Help - can't make my car track straight

Post Tue Sep 26, 2006 9:12 am

I bought my 325 touring nearly a year ago and its always pulled to the left when driving. It pulls quite hard Ãƒ¢Ã¢”š¬Ã¢â‚¬Å“ you couldnÃƒ¢Ã¢”š¬Ã¢”ž¢t let go of the steering wheel on the motorway unless you want to do some fast lane changing! I thought it would be quite a simple thing to fix but I might have been wrong!

So far IÃƒ¢Ã¢”š¬Ã¢”ž¢ve changed both control arms and the tie rods (as the joints on these were picked up on the last MOT as being worn). Its had its tracking checked twice but no change.

What is the next thing to check? Could something else be bent underneath or the steering rack be a suspect? Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated!!

Post Tue Sep 26, 2006 9:21 am

Don't assume it's the front suspension for a start.
Check the steering wheel turns exactly the same number of turns in each direction from straight ahead.
Tie a piece of string all the way around the car, half way up the wheels. Are the rear wheels both pointing straight ahead? What about the fronts?

Post Tue Sep 26, 2006 1:30 pm

You might also want to check the left-hand wheels after a drive - for being too hot, it is possible you have a brake binding.

Apart from that you may want to check the 'camber' - the vertical angle of the wheels - both sides should be equal.
If one camber is greater/less than the other side, the wheel castor (tendency of a wheel to track straight set by the angle of the strut pivot) will pull the car sideways too.

Post Sat Sep 30, 2006 4:56 pm

Check the steering wheel turns exactly the same number of turns in each direction from straight ahead.

I think you're onto something! The steering is just over two complete turns to the right to full lock but just under two complete turns to full lock to the left.

What exactly does this mean and how can it be fixed

Thanks

Post Sat Sep 30, 2006 5:01 pm

Check that equal lengths of thread on the tracktod ends is showing at each side.
Have you checked front and rear tracking with string yet?

Post Sat Sep 30, 2006 5:11 pm

dont forget to make sure the front tyres have equal tread left on them and pressures too,if one is worn and the other not that will make it pull too. you wouldnt think it but it does

Post Sat Sep 30, 2006 7:31 pm

i had same problem on my old e30 cab... changed loadsa bits n bobs... still the same..it came down to being the whole strut that was the problem. i changed the whole thing complete and it was perfect... 2 days later car got written off!!!

Post Sat Sep 30, 2006 7:33 pm

Ahh, one more thing to check... get a piece of string, and measure from the centre of the strut top mounts nut, to the centre of the nut on the drivers side windscreen wiper !! they should both be exactly the same...

Post Sun Oct 01, 2006 10:29 am

Thanks for the extra replies. When I replied yesterday I should have said its not the brakes binding as I changed the pads and discs recently and they were equally worn.

Have you checked front and rear tracking with string yet?

I haven't done this yet, but will it show anything different to the 4 wheel tracking I had done last week?

Check that equal lengths of thread on the tracktod ends is showing at each side

I'll check this later

dont forget to make sure the front tyres have equal tread left on them and pressures too

The tyres are equally worn and equal pressure.

get a piece of string, and measure from the centre of the strut top mounts nut, to the centre of the nut on the drivers side windscreen wiper

I'll try this, this morning

2 days later car got written off!!!

I'll try not to do this!!

I'll report back in a bit

Post Sun Oct 01, 2006 2:52 pm

I've checked the list of things above.

There is slightly more thread showing on the track rod end on the offside. (about 2mm)

The distance from strut top mounts to the windscreen wiper nut is the same on either side.

Any ideas please ?

Post Sun Oct 01, 2006 2:53 pm

i would suggest changing the whole strut...

Post Sun Oct 01, 2006 3:02 pm

i would suggest changing the whole strut...

Which one? the offside?

Would this show up on the tracking as caster or camber? (I'm a bit out of my depth with this!) I'll try and post up the sheet of info I got when I had it tracked last weekend.

Post Sun Oct 01, 2006 4:26 pm

Did you just have it checked, or adjusted as well? Was it like this before?
Can't see what changing the strut is likely to achieve without proving if it's bent first.

Post Sun Oct 01, 2006 4:41 pm

Here's a copy of the data I got when I had the car's tracking checked last weekend:

http://img434.imageshack.us/img434/4709/dscf0016tr8.jpg

Does this shed any further light onto the problem?

Thanks

Andrew

Post Thu Oct 12, 2006 3:23 pm

Since last posting I've swopped over the front tyres.

I know that they'll be rotating the wrong way but it was just an experiment.

Now instead of tracking to the left it now goes to the right.

I guess this means the tyres are to blame? They don't look worn significantly and aren't feathered badly but i guess they're the cause?? They're only some budget tyres that were on the car when i got it (They're "Matador's" made in czech republic or something) I think its time to change them!