Alignment question, pulls left

ckelly · 08:25 PM

I have just completed new torsion bars, set my corner balance (hopefully correctly), turbo tie rods, and some other little stuff. Anyway, I took the car in for an alignment, not a Porsche place, but they do them from time to time, but a very reputable and quality shop, all they do is suspension work. Got the car back and it drives awesome, corners great, feels good, except......pulls left, not bad, but does pull left.

I initially thought it was the road, but pulls left on any road, more noticeable above say 45 mph. It will pull up the road crown in the right lane, and even faster in the left lane. Doesn't jerk the wheel but constant pressure is needed to maintain straight path. For example, if I'm in the right lane, on the interstate, driving 75, if I let go of the wheel, it take about 4 seconds to drift completely into the left lane. Not bad, but annoying.

The car drove straight as an arrow before, I've checked tire pressure, ride height again, etc.
I also repacked the front wheel bearing before the alignment, could I have gotten the nut too tight causing drag???? Never had this happen on any other car but I don't know anymore.

Here's the alignment specs, not sure what some of it means but maybe someone more knowledgeable can look at it and find something. I spoke the the shop about it, they insist it is not the alignment and must be another problem with the car.

LF (degrees)
camber -1.00
caster +5.93
toe +0.02
sai +11.06
incl ang +9.92

RF
camber -1.10
caster +6.08
toe +0.02
sai +11.80
incl ang +10.54

LR
camber -1.48
toe +0.01

RR
camber -1.50
toe +0.01

Front totals
total toe +0.04
cross camber +0.10
cross caster -0.15

Rear totals
total toe +0.02
cross camber +0.02

Fr setback -0.12
Rr setback +0.01
Thrust angle +0.01

Anyone.......help??

Neilk · 05-08-2003, 09:04 PM

Mine pulls to the right after a recent alignment. I will be interested to see what settings need to be adjusted to "recenter" our cars.

RoninLB · 05-08-2003, 10:32 PM

do any of you guys know if the toe was set with the wheels pressed?.. and I say that a bad corner balance will cause a drift, some guys don't............Ron

ckelly · 05-09-2003, 03:28 AM

Pressed? What do you mean? The car was sitting on the alignment rack, was never lifted, and had ballast in the drivers side to compensate for my weight. Other than that, not sure.

dean · 05-09-2003, 03:37 AM

I am with Ron all the way. It is a bad corner-balance that is causing the pull

jluetjen · jluetjen's Garage

I could picture a bad corner balance causing a pull while on the brakes, but just in straight ahead driving...? Especially since the alignment seems to be pretty much straight ahead. Something is introducing a yawing force into the car. Does the "pull" actually turn the steering wheel to the left or do you just need to turn the steering wheel to the right to keep it straight?

Have you confirmed that your brakes aren't pulling. Although it wouldn't technically cause "pulling", did the shop have your steering wheel centered when they did the alignment?

BTW; Is your car lowered? How much? Have you ever adjusted the bump steer?

Wil Ferch · 05:30 PM

Didn't we go over corner balance on a related thread and found that you were within 20 or so lbs? If so, my vote would be to check brakes for pulling, not so much chassis alignment. Also, check for thrust angle, although those number look decent ...have an alignment shop go over thrust angle one more time.
--Wil Ferch

Roger Chafen · 05-09-2003, 06:37 AM

Clay: Mine did the same thing-if it pull to the left you have too much weight pressing on the r frt wheel. The castor setting on the right is pushing you left. Unscrew the r frt torsion bar adjuster 1/2 turn-go for a ride. I suspect each time you do this you will notice less of a pull. You can also lessen the ride height on the l rear wheel to compensate for a visual imbalance.

ckelly · 05-09-2003, 06:53 AM

Actually pulls the wheel to the left, braking is fine and doesn't seem to pull more or less when braking. And yes, corner balances were around +/- 4lbs when we discussed this last time. I haven't checked the corner balance since getting the car back, should I? I don't think they messed with the ride height, I hope not anyway. Would this have an effect on straight ahead driving though? If it's that sensitive, wouldn't this affect any 911 with just a driver or a heavier driver vs passenger (assuming car was balanced empty)??? I wouldn't think it would make that much of a difference just driving on a straight road. Plus, the car had not been corner balanced when I got it, and it never pulled with my arse weighting down the drivers side, so why would it now

RoninLB · 05-09-2003, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jluetjen

I could picture a bad corner balance causing a pull while on the brakes, but just in straight ahead driving...?

maybe I should have said "very bad corner balance".. but it also depends on the other variables on how sensitive it is, IMO.....Ron

RoninLB · 05-09-2003, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ckelly
Pressed? What do you mean? The car was sitting on the alignment rack, was never lifted, and had ballast in the drivers side to compensate for my weight. Other than that, not sure.

the 911 has a tendency to move the toe settings out when being driven.. so a bar is pressed on the inside of the front wheels to "press" them out to compensate.. all 911 book alignment settings are figured with the wheels "pressed", otherwise a "0" toe set without pressing will = toe out, which can be a PIA on the street. I also do my alignment with 3/4 tank of gas.............Ron

Wil Ferch · 05-09-2003, 08:14 AM

RoninLB:
Small correction...
The earlier specs said to aim for zero ( 0) toe "pressed"...meaning a spring-loaded broomstick device to impart a 15-45 lb load between the wheels...just as you suggest.
Later specs...said to be retro'd to the earlier cars, too...would have you set a slight toe-in ( Approx 1/16-1/8")...without pressing, as this accomplishes the same thing under a more conventional basis...

--Wil Ferch

RoninLB · 05-09-2003, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Wil Ferch
RoninLB:
Small correction...
--Wil Ferch

yeah Will.. I knew about that.. when I saw .02 I saw a zero.. I figure 1/8in = 7.5 deg..

gregk1 · 05-09-2003, 09:06 AM

I had new tires and an alignement on my 66 and it pulls to the right And I also thought about ajusting the T bars but it would change the ride highth wouldn't it, From the front it would look lopsided, It has improved since I have gotten some ware on the tires, But still pulls some, The car has taken a Hit on the left front but doesn't look all that bad could this be a reason??

TimT · 05-09-2003, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jluetjen

I could picture a bad corner balance causing a pull while on the brakes, but just in straight ahead driving...?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

maybe I should have said "very bad corner balance".. but it also depends on the other variables on how sensitive it is, IMO.....Ron

John, we had a car with alignment dead on, ride height was perfect, yet this car pulled right, to drive it on the highway you always had to correct left to go straight.

Turned out the corner balance was WAY off... the corner balance was corrected, the alignment rechecked now the car tracks straight as an arrow "no hands"

We double checked the car and there was no apparent collision damage causing the corner to be off, so its still a mystery why tha cars corners were so screwed yup.

jluetjen · jluetjen's Garage

Hmmm. Thanks Tim!

hobieboy · 05-10-2003, 05:27 PM

ummm.... maybe its time for me to re-check corner balance too.
Had mine done last year, but upgraded the entire suspension & didn't re-do it. Now the car pulls to the right

I have to keep pulling the steering wheel a bit to the left to compensate.
But then, as a few others ahve asked - if a 200lb passenger doesn't affect the car, then the corner balance must have to be WAY WAY off for a car to pull? Off by >200lb seems very unlikely... any comments / thoughts?

Mike M · Mike M's Garage

Guys..I had many alignments on my 69 and it always pulled to the right.
I tried everything I could think of.Finally I installed larger torsion bars in the rear and replaced spring plate bushings...now drives perfect and I couldn't be happier about it.

dean · 05-10-2003, 05:40 PM

Mine was off by 100lbs and the car pulled a lot. I got it within 7 lbs now it goes dead straight

Joe Bob · Joe Bob's Garage

Close to the end of the brake pads life....one side will tend to pull. Check pad wear.....btdt.