car problems?

[thetechnician]

I'm new to the HC forum. If anyone has car problems, let me know. I'd be happy to answer any questions or give advice. ASE certified with Nissan factory training, and Subaru factory training. Also, a UTI grad not that it matters lol. Been doing it for about 6 years now. NOT advertising for any kind of services, just free advice.

Don't know what good it will do but whatever

tech

[Sangria]

i got a question.....what can cause the steering wheel to pull...when i accelerate it gievs that problem...the rims are straighten, got it aligned and speed balanced....i was wondering could the steering rack be the problem? my friend was saying could be the bearings (have no idea what it looks like or what its for ), could it be that too?

[thetechnician]

well steering pull can be caused by a number of things. alignment, tire size, tread wear on tires, suspension problems...etc. a steering rack will not usually cause a pull. when you get an alignment, they adjust the outer tie rods which are attached to your steering rack. This should compensate for any kind of rack problem...what i would suggest is look at the tires, if one side is worn more than the other on the front, that will cause a pull. same for the rear. tire pressure is a big factor as well. Tire pressure at the time of the alignment is critical, if you have two tires and one is at 35 psi and the other is at 45 psi, they will have a difference in circumference which will lead to a pull. more than often a problem like this is something stupid, just be careful to not go off the deep end and buy a $1400 steering rack or anything like that. Oh and also if you have mismatched brands of tires, that can cause problems due to different tread designs and differing co-efficient of friction, rubber compounds and sidewall/ belt design. all of these things can create conditions like this in any range of acceleration/coasting or braking. There is a slight chance of a bearing causing a pull but i have never seen it. I guess in a extreme situation where the bearing is so bad off that it cannot support the load on the wheel, that could cause the wheel to not track straight maybe, but we are talking minute fractions of degrees here so not very likely. if this were the case you would KNOW there is a problem with the bearing because it would be making some hellacious noise.

Hope this was some help.

tech

[Sangria]

yes thanks so much this was alot of help...i do have miss matched tyres though so i would look though and i was actually thinking abt going off the 'deep end' and buying a steering rack

hmm am thinking now it might be suspension..what components comprise of the suspension?...i have to got new shock absorbers, could that cause the pulling as well?

[thetechnician]

yes, worn shock absorbers can cause abnormal wear patterns on tires, and this can lead to a pull. Ball joints cant really cause a pull but if they are so bad off that they can't hold the steering knuckle in the correct place, i guess that could cause it. But, if they were that bad the car would be un-drivable. Another thing is bushings, they are a part that attaches your control arms to the body or frame of the car, if they are really really worn this could lead to a pull.

What is year/make/model of the car? how bad of a pull is it? like a slight drift, or can fully change lanes in under 5 seconds? at what speed is it the worst? and when you had an alignment performed, were all the alignment angles within specification? they should have provided you with a sheet containing this information.

Components of the suspension can vary in regards to what manufacturer designed the car. straight axle vehicles like trucks have very simple suspension. domestic cars and imported cars can have complicated designs that can be very different. The basic designs are Macphersion struts, short-long arm or double wishbone, and multi-link. there are numerous components of each system.

[Sangria]

it's a nissan wagon...not sure of the year and stuff...but the bushing is good most of the stuff i changed jus last year

Here the mechanics are different well some...they dont provide a sheet containing the specs unless u go to the company which can be expensive....so i go by my mechanic who happens to work by one of them but sometimes i get the feeling he does not do a thorough job since am not ther to oversee what he's doin(i leave my car overnight)...i guess i would have to find a different mechanic-i truely hate waitin hours until ur car is fixed and if you tll them you're gonna come back within a certain amount of time, when you reach they're now starting on your car...

i do not understand that paragraph though ....but thanks much for all the advice

i would definately have more questions in the future

[thetechnician]

oh its all good, i can get stuck in a overly technical rant sometimes...you just have to slap me or something lol

any questions about a repair your mechanic is advising...just shoot me a message...even though I can't physically see it, i'll at least tell you weather it makes sense or is a logical step in figuring out a problem.

the whole deal with the alignment sheet sounds sketchy. Unless they are doing it with string and a level, then they should have a spec sheet. Even alignment machines from the late 80's print off a spec sheet. Anyway keep in touch cause i'm crazy about customer service. let me know what happens.

[MarkMc]

Does this help http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torque_steering ??