Steering wheel/ Alignment Problem
12-21-2009, 10:18 PM
#1
Drifting
Thread Starter
Steering wheel/ Alignment Problem
Hey guys, I've got a problem on my hands. My TL has this strong pull to the right. Sometimes, I just let go and use it as a wheel change! The only way to counter act this is by turning the steering wheel slightly to the left (about 1/32 of a full turn). I think it might be a steering issue, or it could be alignment. Any ideas as what is the problem. I am taking my car to Firestone to get it aligned, since I have life time alignment with them. Please give your thoughts and comments.
Oh ya...and 300 posts!
Oh ya...and 300 posts!
12-21-2009, 10:44 PM
#2
Instructor
Hmmm, Similar Problem Here, pulling to right.
Hmmmm. I just picked up an 04 Anthracite Metallic / Ebony a few weeks ago and I am noticing the same problem. It's only so slight but I am pretty OCD about things and it's starting to really bug me.
12-21-2009, 11:22 PM
#3
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BINGO BINGO BINGO I have the same issue 04 SSM auto so guy told me
in Sears that. My acura had frame damaged and I got ripped off I was pissed for a couple of weeks and got over it but I checked no frame damage I want a fix tho as I am also OCD
in Sears that. My acura had frame damaged and I got ripped off I was pissed for a couple of weeks and got over it but I checked no frame damage I want a fix tho as I am also OCD
12-21-2009, 11:24 PM
#4
go to a place that puts on rims and tires and get your wheels cambered. It cost 75 but works amazing. Either the guy at sears was right or wrong and just wanted you to pay money for a bullshit job there. Not all tl's have damage so I would say to do what I mentioned before.
12-21-2009, 11:55 PM
#6
Same here...2006 6MT. have to hold the steering wheel just slightly to the left all the time...
Does it have to do anything with the car being lowered?? Mine's been dropped for so long, I don't remember if it did it when I first got it.
Oh and I've been to Firestone a couple of times for an alignment and it's a friend of mine doing the work, so I know it's done right.
Does it have to do anything with the car being lowered?? Mine's been dropped for so long, I don't remember if it did it when I first got it.
Oh and I've been to Firestone a couple of times for an alignment and it's a friend of mine doing the work, so I know it's done right.
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12-22-2009, 12:28 AM
#9
Registered TL Owner
Same here...2006 6MT. have to hold the steering wheel just slightly to the left all the time...
Does it have to do anything with the car being lowered?? Mine's been dropped for so long, I don't remember if it did it when I first got it.
Oh and I've been to Firestone a couple of times for an alignment and it's a friend of mine doing the work, so I know it's done right.
Does it have to do anything with the car being lowered?? Mine's been dropped for so long, I don't remember if it did it when I first got it.
Oh and I've been to Firestone a couple of times for an alignment and it's a friend of mine doing the work, so I know it's done right.
12-22-2009, 01:03 AM
#10
I got the same as well, except i know how mines got its weird pull to the right...freakin East Coast got a blast of snow and unlucky me slid right into snowbank/curb, checked my wheels cause that was the part that was hit, found that a half a penny size chipped off on the outer part of my rim. gr so pissed.
Going to a shop on Wedensday to do oil change and also have them do a wheel alignment/balance to see if this will fix it. i will update on this asap for results.
Going to a shop on Wedensday to do oil change and also have them do a wheel alignment/balance to see if this will fix it. i will update on this asap for results.
12-22-2009, 01:43 AM
#11
Three Wheelin'
Well lets see few possibilities:
1. Worn suspension bushings.
2. Part bent (rare unless you hit something pretty damn hard)
3. Roads themselves causing tires to wear a bit off
I had a slight issue like that but it was so minimal i didnt do anything about it. Then I redid my wheels/tires/suspension bushings (front lca bushing) and I dont notice anything of that nature.
The question now is is it during acceleration, cruise, decel. That might help a little.
1. Worn suspension bushings.
2. Part bent (rare unless you hit something pretty damn hard)
3. Roads themselves causing tires to wear a bit off
I had a slight issue like that but it was so minimal i didnt do anything about it. Then I redid my wheels/tires/suspension bushings (front lca bushing) and I dont notice anything of that nature.
The question now is is it during acceleration, cruise, decel. That might help a little.
12-22-2009, 02:16 AM
#12
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I feel a million times btter knowing that I hVe to holdth steering wheel slightly to the left mor that a bunch of people have the same problem I want to find a way to fix the flipping issue
12-22-2009, 06:08 AM
#13
Car shouldn't pull in any direction. Acura or any manufacturer couldn’t sell a car if when new it pulled or drifted right or left when on a fairly level highway, so something is wrong.
Measure distance between the center of the right front wheel to the center of right back wheel, then do the left side and compare the distance. Should be the same @ 109.25", if not I'd say some big problems are ahead of you.
If the measurement is right on, then during an alignment, the tech should be able to determine the mechanical problem, unless it's the tire itself, and that is highly unusual, although it can happen.
Measure distance between the center of the right front wheel to the center of right back wheel, then do the left side and compare the distance. Should be the same @ 109.25", if not I'd say some big problems are ahead of you.
If the measurement is right on, then during an alignment, the tech should be able to determine the mechanical problem, unless it's the tire itself, and that is highly unusual, although it can happen.
12-22-2009, 08:43 AM
#14
Cruisin'
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I have the same problem NOW.
About a month ago has the new Conti DWS put on with balance and alignment. When I took my 04 TL into Cassidy Tire in Lombard, IL, I had no issue with vibration above 65mph and it did not pull to the right. Took it back after I noticed it and they said one tire needed re balance, may have thrown a weight, and the right rear toe was off.
Now, I call the manager yesterday and tell him same stuff, and he says, What do you want me to do? wtf. I said my perspective is the car did not do this when I got the new tires. He says might be a bad rim??? I said, could it be a bad tire? He says highly unlikely to impossible.
I am giving them one more chance at fixing it, then writing a letter to their corp office and to Conti. Vibration above 65mph is very annoying and the pull to the right is slight in the left lane and fairly hard while in the right lane (Road crown)
Any other thoughts or suggestions? Thanks.
About a month ago has the new Conti DWS put on with balance and alignment. When I took my 04 TL into Cassidy Tire in Lombard, IL, I had no issue with vibration above 65mph and it did not pull to the right. Took it back after I noticed it and they said one tire needed re balance, may have thrown a weight, and the right rear toe was off.
Now, I call the manager yesterday and tell him same stuff, and he says, What do you want me to do? wtf. I said my perspective is the car did not do this when I got the new tires. He says might be a bad rim??? I said, could it be a bad tire? He says highly unlikely to impossible.
I am giving them one more chance at fixing it, then writing a letter to their corp office and to Conti. Vibration above 65mph is very annoying and the pull to the right is slight in the left lane and fairly hard while in the right lane (Road crown)
Any other thoughts or suggestions? Thanks.
12-22-2009, 09:18 AM
#15
Drifting
Thread Starter
Alright, so you guys think discount tire can camber? I will get my car aligned, due to have it free, and if it doesn't work then I will get my car cambered. I will post and update as soon as I get my car back. It makes me feel a little better to know that I am not the only one who has this problem. It also makes me feel better to know that it has nothing to do with being lowered.
12-22-2009, 10:38 AM
#16
I have the same problem NOW.
About a month ago has the new Conti DWS put on with balance and alignment. When I took my 04 TL into Cassidy Tire in Lombard, IL, I had no issue with vibration above 65mph and it did not pull to the right. Took it back after I noticed it and they said one tire needed re balance, may have thrown a weight, and the right rear toe was off.
Now, I call the manager yesterday and tell him same stuff, and he says, What do you want me to do? wtf. I said my perspective is the car did not do this when I got the new tires. He says might be a bad rim??? I said, could it be a bad tire? He says highly unlikely to impossible.
I am giving them one more chance at fixing it, then writing a letter to their corp office and to Conti. Vibration above 65mph is very annoying and the pull to the right is slight in the left lane and fairly hard while in the right lane (Road crown)
Any other thoughts or suggestions? Thanks.
About a month ago has the new Conti DWS put on with balance and alignment. When I took my 04 TL into Cassidy Tire in Lombard, IL, I had no issue with vibration above 65mph and it did not pull to the right. Took it back after I noticed it and they said one tire needed re balance, may have thrown a weight, and the right rear toe was off.
Now, I call the manager yesterday and tell him same stuff, and he says, What do you want me to do? wtf. I said my perspective is the car did not do this when I got the new tires. He says might be a bad rim??? I said, could it be a bad tire? He says highly unlikely to impossible.
I am giving them one more chance at fixing it, then writing a letter to their corp office and to Conti. Vibration above 65mph is very annoying and the pull to the right is slight in the left lane and fairly hard while in the right lane (Road crown)
Any other thoughts or suggestions? Thanks.
http://www.gsp9700.com/pub/search/findgsp9700.cfm
Switch the tire/wheel position front to back and see if the pull changes.
I'll stick my neck out and say it's not the tires, but could be an alignment rack that is out of spec. Have run into this 2-3 times in the past, same as balancing machines. that are out of calibration.
12-22-2009, 11:55 AM
#17
Same here. Take this with a box of salt, but my dealer said that it's normal for the car ('06 TL) to drift to the right over a certain period of no steering input. Supposedly for safety so if you go comatose you won't clobber oncoming traffic.
Thought I'd throw that into the mix..
Thought I'd throw that into the mix..
12-22-2009, 12:46 PM
#18
Drifting
Thread Starter
To be honest, I don't think it is just a slight pull, it is pretty strong. I have a feeling that getting it aligned will help, but what do I know?
12-22-2009, 01:20 PM
#19
you definitely have an alignment issue; was having the same issue with my 08 Base TL the last few months and finally had an all wheel alignment done two weeks ago and the pulling to the right has stopped completely
the downside is, I was driving with the mis-alignment for a few thousand miles and it caused severe uneven wear on my front tires which even though they are now rotated to the rear wheels is still causing some harsh ride/vibrations often on
the tire place I go to who just re-balanced and rotated the tires said that I'm lucky if I get to 20k with the tires since the ones in the fronts that had uneven wear were at 4/32nds and the rear tires which are now in the front were at 8/32nds; so hopefully I can stretch another 5k miles out of them and then get new tires at 20k miles
here is a lesson to be learned, at about 10k miles on my 08 I had a power steering fluid leak on my car and it took Acura 5 times and several calls to headquarters to finally find the leak in the rack and pinion; suffice it to say they had to replace the entire steering gearbox
what Acura failed to tell me and do is, and the guy at the tire place told me, that whenever the gearbox is replaced you should always have a wheel alignment performed afterward because the change in gearbox throws the alignment out of whack which it did in my place; of course Acura will not take the blame and acts like they did nothing wrong; lesson to be learned is IF HAVE STEERING GEARBOX REPLACED, MAKE SURE A WHEEL ALIGNMENT IS DONE AFTERWARD so you don't run into the problems I had!!!
the downside is, I was driving with the mis-alignment for a few thousand miles and it caused severe uneven wear on my front tires which even though they are now rotated to the rear wheels is still causing some harsh ride/vibrations often on
the tire place I go to who just re-balanced and rotated the tires said that I'm lucky if I get to 20k with the tires since the ones in the fronts that had uneven wear were at 4/32nds and the rear tires which are now in the front were at 8/32nds; so hopefully I can stretch another 5k miles out of them and then get new tires at 20k miles
here is a lesson to be learned, at about 10k miles on my 08 I had a power steering fluid leak on my car and it took Acura 5 times and several calls to headquarters to finally find the leak in the rack and pinion; suffice it to say they had to replace the entire steering gearbox
what Acura failed to tell me and do is, and the guy at the tire place told me, that whenever the gearbox is replaced you should always have a wheel alignment performed afterward because the change in gearbox throws the alignment out of whack which it did in my place; of course Acura will not take the blame and acts like they did nothing wrong; lesson to be learned is IF HAVE STEERING GEARBOX REPLACED, MAKE SURE A WHEEL ALIGNMENT IS DONE AFTERWARD so you don't run into the problems I had!!!
12-22-2009, 02:23 PM
#20
Drifting
Thread Starter
you definitely have an alignment issue; was having the same issue with my 08 Base TL the last few months and finally had an all wheel alignment done two weeks ago and the pulling to the right has stopped completely
the downside is, I was driving with the mis-alignment for a few thousand miles and it caused severe uneven wear on my front tires which even though they are now rotated to the rear wheels is still causing some harsh ride/vibrations often on
the tire place I go to who just re-balanced and rotated the tires said that I'm lucky if I get to 20k with the tires since the ones in the fronts that had uneven wear were at 4/32nds and the rear tires which are now in the front were at 8/32nds; so hopefully I can stretch another 5k miles out of them and then get new tires at 20k miles
here is a lesson to be learned, at about 10k miles on my 08 I had a power steering fluid leak on my car and it took Acura 5 times and several calls to headquarters to finally find the leak in the rack and pinion; suffice it to say they had to replace the entire steering gearbox
what Acura failed to tell me and do is, and the guy at the tire place told me, that whenever the gearbox is replaced you should always have a wheel alignment performed afterward because the change in gearbox throws the alignment out of whack which it did in my place; of course Acura will not take the blame and acts like they did nothing wrong; lesson to be learned is IF HAVE STEERING GEARBOX REPLACED, MAKE SURE A WHEEL ALIGNMENT IS DONE AFTERWARD so you don't run into the problems I had!!!
the downside is, I was driving with the mis-alignment for a few thousand miles and it caused severe uneven wear on my front tires which even though they are now rotated to the rear wheels is still causing some harsh ride/vibrations often on
the tire place I go to who just re-balanced and rotated the tires said that I'm lucky if I get to 20k with the tires since the ones in the fronts that had uneven wear were at 4/32nds and the rear tires which are now in the front were at 8/32nds; so hopefully I can stretch another 5k miles out of them and then get new tires at 20k miles
here is a lesson to be learned, at about 10k miles on my 08 I had a power steering fluid leak on my car and it took Acura 5 times and several calls to headquarters to finally find the leak in the rack and pinion; suffice it to say they had to replace the entire steering gearbox
what Acura failed to tell me and do is, and the guy at the tire place told me, that whenever the gearbox is replaced you should always have a wheel alignment performed afterward because the change in gearbox throws the alignment out of whack which it did in my place; of course Acura will not take the blame and acts like they did nothing wrong; lesson to be learned is IF HAVE STEERING GEARBOX REPLACED, MAKE SURE A WHEEL ALIGNMENT IS DONE AFTERWARD so you don't run into the problems I had!!!
12-22-2009, 03:28 PM
#21
Three Wheelin'
You can't camber these cars in stock. There is no adjustment for that only toe. Anyway you do not need a camber adjustment. I would just go get an alignment as stated by others. Did you align your car after you lowered it? Firestone is usually pretty good about it. I got mine done at the Firestone off of Coit/Legacy. They have the roadforce balancer for the tires there and everything. My car pretty much drives straight. Still don't notice a pull.
12-22-2009, 03:47 PM
#22
Drifting
Thread Starter
Ya, I have gotten my car aligned since lowered, but I can't remember when, my car has been lowered for a while now. I have to wait til tomorrow to get it aligned because my car is in pieces now (I have set a few xmas break projects lie getting my grill painted AM and getting white led license plate lights, and possibly even painting my emblems black). Hopefully it works.
12-22-2009, 04:09 PM
#23
Three Wheelin'
i see. Did you get it aligned right away or after? I never understood why some people did it right away. That always baffled me since the suspension takes a day or so to settle fully. Most people do it the same day if not immediately the next. I understand if your suspension is way out of wack but most of the time when you lower and dont mess with the alignment settings you can get away with it for a day or two then get it aligned.
12-22-2009, 06:47 PM
#25
Instructor
Taking it back to the dealer
Well I picked my 04 6MT up a few weeks ago at an Acura Dealership, yeah, it's 5 years old and it's got 108k but its in really good shape and they gave me 3 month/3k mile warranty. It just had the timing belt and brakes done by the dealer and I'm pretty happy with it. When I test drove it I noticed the slight pull to the right, almost as if the steering wheel is just a bit off to the right (I thought). I asked him to fix it and when I picked it up the next day the guy told me they took care of the alignment, but "not really." I going to give them a call an take it back in and ask that they look at it again. Will update on any progress.
12-22-2009, 06:50 PM
#26
Cruisin'
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Need a balance with Hunter Road Force as the TL wheels/tires are quite sensative:
http://www.gsp9700.com/pub/search/findgsp9700.cfm
Switch the tire/wheel position front to back and see if the pull changes.
I'll stick my neck out and say it's not the tires, but could be an alignment rack that is out of spec. Have run into this 2-3 times in the past, same as balancing machines. that are out of calibration.
http://www.gsp9700.com/pub/search/findgsp9700.cfm
Switch the tire/wheel position front to back and see if the pull changes.
I'll stick my neck out and say it's not the tires, but could be an alignment rack that is out of spec. Have run into this 2-3 times in the past, same as balancing machines. that are out of calibration.
Will report back. Thanks for the link, Firestone less than a mile away
has one. I will suck it up and pay again for balance and alignment.
12-22-2009, 07:43 PM
#27
Instructor
Car shouldn't pull in any direction. Acura or any manufacturer couldn’t sell a car if when new it pulled or drifted right or left when on a fairly level highway, so something is wrong.
Measure distance between the center of the right front wheel to the center of right back wheel, then do the left side and compare the distance. Should be the same @ 109.25", if not I'd say some big problems are ahead of you.
If the measurement is right on, then during an alignment, the tech should be able to determine the mechanical problem, unless it's the tire itself, and that is highly unusual, although it can happen.
Measure distance between the center of the right front wheel to the center of right back wheel, then do the left side and compare the distance. Should be the same @ 109.25", if not I'd say some big problems are ahead of you.
If the measurement is right on, then during an alignment, the tech should be able to determine the mechanical problem, unless it's the tire itself, and that is highly unusual, although it can happen.
12-22-2009, 07:52 PM
#28
I come up with the right side being 1/8" shorter than the left, may explain the pull. Another thing that has me puzzled are the tires. I have Toyo Proxes4 245/40ZR 18's on the A-Spec wheels and they are filled with nitrogen. So I am hesitant to try to check the tire pressure since I don't have any nitrogen.
12-22-2009, 09:22 PM
#29
Drifting
Thread Starter
Well, thanks guys, all these comments got me thinking so I measured the distance betwen the wheels right and left side. I come up with the right side being 1/8" shorter than the left, may explain the pull. Another thing that has me puzzled are the tires. I have Toyo Proxes4 245/40ZR 18's on the A-Spec wheels and they are filled with nitrogen. So I am hesitant to try to check the tire pressure since I don't have any nitrogen.
12-22-2009, 10:30 PM
#31
Instructor
This is even more disturbing. Doing some research on where I can find nitrogen for tire inflation in town I ran accross an article (www.allbusiness.com) on mixing air with nitrogen in tires. The article claims that "In a situation in which a nitrogen-inflated steer tire has been repaired and refilled with air, some nitrogen inflation system manufacturers recommend that the nitrogen be let out of the other steer tire and re-filled with air. The reason, they explain, is that an air-filled tire will heat up and expand, whereas the tire with nitrogen will not, possibly causing a slight pull to the side with the nitrogen-inflated tire. With air in both steer tires, the air pressure will expand relatively equally, so there shouldn't be any steering issues." 
12-22-2009, 11:13 PM
#33
Instructor
To be quite honest I think its a bunch of BS. I think its the company pushing nitrogen that wants you keep filling the tires with nitrogen. Basically what it means is that a nitrogen filled tire will expand slower 'when heated up' than just an air filled tire. So you would end up with uneven pressure.
All the more reason to stick with plain ordinary air I say.
All the more reason to stick with plain ordinary air I say.
12-23-2009, 12:09 AM
#34
Three Wheelin'
The thing is this....Normal cars do NOT need Nitrogen. Because of its properties it can withstain massive amounts of heat under abuse. This is why race cars run nitrogen in there tires. They do not have to deal with expansion. Air on the other hand expands over time when heat is applied. Normal road cars air is enough and is more abundant to find. Its also a scam when manufacturers charge to fill nitrogen into tires. Its no better than normal air just with different properties. I have never seen the benefits of it on the street...unless you are doing multiple 200mph runs and sudden braking...other than that its worthless in my book.
12-23-2009, 03:04 AM
#35
my sisters lexus IS recalled to put nitrogen in the tires, its not just race cars as it keep pressure right in the tires so gas milage and unneeded wear of tires doesn't happen which could lead to off alignment. We don't need that but I got my car cambered and it help a lot, it was off significantly. Its from hitting pot holes and such.
12-23-2009, 03:25 PM
#39
Nitrogen is good but the usefullness of it doesn't outweigh the price. If it was free I'd say go nitrogen but it's a waistof money for what it does. I mean it does help hold air and stop premature tread wear which could lead to alignment being off and tires wearing at different paces.
Last edited by AckTL05; 12-23-2009 at 03:27 PM.
12-23-2009, 03:37 PM
#40
Three Wheelin'
Nitrogen is good but the usefullness of it doesn't outweigh the price. If it was free I'd say go nitrogen but it's a waistof money for what it does. I mean it does help hold air and stop premature tread wear which could lead to alignment being off and tires wearing at different paces.
As I said if its a track car understandable under constant braking/heat/cornering at extreme speed thats the only time I see it. Most road cars will not need it. The porsche dealership locally will put nitrogen in your tires for 60 bucks or something...Total rip when you can just pump air for 50 cents or if you have a compressor at home its cheap.