Car pulling left and uneven tire wear problems
04-21-05, 03:23 AM
#1
Green Apple Splatters
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Car pulling left and uneven tire wear problems
Dudes and dudettes,
I've searched the archives but can't quite find a solution to my problem. Ok, here are the symptoms :
- car is pulling to the left while driving. Not "oh my god I'm going to crash" hard , just drifting gently. Happens on even and chambered roads.
- left had side tire is worn on the outside shoulder so there is now no tread left. The rest of the tread on the tire is fine.
- I have had the alignment checked and it is A-OK
- I checked for free play in the wheels. With my hands at nine and 3 o'clock there was no movement at all. With my hands in the 12 and 6 o'clock position there is about 3 mm movement.
- The LHS wheel to arch clearance is about 3mm lower than the RHS.
- I couldn't see any leaks from the shocks
- The rear steer mechanisms seems ok. No handling problems.
The tires are made by Faulken and the car has been sitting in my garage for most of the winter.
Any ideas of what the problem could be? It has me stumped and unless I can work it out soon if going to have to take it to Mazda (nnooooooooo...)
Cheers
Stuart
I've searched the archives but can't quite find a solution to my problem. Ok, here are the symptoms :
- car is pulling to the left while driving. Not "oh my god I'm going to crash" hard , just drifting gently. Happens on even and chambered roads.
- left had side tire is worn on the outside shoulder so there is now no tread left. The rest of the tread on the tire is fine.
- I have had the alignment checked and it is A-OK
- I checked for free play in the wheels. With my hands at nine and 3 o'clock there was no movement at all. With my hands in the 12 and 6 o'clock position there is about 3 mm movement.
- The LHS wheel to arch clearance is about 3mm lower than the RHS.
- I couldn't see any leaks from the shocks
- The rear steer mechanisms seems ok. No handling problems.
The tires are made by Faulken and the car has been sitting in my garage for most of the winter.
Any ideas of what the problem could be? It has me stumped and unless I can work it out soon if going to have to take it to Mazda (nnooooooooo...)
Cheers
Stuart
04-21-05, 08:31 AM
#2
Locust of the apocalypse
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The Allignment is not A-OK.....
the camber of the front wheel is off... its tilted too far out at the top.. this can be cause by a broken strut, or a bad balljoint, or bad wheel bearings.. I would suspect a bad ball joint.. you relly need to get the car up in the air and then stick a pickle fork or a crowbar between the a-arm and the hub and pry on it (don't superman it, but give it some force.. (can't do it with weight on the wheel) and see if it moves around.. if it doesn't move there... then its time to start checking the bearings..
wearing on the outside could also indicate that the wheel is toed IN and the front too much... but this would cause the car to steer right..
I think that the alignment shop did a toe-in alignment and didn't bother, or have the ability to check the camber of the wheels... take it to another allignment shop and have them check the car AGAIN...
as for the car sitting 3mm off.... after 15+ years of one person sitting on the drivers side.. this is pretty normal.. HOWEVER.. if its 3mm lower on the front drivers side and 3mm higher on the rear passenger side... that tells me that something is buggared up with the front spring or shock, letting the car dip towards the front drivers side...
the camber of the front wheel is off... its tilted too far out at the top.. this can be cause by a broken strut, or a bad balljoint, or bad wheel bearings.. I would suspect a bad ball joint.. you relly need to get the car up in the air and then stick a pickle fork or a crowbar between the a-arm and the hub and pry on it (don't superman it, but give it some force.. (can't do it with weight on the wheel) and see if it moves around.. if it doesn't move there... then its time to start checking the bearings..
wearing on the outside could also indicate that the wheel is toed IN and the front too much... but this would cause the car to steer right..
I think that the alignment shop did a toe-in alignment and didn't bother, or have the ability to check the camber of the wheels... take it to another allignment shop and have them check the car AGAIN...
as for the car sitting 3mm off.... after 15+ years of one person sitting on the drivers side.. this is pretty normal.. HOWEVER.. if its 3mm lower on the front drivers side and 3mm higher on the rear passenger side... that tells me that something is buggared up with the front spring or shock, letting the car dip towards the front drivers side...
Last edited by YearsOfDecay; 04-21-05 at 08:35 AM.
04-21-05, 08:41 AM
#3
Green Apple Splatters
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Thanks
I know it sounds as if it's out of alignment but the shop who checked it showed me the alignment figures with the laser wheel braces in place - the toe in and chamber were symetrical on both sides. It almost seems as if the misalignment happens when the car is driving and not when sitting on a ramp.
I will take a look at the ball joint but I hope this isn't the problem as it will mean a whole new control arm.
I know it sounds as if it's out of alignment but the shop who checked it showed me the alignment figures with the laser wheel braces in place - the toe in and chamber were symetrical on both sides. It almost seems as if the misalignment happens when the car is driving and not when sitting on a ramp.
I will take a look at the ball joint but I hope this isn't the problem as it will mean a whole new control arm.
04-21-05, 09:19 AM
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Have you jacked it up and checked for looseness? Did the alignment shop check for looseness? Perhaps a bad/loose wheel bearing, but it really sounds like alignment. Have you (or a previous owner) struck a curb on that side? The PO of my car did, and when I bought the car, the LF spindle was bent from the impact, and was wearing out the tire in the same way yours is, but that would show up during an alignment as way too much positve camber.
04-21-05, 09:52 AM
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yeah.... when i had an s5 GTU.... I kept my friggin tires balanced with every oil change cause i was REALLY sweating having to replace those arms... i Have NO IDEA what they were thinking when they went away from the replaceable ball joints like on the s4's....
However... you CAN replace the balljoints on the s5's... you have to have a machine shop with a press do it.. but I saw a thread somewhere about the part numbers for the joints.... Its still freakin expensive.... but not as bad as a new a-arm...
However... you CAN replace the balljoints on the s5's... you have to have a machine shop with a press do it.. but I saw a thread somewhere about the part numbers for the joints.... Its still freakin expensive.... but not as bad as a new a-arm...
04-21-05, 09:58 AM
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i love my s4.....ball joints were 20 each...from VB.....did i mention they came in a plastic bag with "mazda" on it?....i bought two just for the hell of it...and my vibration/tirewear went away with the balljoint replacement
04-21-05, 11:28 AM
#7
You need a new alignment shop...
who really knows what they are doing. Find a pro. He will find your problem and lay out your options. Stay away from the tire chain stores and that sort. The really good techs don't work for the kind money the chains pay.
Good luck.
Good luck.
