Hi, My mk4 Golf pulls quite aggressively to the left (well to me anyway compared to other cars I have). I'm used to steering into the camber but this is something more on this car. I've had an alignment carried out at two separate places and it made no difference. The car has always done this in my ownership. I had thought maybe the steering wheel wasn't on straight but it seems to settle straight but the car darts to the left. I have to counter steer a noticeable amount but when I do it tracks straight. I have replaced the front suspension - shocks, springs, top mounts, wishbones, arb bushes. I only replaced the left hand ball joint and not the drivers side (thought I had to take driveshaft out but now know I don't need to). Passenger driveshaft new too. The rear has new shocks and springs. It has 4 new tyres all round. New brakes discs and pads up front. I have noticed a very slight wobble of the steering wheel when taking the load off i.e when i reduce the pressure to counter steer. No steering wheel judder at any speed to indicate wheel balancing issue. Any thoughts on what I should look at next? I'm guessing I should change the drivers ball joint but unsure if that would cause steering angle issues. What else can cause a steering pull and how can i be sure my steering wheel is one straight? Thanks! Matt
Spin the steering wheel fully left, note the position, then fully right. Note the position again. Then rotate back to exactly half way. If that's not where the wheel sits while driving in a straight line, your rack might not be centred, (one tie rod wound in or out a lot more than the other, and the steering wheel moved on the splines) or a rear wheel out of line.
Thanks Tristan great tip on steering. I'll try that tomorrow. My rear bushes are original looking and the car has done 177k - could that be a factor causing rear end to be out of line? Although no noises.
Morning, did the steering trick Tristan mentioned and it is equal lock both sides and centred. I have changed the tyres around previously. I think change over the old ball joint on the drivers side (new one on passenger side) or maybe a sticky caliper? Can't think what else. I have only had the £45 jobby done on the alignment (twice). I did ask the second place for the full geo but they said not needed on the car as nothing can be changed at the back. I had thought no matter how good the front is if it isn't lined up to the back then it will always be out of whack but hey I never have much luck with tyre fitter outfits and could really do with finding a proper local garage that understands what they are doing when it comes to geo. Any suggestions in Hertfordshire would be good to hear.
Took the car out for a longer drive this eve. Checked tyre pressures. I've noticed the steering wheel settles off centre and any camber counter steering just exaggerates the issue. I should have taken a picture but the steering wheel is to right so that I can fully see the stalk on the tight but the left is obscured by the wheel. I'll try that lock to lock technique again but as the wheel seems to settle off centre I reckon its been off and not put back on right. Cheers everyone for the advice Matt
I had an Audi S4 until a tree hit it. No really, honestly a tree did hit it, storm last year snapped the trunk and fell straight across the rear end pulling the roof down on one corner, write off, and yep insurance blamed me?!?! Anyway, (I digress) that always pulled to the left. Changed tyres, checked tracking, fiddled with tyre pressures but only on the fronts. Turned out when I changed rear tyre pressures, inflating rear near side higher than offside it solved the problem. I guess if you’ve got one side at the rear dragging it creates a lever arm through the length of the car exaggerating the drag. May be worth a shot?
Interesting you mention the S4, my Seat Exeo (Audi A4 B7 in a different out fit), also had a pull to the left but it went when I changed tyres from the oem supplied bridgestones to different brands (goodyear, fulkens i've had on it over the last 60k). They seem senstive to road camber - really noticeable on the french autoroutes.
Matt, you really need to get a proper 4 wheel alignment done somewhere, to see what camber, caster, toe, setback etc you have. My own van started driving oddly lately, turned out the rear axle was knocked out of line.
Same as above, you could have "cross camber" on the front where there's more camber on one side than the other which causes a pulling. Depending on how bad it is some adjustment can be taken out using the slotted holes in the ball joints, although the more correct is for the subframe to be aligned I believe. I ended up taking my MK4 to VW, having marked the bolts on the beam and subframe. After getting it "aligned" I checked and some of the specs were still out and non of the marked bolts had been moved. Just took the car back and asked them to actually read ETKA, where it says it is possible to adjust the beam, and they did it at no extra cost. Can't really complain, although they did re-used all the single use bolts, keep those dealer standards high. Was about £75/100 initially though.
Yeah you guys are right. I am yet to find a decent garage who actually undestand what can be adjusted. I have paid in the region of £80 for cars in the past but didn't find the garage that did it particularly knowledable - on my Seat which I have owned since new and put 80k on it they said my car must have had a big accident as they couldn't sort the camber out on the left hand side. I stopped using them after that (the car had never been crashed) and everywhere local just does the front wheels. What I need is a place that understands alignment. I'm about to move house so hoping one of these garages linked can sort it. Dodgy steering really annoys me. https://www.alignmycar.co.uk/location/?postal_code=sg8+8ld&radius=50 Do places like "Tyre Pros" know how to do all the right adjustments - Nath you mention bolts that can be used to adjust stuff. Seems odd taking my old motor to VW but I suppose I could do. There is one very near by to the new house.
Yeah I've paid for 4 wheel before only to be told there's nothing to adjust on the back, even on newer VAG cars that are easily adjustable. Never used Tyre Pros so can't comment. About the bolts, almost all of the suspension bolts are meant to be single use and I just thought it funny that VW of all people re-used them. Its 99.9999% going to be okay but it just highlights the lack of care/costs too much/couldn't be bothered to read factor. The rear beam can have cross toe "adjusted" using slotted holes in the beam mounts where it fixes to the body. There isn't that much adjustment in it but it helps, The beam on my MK4 is maxed out now and just slightly off symmetry, so probably better than what the factory did. On the front the low ball joints mount to the beam with slotted holes so there's adjustment there. As mentioned the more "proper" way of doing it loosening the subframe and moving that, and then obviously sorting the toe out again after.
