Would leave it but feels like it might be getting worse, guessing it's to do with the wheel being shaped. It's going for tracking again today at national tyres, got a voucher for £15 alignment will ask them to switch the front and rears over.

[thehytheman]

ihad that effect and it was a worn track rod end bush, judderring on braking

[lolsteve]

Well had the tracking done today, still not 100% with it but it's certainly not pulling so hard to the left. Feel like i have to turn the steering wheel more to the left now. Possibly if the tyres have been mis-shapen because of the angle? I'll swap the fronts and backs over later see if that helps

[C2K]

Did the ZR still use those shitty link arms from the front subframe, with two bushes that were usually incorrectly fitted or were perished. Worth having a look at getting polybushes up front all over tbh.

[lolsteve]

you mean part 16?

Well tracking alignment didn't sort it, nor did swapping tyres. Still pulling to left, will phone tracking place tomorrow to ask what they think. Perhaps like thehytheman said it's track rod ends, maybe damaged them after the last combe visit

[thehytheman]

well take a look at the other bushes on the wish bone, if they wearing they also cause this. just a small bit of wear will have that effect braking shake and pulling. what do the others think. I felt it on the peddle like it was wobble.

[lolsteve]

Turns out it's TREs, they have some play hence why the tracking is already 2mm out again since yesterday. Garage told me to go back on monday after FCS. Quoted £75 for the job, bit annoyed considering i paid £25 for tracking yesterday

[lolsteve]

Poodle checked TRE yesterday and said they're fine so now got to argue with the tracking place. Really can't be asked but won't just let £25 go

[Seb_Ryan]

Sure it's not lots of rust on the right side, therefor making the left heavier so it's pulling that way?

[lolsteve]

Could well be
Just need to decide now on whether to go to another place quick and get tracked up then go back to the first garage and demand money back, problem is don't want to be driving much right now as I'm running with only 1 of 2 lambdas plugged in until later tonight

[daddyfixit]

so; the garage done the tracking and said afterwards the track rod ends are knackered ?? translated means "we played with your car long enough to make you think we know what we are doing ?" the fact is if the ends have play in them its IMPOSSIBLE to do alignment !
then you check them and they're ok ?? I think this means they have done tracking wrong (still miles out) and they are telling you a nice story in the hope you believe them !!
my guess is they intend to replace both ends as they are seized ??? and perhaps they could only adjust one side ??? that's why its still pulls to one side and is harder turning one direction ? but by telling you they are a bit worn they covered their arses !!

1. don't go back there---they have no idea what they are doing it seems ??
2. if the ends are ok, go to a 4 wheel aligner instead----by setting car straight it eliminates alignment but could point to worn bushes or bent struts.

[C2K]

Item 18 Steve. Utter shite those bushes and probably worn out. Take ages to get out too with an offset ring spanner!