[Hawflake]

I've noticed that my car pulls to the left a little, I thought it was slightly out of alignment or have unequal front tire pressure or something in that nature.
But reading throught the forum, it looks like a lot of you are suffering from the same problem, my friend who has a Mazda6 also has this ongoing problem.
Is this common for front drive car with maybe too much HP, i.e., a result of too many episodes of torque steering? Still, don't we have equal length half shafts?

Any insights will be appreciated.

 

[EvenStar]

Are you sure that saturn doesnt have a problem with alignment from the factory? Or is everyone who has this problem gradually had it, and not when they first got the car?

 

[Sp00ner]

Not to be an *******, but are you sure that the road is level? I have a slight pull to the left, but it's only on the highway that I drive back and forth to work everyday. On almost every other road it's fine, and once in a while it drifts to the right, it seems to drift the same way, on the same roads, almost every time. I do know that some people were complaing of a drift to the left, but if the alignment is good, the alignment is good. I had the same problem with my Camaro, always drifted left, I made them show me the alignment sheet after I brought it back the second time, then went to a different shop, and it was the exact same. The guy at the last shop said that if I could find a truly level road around here, he would be more than happy to do the alignment again. He said that they build the roads with a slight angle on them most of the time so water runs off when it rains. He told me to look for the storm drains in the road and see if that's the same way that the car was pulling, and that the road is most likely sloped that direction by a degree or two. I dunno, sounds logical.



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[Hawflake]

Not to be an *******, but are you sure that the road is level? I have a slight pull to the left, but it's only on the highway that I drive back and forth to work everyday. On almost every other road it's fine, and once in a while it drifts to the right, it seems to drift the same way, on the same roads, almost every time. I do know that some people were complaing of a drift to the left, but if the alignment is good, the alignment is good. I had the same problem with my Camaro, always drifted left, I made them show me the alignment sheet after I brought it back the second time, then went to a different shop, and it was the exact same. The guy at the last shop said that if I could find a truly level road around here, he would be more than happy to do the alignment again. He said that they build the roads with a slight angle on them most of the time so water runs off when it rains. He told me to look for the storm drains in the road and see if that's the same way that the car was pulling, and that the road is most likely sloped that direction by a degree or two. I dunno, sounds logical.

I noticed that about the road and the pull is more obvious when I am on the highways, where the roads have a noticeable slant towards the medium. But it's still there when I am on a city street, if anything, the road slants to the right there, which is proved, like you said, by the locations of the drains all on the right side by the sidewalk. Heck, maybe I just need to get it aligned.

 

[John]

I would say you are probably having same radial pull, which basicly means the directions the belts run in the tires are not perfectly straight. if you happen to have two tires on front with the belts running the same way it causes a slight drift in the direction they are lined up. try rotating your tires front to back then see if the drift changes.

 

[dipolley]

I'm just throwing this out there. Over the years of the vehicles I have had they all pull a little to one side or another. Generally it is always the same. My old S-10 pulled to the right. It had a single posi traction. Basically it is next to impossible to have the exact same amount of power to both powered wheels all the time. More power will always go to one side. Hense the car will pull to that side. But it should be very minor. My Redline pulls to the right durring HEAVY exceleration. It may just be that there is more power to that one tire. This is just a theory mind you. If I'm wrong please let me know.

I wonder if the LSD will solve this pulling problem.

 

[jpapa]

Hawflake, does your car pull while going at a constant speed or while accelerating? If it's during constant speed, then it's most likely the combination of any of uneven tire pressure, misalignment, or sloped roads like already suggested.
If it occurs during acceleration, then it is due to the torque steer. I know that they put the equal length half shafts in our cars to prevent this, but I still think it will happen some of the time, just not all the time. I'm not sure of the exact physics during acceleration on the half shafts, so I don't know if torque steer is truly solved by the equal length half shafts or not.
From my experience with my car, the alignment is pretty much perfect, but during hard acceleration when all the torque is being laid out on the road, I do have episodes of torque steer. This does not happen every time that I accelerate, but it has happened on a couple occasions while I was driving and while letting my brother drive. Usually when I am accelerating hard, I keep a tight grip on the steering wheel to keep control, so I may not notice if there is any torque steer. I'm just sharing my experience of this, it seems normal to me because I kind of expected this from the power to the front wheel drive. Maybe the LSD will help prevent this, but I just know that it does not happen every time accelerate. It probably depends on certain conditions of the road and the gears you're in.

 

[Sp00ner]

Hawflake, does your car pull while going at a constant speed or while accelerating? If it's during constant speed, then it's most likely the combination of any of uneven tire pressure, misalignment, or sloped roads like already suggested.
If it occurs during acceleration, then it is due to the torque steer. I know that they put the equal length half shafts in our cars to prevent this, but I still think it will happen some of the time, just not all the time. I'm not sure of the exact physics during acceleration on the half shafts, so I don't know if torque steer is truly solved by the equal length half shafts or not.
From my experience with my car, the alignment is pretty much perfect, but during hard acceleration when all the torque is being laid out on the road, I do have episodes of torque steer. This does not happen every time that I accelerate, but it has happened on a couple occasions while I was driving and while letting my brother drive. Usually when I am accelerating hard, I keep a tight grip on the steering wheel to keep control, so I may not notice if there is any torque steer. I'm just sharing my experience of this, it seems normal to me because I kind of expected this from the power to the front wheel drive. Maybe the LSD will help prevent this, but I just know that it does not happen every time accelerate. It probably depends on certain conditions of the road and the gears you're in.

He does have a great point about the tire pressure too, I checked mine this weekend and noticed that my front right tire was about 5lbs harder than my left tire. I'm not sure if it made it go any more straight or not, since it wasn't bad to begin with, but check the air pressure if you haven't already.

No, the torque steer is not eliminated with the equal 1/2 shafts, just directed to the tires much more evenly than with an unequal arrangement.



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[rlinbatonrouge]

I have a drift to the left that I have been complaining about since I bought the car. I rotated the tires and it still drifts to the left. It does not really pull, but if I get down on the pedal it will pull strongly. The car does drift regardless of what road I drive on, so it is not really a road issue. I know that one other person mentioned that he had to have his tires replaced to correct this drift, but I can't remember who that was. I'll let you guys know

 

[Hawflake]

He does have a great point about the tire pressure too, I checked mine this weekend and noticed that my front right tire was about 5lbs harder than my left tire. I'm not sure if it made it go any more straight or not, since it wasn't bad to begin with, but check the air pressure if you haven't already.

I have both of my front tires inflated @33 psi (just a number I've always used for some odd reason). It still happens when I am cruising, like if I let go both hands, you can see it start slowly changing lanes by itself. Who knows, I will ask for an alignment and a rotation next time and how it goes...

 

[hash7]

tier aline ment. no its the road

ok look the roads are not created even for a reason they are created at a slope so that rain n snow will wash to the side n not sit in the middle.

 

[mantiskungfu]

lol :grim: and welcome

 

[marlinbaltha]

I've noticed that my car pulls to the left a little, I thought it was slightly out of alignment or have unequal front tire pressure or something in that nature.
But reading throught the forum, it looks like a lot of you are suffering from the same problem, my friend who has a Mazda6 also has this ongoing problem.
Is this common for front drive car with maybe too much HP, i.e., a result of too many episodes of torque steering? Still, don't we have equal length half shafts?

Any insights will be appreciated.

I too have this problem and it has been a long on going issue. IMO it is not the way the roads are; it's not the way the tires are. I believe it is the way the car was built, from the very begining. I say this because when I first purchased this vehicle I noticed the car would pull to the left hard; didn't matter what speed. I took it in to get an alignment at Saturn, they said they fixed it; still under warrenty at the time, they were pretty cool about not charging me ... I actually went in for another problem I was having for the car. I think the shifter or something of that nature kept falling off no biggy. So I had a buddy of mines drive the car and he was like your car pulls to the left alot. I said I just got an alignment wtf? I noticed it wasn't as bad at slower speeds but never the less still NOTICIABLE* A couple of months later I moved to IL purchased some new tires and got them balanced and mounted with no prob, however I was talking to the tec and as he was aligning my front left tire it was in the red when he would try to balance it out the front right would shift .. he tried for 1 1/2 hours and couldn't get it right. He said he wasn't the best however, he thinks my strut needed to be drilled; left driver side. THe next day I took it back to have the tech with the most exp take a look at it and he said for sure, the strut needed drilling, mind you I have a alignment for life, so it wasn't going to be charged to me... So after all that work was done to my car guess what? I still have the problem WTF????? I just bought some rims, which I should get here sometime within the next couple of weeks and I will take it back to them on the same ZRI's (weather permiting of course) and see what happens!!!

 

[Big Knight]

Wow talk about reviving a dead thread. This one dates from 2005.

OK on with the pull. I have a left pull with the stock dunlops. I do not have the pull when I put my winter tires on. So for me, it is the tires that is doing it. The car has pulled since I bought it. I know others have had the same problem, and some have also seen it go away with different tires.

What is "drilling the strut"? And how does this help in alignment?

 

[golden chicken]

you drill the top hole in the strut to steering knuckle bolt hole. that way you can adjust the camber.

i tracked straight as an arrow until i got my lowering springs on. sometimes it tramlined, but when the road is flat it went straight. now it pulls to the left on some roads at highway speed, but it went straight at 100. i'm gonna try to get it on the alignment rack myself in the next week or two.:shrug03:

 

[ScottKilpatrick]

my stock lops pulled to the left a little in the left lane. My winter tires do not pull as much in the left lane. Both sets of tires are straight on in the middle lane. I think partially the lops, partially the road

 

[TheWastedYears]

Holy old thread, Batman!

Yes, the stock Dunlops have a tendency to pull to the left. Just ask my lemon of a Redline.

So far, my new tires haven't begun to pull.

 

[The05BlueRedlineGuy]

well guys i have to say this is a shity problem but one i have to say i dont have. i have had a brand new set of dunlops on when i bought the car from the dealer (burned through all four tires in about 6 months showing everybody the smoke show) My car has never pulled even after i put the 2 drop and the new proxes on. Infact i can cruse in a straight line with my hand away from the whele and not even touch it until theres a corner. I have admired the alignment on my car from day one. I had no idea people were haveing problems.

 

[54yroldkid]

Drifting

I would say you are probably having same radial pull, which basicly means the directions the belts run in the tires are not perfectly straight. if you happen to have two tires on front with the belts running the same way it causes a slight drift in the direction they are lined up. try rotating your tires front to back then see if the drift changes.

Yes radial pull that is still around different roads are also set up with different degree of offset to let water drain off. I think in California it is 1 or 2 degrees, this will cause your car to pull more. You can have the front end alignment adjusted to counter the pull when you drive on a road with opposite or less offset it will pull the opposite way. As long as your 4 wheel alignment is in spec then don't worry about it unlees the pull you feel is torque pull when launching it then hold on tight.:bananahum