HELP>>911 SC pulls right

[schleg79]

I'm officially at a loss here....Could an upset corner balance cause the car to pull to either direction while driving? Maybe some other component I'm overlooking.

In my case, the car pulls to the right - I've had an alignment with no change - still the same pull, and another alignment. Shop says it's good, but IT STILL PULLS RIGHT. I have had the ride heights "tuned" lately.

Quick history: had the ride height adjusted. The back end was too low, especially the back left (a clue, perhaps?). Immediately upon leaving the shop (not the alignment shop) with the heights perfect (measured at wheel wells), the car pulls right. Get it aligned. Still pulls; re-aligned (shop says its near perfect), still pulls.

I find a stuck brake caliper, front right. So this is it!! I spend the weekend doing a brake job with new front calipers, lines all around, etc. All wheels now spin freely, brakes good (thanks, Pelican). STILL PULLS RIGHT. Is there something else at play here or could this alignment shop just be hosed up??? (note: alignment was not the type that spins the wheels, so the brake shouldn't have played a factor).

Could I have upset the weight distribution so much with the ride height adjustments that it causes the car to steer right? Maybe something else...

Thanks in advance.

[surflvr911sc]

It could be a bind in the steering joints, exp if you had the hieght adjusted. Try jacking the front up and run the steering wheel through full travel and see if you hear/feel a pop/bind.

Other than that it looks like you have covered it; camber, toe, brakes.

[surflvr911sc]

BTW, welcome to the board.

On second thought, the car is 25 years old. Is the front end all original? Slop in the suspension (ball joints, bushings, dead shock) could play into it too, but I would still check for binding in the steering first.

[schleg79]

I will check the steering asap. But, the car drove straight a week ago, so I would be surprised (wouldn't be a first). Do you suspect the pull could be a bind that doesn't allow the steering rack to neutralize? It steers very smoothly on the road - no catches, etc..

Your suggestion about a dead shock is particularly interesting. The car is new to me, but there was one comment in the mx records where a mech recommended a new front shock several years back. It has Bilsteins around, but they appear good. I don't see any fluid leaking from the shocks (maybe it's all gone) and it doesn't appear to bounce.

Could you expand a bit on the dead shock bit? How would that tie in to a right pull? If it is causal, that might explain the goofy ride height adjustment on this car when I got it. It had a pretty good droop on the rear left corner - perhaps an "alignment" technique..

BTW, the car does not appear to have ever been in a collision (body seams are all straight, etc..) so I'm ruling a "crooked" car out..

Thanks for the welcome, too.

[Paulporsche]

When does the car pull? What speed and type of road?

[schleg79]

Car pull at all speeds, starts almost immediately. I've ruled out crowned roads, as well. It pulls all the time.

I'm taking to the alignment shop again tomorrow. They say the caster is currently to spec, but for some reason it's not working for me. They plan an off-spec setting to fix it.

[Par911]

I'm taking to the alignment shop again tomorrow

Welcome Schleg79. Which "alignment shop" are you taking it to? I am by no means an expert, but you might have a bent a-arm/control arm. This can happen if the PO hit a curb or some other object. Also as srflvr911sc noted, check your universal joints in the smugglers box, mine caused extremely sloppy steering. A few months ago I replaced the U-joint, put in 4 new Bilsteins HD's and Sports, rebuilt steering rack, replaced rear spring plate bushings and lowered the car. I can tell you that after doing all of this and getting it aligned makes the 911 feel extremely tight at all speeds, it stays planted in the corners . I am guessing most of your suspension is like mine was, 25 years old .

[smestas]

After reading the thread I'll throw in my 2 cents.

I think your car might need to be corner balanced! Even though you can get all four corners of your car to the desired height doesnt mean that each corner of the car has the proper weight distribution to make it track correctly. If you read thru alot of the corner balancing threads most cars do not have the exact same heights when comparing front left to front right and etc. Think of a table where one of the legs is short. I fell this might be part of your problem. Like I said its just my 2 cents and Im no expert. You can search the site and find lots of info on the subject.

[Nitrometano]

If you lower the car you need to install bump steer kit. This is a spacer kit that goin installed under de rack and pinion and is cheap. Check is you car have one. If not buy one. I recently take a 911 with that problem, and installed the kit and no more problem turning to right side.

[copper]

Mine pulls to the right, ONLY when braking.

Any thoughts?

New rotors and pads at beginning of summer.

Jim

[tsuter]

Originally posted by schleg79
Car pull at all speeds, starts almost immediately. I've ruled out crowned roads, as well. It pulls all the time.

I'm taking to the alignment shop again tomorrow. They say the caster is currently to spec, but for some reason it's not working for me. They plan an off-spec setting to fix it.

How new (miles on them) are the front tires and what brand??

[Jesset100]

schleg79, Double check your calipers they could be dragging after the rebuild.

[stealthn]

Broken Tie-rod end .... just my guess. Check your tire wear to see if both tires are going right or one is wearing funny.

Good luck.

[copper]

Front tires were new this year. Probably 2000K on them now. Not sure the brand, have to go check.

The Porsche mechanic told me it would pull right when braking when I picked it up, due to the new brakes. He said not to slam them on when brand new or I could warp the rotors.

It's calmed down a lot, and is only minimal now when braking. Wondering whether this is still part of the "break in" period.

Jim

[450knotOffice]

schleg79,

"...with the heights perfect (measured at wheel wells ),..."

Your problem might lie in the fact that according to most sources ride heights should not be measured at the wheel wells due to the distinct possibility of the two fenders not matching each other perfectly.

Supposedly the factory uses a different procedure. They first measure the exact distance from the ground to the center of the wheel. This would be distance "A". Then they measure the distance from the ground to the center of the torsion bar. This would be distance "B". They then subtract distance B from distance A. The result is your ride height for that particular corner of the car. They check all four corners that way and adjust accordingly.

You may want to check the ride heights again just to be sure. They may, in fact, be off.

[schleg79]

Thanks to all for the input - excuse me for not replying lately, I've been out of the country...

I have talked to a few local mechs here in Monterey who feel that an upset corner balance could be causing this pull (as a few of you have mentioned). It only makes sense - the problem began the day I "adjusted" the ride height and as for steering components, this car is strangely tight and responsive for its age.

Anyway, I will have it corner weighted and get back to all of you on the results. BTW, thanks again....


Kevin

"my other car is a USMC Hercules"

[blacky3.2]

450knot is correct. I did the same stupid thing with my 85' carrera when I adjusted my front ride height. I measured from the lip of the fender assuming that they were equal distance from the ground. I should have know this when I had to adjust one side about a half inch more to get it level. That little adjustment threw my corner balancing way off.

On a side not I just had new tires put on and a alignment, and because my bushings are so old I now have equal -1.5 camber in the front. The thing corners on a dime now... to bad the inside of my tires are going to have a short life.

[wk911sc]

HELP HELP HELP!! Hello guys! I am a new owner of a 1982 Porsche 911sc targa. When I bought the car the ride heights were pretty terrible, the front was lowered severely and the rear of the car was lifted. After adjusting the ride height to Euro spec (making all side to side measurements using fixed points on the car, not the body panels) I got the car height close to "euro" spec. I took the car to get it aligned and my car was pulling to the right. After realigning multiple times and at different facilities the car is still pulling to the right. Prior to lowering the car in the rear and lifting the front of the car it was tracking in a perfect straight line. I lifted the front to check the movement of the steering wheel and there is no binding at all, in fact very smooth. The car is easier to to turn to the right then left when driving. Took the car to a reputable Porsche service center and still no luck. Any ideas what could be causing this? IF I hold the steering wheel straight the car will track straight. However the second I let go of the steering wheel the car veers to the right. One of my rear torsion bars on the right side seems to be a little more worn than the one on the left. I am totally at loss here and unsure what to do. I swapped the wheels on each side, no luck, both wheels are spinning freely so I dont think its a tight wheel bearing, tires have less than 2000 miles on them, calipers are not binding either. Neither braking nor accelerating changes the pull, pulls the same at all speeds. Your help is realllly appreciated!!!

[stealthn]

Has it been in an accident?

[DanielDudley]

The front end of a 911 is super light, so it doesn't take much of an imbalance to make a big difference.

Do I know what I am talking about ? No.
Does this come up often ? Yes.

It is pretty mandatory that you get a corner balance and alignment after a height adjustment. There are guys who do this work on 911s all the time, and you need to find one in your area. The good news is that a guy who does this a lot knows what kind of an alignment to give you for better performance and handling, and will know if anything needs correction.