Had a new set of tires installed on my 06 TL and when I got home I noticed that the tire store had installed a set of Falken ZE502s. These were incorrect and the next day I had the correct Sumitomo HTRZ3s installed. If the car was aligned with the Falkens on the car should I have it realigned with the Sumitomos. For instance, the overall diameter is slightly different 25.3 vs 25.4 tread width 8.6 vs. 8.3. It seems very minor, but I noticed a very slight pull to the right with the Sumitomos. Did I notice it with the Falkens? I only had those tires on for one evening and didn't really pay attention. It was a Chevrolet dealer that sold me the tires so should I for the sake of the car go to the Acura Dealer and have it realigned? The cost of the Sumitomos with alignment at the Chevrolet dealer was $499.00 and at the Acura Dealer the cost was $988. A significant savings. I trust the Acura dealer far more for the alignment than the Chevrolet dealer. Thanks

 

If the alignment was good then there is no reason to have it redone but if it wasn't pulling before I'd mention it to the shop that did the alignment.

 

My experiences with Chevrolet and most GM dealers has been far above my experiences with Acura. I would say there's a lot more knowledge on average at those dealers.

If it pulls, either the alignment is off or one of your new tires is no good. If you want to see for yourself you can switch the left and right front tires and see if it pulls in the other direction. If it still pulls to the same side it's the alignment. If it switches direction it's the tires.

If it's the alignment take it back as soon as possible. It's on them to do it right, it should cost you nothing to get it redone. But the longer you take to bring it back the more likely it is that they will say you hit something to knock it out of alignment.

Keep in mind that it's supposed to have a very slight pull towards the right. It should be almost unnoticeable. If you're on a flat road and take your hands off the wheel, the car should very slowly drift over toward the right.

 

I think you'll find that if a vehicle is in alignment and on a flat surface there'll be no pull or drift in either direction as both sides have the same alignment specs.

 

5 second drift.

 

I've been battling alignment issues for what seems like ever since I've had the car. Either the place I've had the alignments done at is doing something wrong, or therein lies a deeper issue than alignment with my car. Had the issue with my all-seasons and my snows.

 

They're supposed to have a very slight pull to the right for safety. I'm talking over the course of several hundred yards, a barely noticeable pull.

I remember trying it when my TL had 8 miles on it when a friend doubted it. Sure enough it always went to the right. Of course it's exaggerated to roads with a large crown but going down the freeway it would eventually make it's way to the right. I wouldn't even call it a pull but rather a slow drift.

 

I've noticed a very slight tendency to drift right on lots of new cars as well.

 

Yep, the Tl was the first brand new car I paid attention to but when I test drove a VW diesel Jetta an Audi A4 the other day I noticed the same thing.

I've never actually read about it but a friend that does high end alignments for race/exotic cars told me this. Apparently it's in case the driver falls asleep the car won't go into oncoming traffic.

 

Sorry, but you guys are way off base. This is a first for me, so I'd certainly like to see any FSM or alignment spec book state that after the alignment the car is supposed to pull or drift right. As I stated before, both sides have the same alignment spec, so what would make you believe that such a statement is even possible in the real world and the high end alignment guy might meed more schooling.

 

^^^^ Yeep ... any drift you might find if aligned properly will be from the crown in the road. You shouldn't even have to noticably correct for it. The crown is to aid in water run off to reduce hydroplaneing and puddling.

 

Not that it matters because I trust my source and every new car I've driven would go right but I googled it and sure enough found many sites stating the car should go right for the very reason I mentioned.

 

What search term/terms did you use? Would like to see the links for the sites you found stating this...

 

Yes, I can imagine a high performance exotic car pulling or drifting right at 40 MPH and can just imagine the force to the right when travelling 180 mph, can we say dangerous!

 

It doesn't seem to change at speed. There are other things that can be done to create a slight pull besides the normal alignment settings. As you know, I've had my TL past 150mph and even then there's a very slight pull to the right but no worse than at 55mph going down the freeway. When I say slight I mean barely perceivable. As in you let off the wheel, the car seems to go straight for a while before gradually drifting toward the right. A "pull" is not really the correct word.

I'm not sure what the attitude is for. Go out and drive a new car for yourself. I've done my testing already so as far as I'm concerned it's a closed case. Not getting baited anymore so you guys feel free to discuss among yourselves.

 

I'm just going off personal observation, but it's definitely there. And I have to rule out the crown causing it, because if I'm in the passing lane on a four lane highway I've never felt a car drift left.

 

Not that e-how is an automotive authority, but here's a link supporting the theory. Scroll down a bit. When I'm a little more rested I'll do some more in depth research.

http://www.ehow.com/about_6113567_ca...-driving_.html

 

No attitude, but slightly disconcerting when someone is challenging my opinion, which naturally can be documented with factual material, then copy what I have stated and reply with an opposite point of view with no valid reference material, other than having driven a few cars that pulls, drifts etc. One item I must state is that when a car comes off a rack, the customer will see or feel no pull, drift or whatever term you want to use and there is no built in factory drift. Sometimes I think you are just being obstinate.

About that article, here's the author:
Jericho McCune has been a writer and editor since 2007. He has written for various publications, including "The Global Times" and Ridan Publishing. McCune worked as a carpenter and stage tech for 15 years before moving to China to teach English. He studied at Akron University and Shanxi University (Taiyuan, China).

Really qualified in the automotive field!

Also, if one is in the passing lane on a 4 lane highway, the crown is from the middle to the right to darin water, so why would you believe the car should drift left?????????

 

But even in the passing lane aren't you to the right of the highway center thus to the right of the crown?

 

That's not quite correct, according to Tire Rack on alignments:

Tire Rack.com-- "Alignment" in the Tire Tech section: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete...e.jsp?techid=4

 

Oh, that title should be to the left to resist crowned roads.

However, experience with cars drifting very slightly to the right contradicts that...

 

I'm talking about a DIVIDED four lane highway with a center median. If the road has two lanes or more going in a single direction, the road is crowned in the middle of the unidirectional lane, is it not? When you're in the passing lane on such a road your car is most certainly positioned to the left of the crown, however slight the crown may be.

 

On certain highways as you stated, with a middle divider, I agree that the passing lane would be slanted to the left, but now you're stating the car will stay straight in the left lane. If the car has that much camber difference to keep it straight against the slope, then it must really go right in a hurry when in the right lane with the slope downhill.


Well, we’re back to the Tire Rack bible and that is directly opposite of above conclusions. They say factory built drift right to stay away from oncoming traffic, and TR stats a built in drift left to compensate for crowned roads. Think how stupid that sounds, adjust so that the car will drift right if on a flat surface, so that it will stay straight on a crowned road, but how much crown would one assume and with no crown the car will drift left, absurd. Glad these guys don’t have an alignment shop. If I set up cars to drift right so it would stay straight on a heavily crowned road, and pull left on flat roads, I’d have people beating down my front door for realignment.

Don’t know how we survive with the TL as the camber/caster is the same on both sides, at least on mine.

Night all!

 

One day you will learn what I've tried to teach you but until then, try not to be so arrogant. I am right as you will one day find out. It's not my job to teach you. There are several huge holes in your reasoning but I doubt you would listen anyway.

 

Actually, I tried it out tonight on my '10 Subaru Impreza with 12k miles and it did still pull slightly right in the passing lane, but not as pronounced as it does in the right lane.

 

Ever dawn on you something is wrong, or do you just accept the condition because the car is a 2010 and came that way?
I'd take it in, find out what is wrong and get it fixed. Why would anyone drive a car that would pull up an incline or pull right and accept that it is the way it was manufactured? At least on the Impreza it would be an easy fix.