Alignment: What do i change to correct a right pull?

turtlevette

The Turdle
Joined
Mar 24, 2008
Messages
1,492
Location
Marshfield, MA
I've been messing with the shims and no matter what i do the damn thing pulls to the right.

I havent messed with the toe setting but i don't think that will affect it.
 
Fix the caliper or brake hose first.


OH God yes....and I presume you are doing your own alignment??

I have a whole bunch of references for doing that...tables/instructions....it's how I did my car years ago....

:sweat::D
 
Did you try reducing the castor on the left side?

Ok, i actually reduced it on the right (passenger) first with no change. Then on the left (driver) and it seemed like it got better for a while then worse.

Fix the caliper or brake hose first.

Now you got me thinking about the wilwood residual pressure valves mounted on both calipers. If the left side isn't working that would cause a pull to the right i guess. But only 3 pounds of pressure?

The right rear tire is under-inflated. Seems like the last time i aired it up it got better. I'll tinker with it some more tomorrow.
 
if it straightens out when braking the caliper is dragging.

Eh, not always, when my driver's front hose locked up, tapping the brakes sent the car to the left pretty bad, but it dragged like a boat anchor anyway....

worst 40 miles I ever drove....

:cussing:
 
try rotating tires,

"Radial tires can cause a "Radial pull" , that can cause a front end of the vehicle to pull to one side. This is because of a defect in the tire or because the tires have not been rotated often enough and the belts inside the tire are worn more on one side than the other....causing the pull."

had this happen to my van, I replaced everything. front tires fixed it. I got this problem with my cooper right now. punctured it a few weeks ago, had it booted. The tire was on the rear. Had them rotate the tires at the same time, the punctured tire ended up on the right front. Must have damaged the belts, now it pulls to the right. Going to replace the front tires it in a few days, driving me nuts.
 
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When belted tires first came out what? 40? years ago, I quit rotating tires, I feel it's a silly olde tyme practice that never did anything practical in the first place...myth in other words.....

I stick my 'pulling tires on the same side in the rear,

having said that, obviously they need be same size....when getting tires for the vette, sometimes they pull, take it back and have them switched around, and the pull if gone.....

I really don't understand why they do that, freeking round tire, belts are round in the rubber tread area, belts are uniform in the sidewalls in some arrangement....what's to 'pull'.??? don't understand it, just IS.....

:chinese::flash:
 
When belted tires first came out what? 40? years ago, I quit rotating tires, I feel it's a silly olde tyme practice that never did anything practical in the first place...myth in other words.....

I stick my 'pulling tires on the same side in the rear,

having said that, obviously they need be same size....when getting tires for the vette, sometimes they pull, take it back and have them switched around, and the pull if gone.....

I really don't understand why they do that, freeking round tire, belts are round in the rubber tread area, belts are uniform in the sidewalls in some arrangement....what's to 'pull'.??? don't understand it, just IS.....

:chinese::flash:

It is actually belt shift. The heavy loading of the tire causes the belts to shift a little to one side or the other. I've got that problem on the T-Bird. It's not as common as it used to be.

It's most common on heavy Vehicles (like my T-Bird) or high side loading from very hard cornering. I actually broke the belts on two front BFG T/As under very heavy braking.:smash:
 
When belted tires first came out what? 40? years ago, I quit rotating tires, I feel it's a silly olde tyme practice that never did anything practical in the first place...myth in other words.....

I stick my 'pulling tires on the same side in the rear,

having said that, obviously they need be same size....when getting tires for the vette, sometimes they pull, take it back and have them switched around, and the pull if gone.....

I really don't understand why they do that, freeking round tire, belts are round in the rubber tread area, belts are uniform in the sidewalls in some arrangement....what's to 'pull'.??? don't understand it, just IS.....

:chinese::flash:

It is actually belt shift. The heavy loading of the tire causes the belts to shift a little to one side or the other. I've got that problem on the T-Bird. It's not as common as it used to be.

It's most common on heavy Vehicles (like my T-Bird) or high side loading from very hard cornering. I actually broke the belts on two front BFG T/As under very heavy braking.:smash:

And the worst tires EVER, I have NEVER had luck with....Goodyear....

sidewall twisted belts, tread separation....dunno it's related to high perf driving as they were on various Caddy size vehicles, and my work trucks....

stepson's van has new tires on it....but the Goodyears have irregular sidewalls already....

stupid....plenty of tread left....

:(:hi:
 
Just swap your front tires side to side. If the pull changes to the other direction you have your answer. It doesn't tell you which one but you know that the tires caused the problem.
JIML82
 
Just swap your front tires side to side. If the pull changes to the other direction you have your answer. It doesn't tell you which one but you know that the tires caused the problem.
JIML82

I'll go out and do that when or if it ever quits raining here. Messing with the caster seems to have helped some. It's not terrible. If i let my hand off the wheel for 3 to 5 seconds it will slowly drift over on the road apron.
 
Or you can try the solution my GMC dealer used. 22 psi in the offending tire and 35 in all the others. The lead was gone when I got it back. I should have sued them.
JIML82
 
Or you can try the solution my GMC dealer used. 22 psi in the offending tire and 35 in all the others. The lead was gone when I got it back. I should have sued them.
JIML82

You JOKING, right???:cussing::cussing:
 
Or you can try the solution my GMC dealer used. 22 psi in the offending tire and 35 in all the others. The lead was gone when I got it back. I should have sued them.
JIML82

You JOKING, right???:cussing::cussing:

Yea, you are joking, right?

I have a very slight pull to right with my vette and I run "2 POUNDS" less in the left side to correct it. BUT not 13 pounds.:twitch:
 
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