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View Full Version : pissed off about veering steering



skiz
01-06-2009, 09:58 PM
my subaru 5 spd legacy thats only 6 weeks old veers off to the right.

I noticed that the steering wheel was cockeyed to the right a bit when I first got it. I figured no biggie. Its a lease and I can get an alignment for free since I just got it. For a month I put it off cause I was having so much fun in it. (snow up in buffalo, and just came off driving a minivan for 5yrs) (along w/ new v1 radar detector, I was able to hit 103mph on a back country road here whoo hoo!)

So when I calmed down, and drove more normal, I remembered the pull.

If you hold the steering wheel level while cruising along, it will pull to the left. If you let go and let it self settle, It's a 1/2 off and will hold straight for 5 secs then pull right.

I've had it back to the dealer 3x as of tonight. 3 damn alignments. No change. the second time I had a teck drive it w/ me in it. He was like "yeah, it's a bit to the right", "I've had worse where people did'nt complain".

Well excuse the f--k out of me! :smt013

The poor service advisor girl is way nice and feels my plight, as I told her I need it fixed for a ski trip 3 hour drive on friday, and I don't want to have to keep straightening out the whole way down there. I just want to speed w/ my new V1, and be a porsche in the snow :smt026

Today, 2 tecks drove it and claimed it drives perfectly straight except for normal crowning in road. Ugh, I hate that excuse. It veers right no matter how the road is slanted! I explained this many times.

So I pick it up, and predictibly the same thing. So I come home too tired to call and complain. I've got to get 3 little kids and a wife ready to go to the trip. And, My service advisor girl calls to see if ok. I told her the news, and how I don't know where to go w/ this. And she acted concerned, that I'd get a call from the head mechanic who was sick today and not in.

I don't know what I should do from here. Am I too picky? Do all these subarus have pull in them? Are all the steering wheels off center a bit? AM I LOSING MY MIND!!!!!! :smt031

decke48
01-06-2009, 11:14 PM
all LHD cars pull to the right some. its built into the alinment spec and steering geomotry. i meant do you have to forceable hold it or it just does it if you let your hand off the wheel?

skiz
01-07-2009, 06:21 AM
thanx for replying.

when you say they all pull a bit, then thats normal? Does'nt this cause tire wear? why would they build this into the system?

when I'm holding the steering wheel I can feel tension that it's pulling to the right every few seconds when I'm holding it steady. Then when I kinda straigten it out it will go back to the right again.

If I straighten the car out while driving, and let go of the steering wheel, the wheel is cockeyed/tilted to the right a half inch or so and w/in 5 secs I'm veering into the shoulder and have to straighten her out.

Huffer
01-07-2009, 09:48 AM
thanx for replying.

when you say they all pull a bit, then thats normal? Does'nt this cause tire wear? why would they build this into the system?

So when a driver goes to sleep at the wheel they go OFF the road instead of into oncoming traffic.

You can dial this out a bit if you look at the alignment specs - if you've had three already look at the most recent sheet and post the alignment specs up.

Personally, if the pull is severe enough so that at 60mph you're in a ditch within 4secs then you have an issue. If you can just rest your hand on the wheel lightly to keep the car tracking straight, then you're fine.

rougeben83
01-07-2009, 11:58 AM
not all alignments are equal as well. Most places use database with alignment spec RANGES for each car; as long as the specs are within that range, (not whether or not it cures an specific tracking issue), it's considered good in their book.

Take it reputable alignment shop. That $50-70 you spend out of your own pocket is worth it if it means not wasting your time going back and forth and being without a car.

skiz
01-07-2009, 05:41 PM
thank you for the detailed replys. I will post some specs when I get a moment.

I have heard about the pull to the right so as not to go into oncoming traffic in the past, so I guess I can live w/ that, but the steering wheel has a tilt to the right when going straight. Can that be fixed?

Huffer
01-07-2009, 05:51 PM
thank you for the detailed replys. I will post some specs when I get a moment.

I have heard about the pull to the right so as not to go into oncoming traffic in the past, so I guess I can live w/ that, but the steering wheel has a tilt to the right when going straight. Can that be fixed?

The steering wheel tilt can be fixed... by the alignment people.

Sounds like you've had people put the alignment withing factory specs - which are ridiculously wide.

skiz
01-07-2009, 08:31 PM
Sounds like you've had people put the alignment withing factory specs - which are ridiculously wide.
what can I do then?

Huffer
01-07-2009, 10:26 PM
Give them exact specs to get the alignment as close as possible to.

Post up what you have on the last alignment.