Tracking and steering!

[craig_27]

Hello all

I know this has probably been covered before but I just need to know that my car is driving normally!!

Basically after I purchased the car I took the car in for a wheel alignment as the steering wheel was no where near straight when driving in a straight line. I was told by the guys that did it that it was miles out and has been rectified and is now spot on.

Having now driven it for a few weeks I'm unsure as to whether it is correct or not. Basically when driving straight on a road I still have to hold the steering wheel slightly off centre and slightly to the right off centre to keep the car straight on the road, it varies with different roads, sometimes it's only slightly off centre and sometimes it's more off centre, however if I drive straight down the centre (crown) of the road the steering wheel is perfectly straight. So I am now wondering if it is just the road camber and not the tracking?

Does anyone else experience this? From what I remember, this used to happen with my previous car which was a 2008 vw polo?

Any help or advice much appreciated.

Cheers All.

[PhilDon]

It may be just camber if it's only slightly off.
Try finding a quiet stretch of road and drive on the right hand side - if the wheel is now slightly off in the other direction it's camber.

[niall campbell]

it sounds ok, it used to be that after you got your car tracking done, you went back in a few weeks to get a free check on the alignment. However this costs the garage money

I would take it back and get them to check it, its usually free to get it checked, even try and get on the right side of them and tell them that you might be looking too much into it, but the tracking still feels out.

One last thing, I have seen it that the tracking is fine, but still car pulls to one side. You can try swapping over the front wheels to see if this fixes it. I have had a few cars that the wheels were the problem. Even seen putting the offending wheel from the front to the rear has helped, if this is the case, then when you get new tyres, you have to tell the garage to keep the wheels in the original position

Plastic wheel trims can also cause this problem

[craig_27]

Thanks for the replies

I will try driving on the right hand side over the weekend on an empty road and see if i have to correct the steering wheel the other way, If so I guess it is road camber and its perfectly fine?

If not I will take it back when I get a chance and get them to re check the alignment.

[craig_27]

Hi All

I have now driven the car on the right hand side of the road and i do have to hold it slightly down on the left so it must be just camber??? Also i have driven down the crown of the road and it tracks perfectly straight with steering wheel spot on? Do we think it is just road camber? Any other golf owners experience this?

Thanks

Craig

[PhilDon]

Not a world authority but it does sound like your tracking is fine, but if you have any doubts why not go back to the garage for a double check?

[craig_27]

Yeah maybe I will take it back in when I get a chance just to double check. They may wonder why I have left it so long though? Pretty sure they offer free alignment check anyway.

[craig_27]

Hi All

Jst to update you, I have now thaken the car for a 4 wheel laser alignment. They adjusted everything slightly and I can confirm that the steering wheel is still slightly off centre when driving straight. i.e. it is still off to the right slightly when driving in a straight line, I'm reasonably confident now that it is road camber that is causing this. plus the guy told me it may be made worse by the cheap tyres on the front of my car????

[niall campbell]

it could be that the tyres are slightly out of shape as the tracking was out, this will or should be barely noticeable ............................ however without seeing the tyres we cannot comment

Water on roads are a major concern for road builders, and you need camber to get rid of it

Cheap tyres ?? I just go to asdatyres.com & put on the cheapest rain tyres they have. Its a personal opinion and will start a massive argument on here

You could change the front wheels over with each other to see if that helps, it has on several cars I have owned to get the steering correct. Even swapping the front ones with the rear if the changing the front over doesn't help.

You just have to remember which wheel causes the problem when getting tyres changed, and get the tyre changer to keep the same wheels on the same position

Wheel trims used to be bad for pulling the steering wheel one way or another, more people have alloys, so this has all but eliminated that problem

[craig_27]

Hello thank you for the reply.

I can't change the fronts over as I have directional tires on the front of the car, maybe I will try swapping them front to back.

So you don't think it's anything to do with having cheap tyres?




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