help with 911 suspension problem

Turbo Dub · 01-14-2010, 06:17 AM

First of all...Hello to all!

I have a 77 911 and I am having an issue with it pulling. It is pulling hard to the right. As soon as you let go of the steering wheel the wheel will turn and off it goes! The front end is all new. New ball joints (which had some play), tie rods end to end (which were bad). It has some odd tire were due to the bad parts. Switched tires side to side and still pulls the same way. It will pull under power, coasting and even if you are just pushing the car! It was aligned and they said it was "IN" but something has to be causing this. Its going in again to the alignment shop due to they never gave me a print out of the alignment and I want to see where it is. They didn't touch the rear alignment. Everything is tight in the rear suspension. Is there something common to cause this? This is driving me nuts!

crashmy911 · 01-14-2010, 07:08 AM

Go to another shop! Maybe they are no good? I have had problems with shops that have no idea what they are doing with a porsche!

jimmcc · 01-14-2010, 07:11 AM

Let me be the first.

Find another alignment shop. If they thought they could align the fronts only, they need more 911 experience. It has to be aligned as a total system, front and rear. I certain more than one person with more alignment experience than I have will jump in here but it sounds as if the thrust angle is all wrong which would lead to the condition you are describing, but there could be other reasons also.

Good luck.

Jim

Wavey · 01-14-2010, 07:25 AM

Sticking RF brake caliper?. But ditto, get it to a Porsche specialist.

Turbo Dub · 01-14-2010, 08:07 AM

Thanks for all of the replies!! A new shop is where im headed but.... I lost all of my good alignment guys. I dont care if they charge for the time for the alignment if it comes out correct. Most of the of the shops are the "set the toe collect the dough" type. They dont want to take the time to do it right. I dont get it if they charge me 4 hours or do (4) 1 hour jobs there is no difference. Easy is great but happy customers are priceless!

Checked all the brake calipers, etc. I cant wait to see the print out and im waiting there to get it or my money back.

Chuck Moreland · 01-14-2010, 08:12 AM

When did the problem begin? Did it pull before you put the parts in?

911s55 · 01-14-2010, 08:20 AM

Have you set your ride height and had it corner balanced? If not your car could be in spec but still not go down the road properly, been there.

David

Turbo Dub · 01-14-2010, 09:06 AM

Ok..some history.....the car was fine and developed a slight pull before any of the work was done. Then found the bad parts and replaced, aligned (well..maybe!) and is pulling worse than before. I did notice the torsion bar adjuster on the right front was "out" more than the left but the car sits level. I did not have the car scaled yet (due to parts prblems etc. and no one in the immediate area with scales. ).

Gunter · Gunter's Garage

Turbo Dub,

Perform an easy DIY check for Toe front and rear.

All you need is a long string, 2 Jack Stands and a short scale (As in measuring tape)

Center the steering wheel and lock it with some elastic cord to the pedals.
Position the jack stands in line with the wheels about a foot out in front and rear.
Attach the string between the the jack stands so the string is at the same height as the center caps.
Carefully move the jack stands against the tires almost touching the tires keeping the string tight. Observe where the string almost touches the tires and note the difference.

Generally, you want to see a small Toe-in (1/16") front and a Neutral (O) rear.

You can adjust the front-toe with the tie-rods. The rear is more complicated but doable if you read up on the procedure.

You can also check the Camber on each wheel with a home-made camber gauge as long as you're on level ground.

Before anything, decide what Height, Camber and Toe you want.
Some of us will drive a long distance to the right shop for alignment and corner balance to have it done right. Find out from some fellow Porsche nuts where the nearest place is, call them for an appointment and drive there even if it's Miles away.

dgmark · dgmark's Garage

This seems to be an ongoing problem with Pcars, Quote " replaced everything, car pulls". The solution is simple, go to a shop that knows how to diagnose ,corner balance and align your car correctly. There is no secret or trick to correcting pulling problems on a Pcar, just attention to detail. If a shop cannot give you a definitive answer about what is causing the problem, go to another shop.

janz · 01-14-2010, 11:18 AM

Maybe when folks post a problem such as this they might include their location. This would help as someone will always give good advice as to where to bring your car and what to expect. I could give you the name and location of a great alignment shop that is very reasonable, they don't do corner balance that should be done before alignment and I ended up buying my own set of digital scales. But my car will go straight down the road even at 142 with hands off the steering wheel. Thats one of the reasons I include my location below my avatar.

Wavey · 01-14-2010, 11:50 AM

[This seems to be an ongoing problem with Pcars, Quote " replaced everything, car pulls".]

Suspension, $3000 later: Issues

Chuck Moreland · 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turbo Dub

I did notice the torsion bar adjuster on the right front was "out" more than the left but the car sits level. I did not have the car scaled yet (due to parts prblems etc. and no one in the immediate area with scales. ).

The adjuster has been messed with by someone, and probably not corner balanced.

The car needs corner balancing.

Incorrect corner balance can make the car pull plenty hard even with a perfect alignment.

Plus take it to a specialty alignment shop that knows porsches. That your shop didn't adjust the rear says they are not qualified. You need an experienced specialist.

It won't be $69.99 , expect to pay for quality work. You get what you pay for.

Turbo Dub · 01-14-2010, 04:40 PM

Digital scales are in the future. As for paying for getting what you pay for ...that is a hard one anymore. Strings are no fun. I used to string cars until I got pinned to the wall with a Beetle drag car. Luckily it was a beetle and could be moved enough to get out. Until I get my machine I am at the mercy of others. Like I said I will pay for the proper alignment ,as long as it takes, as long as it goes straight as an arrow. The car has been messed with before and now I get the task of straightening it out. I appreciate all the input and will update soon.

Gunter · Gunter's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turbo Dub

Digital scales are in the future. As for paying for getting what you pay for ...that is a hard one anymore. Strings are no fun.

Strings are the easiest way to check/adjust Toe; no real technical expertise needed. If you don't want to put any effort into solving your problem, why do you ask for help here?

I used to string cars until I got pinned to the wall with a Beetle drag car.

Adjusting Toe with strings works great but doesn't improve driver's skill

Luckily it was a beetle and could be moved enough to get out.

Herbie # 53?

Until I get my machine I am at the mercy of others. Like I said I will pay for the proper alignment ,as long as it takes, as long as it goes straight as an arrow. The car has been messed with before and now I get the task of straightening it out. I appreciate all the input and will update soon.

The pyramids were build without the help of Lasers, Jig-Transits or Optical Levels and we still don't know how they did it so accurately.

Strings played a role; no doubt.

Have fun wherever you are.