legacycentral bbs

ok, heres the deal. When i accelerate, the car pulls right, and when I brake, the car pulls left. When remaining at a constant, the steering wheel must be kept about 3 degrees left of the normal straight steering wheel, just to keep the car going straight. I just bought this car, and the dealer had new tires put on it. Could it just need an alignment or is there something else there that needs worked on?? The car was sold as is, so I'm hoping that its nothing major. Anyways, please let me know

Well, it definitely needs an alignment, so it'd be a good place to start... find a well-qualified place that will perform the alignment and also inspect the entire suspension to see if anything's in bad shape.

I don't understand our cars' suspension fully, but it might be that you have a troublesome tie rod, tie rod end, or ball joint.

That's pretty much what I was figuring too. I don't have experience with subaru's yet, I was used to volkswagens. So I wanted to make sure that there weren't any known cases of this commonly occurring before spending the money, when it could be an easy fix. So, I'll have it aligned this week, and keep everyone notified of whats up.

Alright, I was wondering if the pulling to the right could be caused by the awd?? Is there any chance of that, the suspension seems to check out, it all looks good, the car is aligned. So I'm stuck with a problem. I don't know.

I can't see how the AWD system could cause that to happen.

If the brakes were catching it could cause the car to pull to the side, but it's hard to imagine it happening in such a way as to make it pull one way while accelerating and the other way while decelerating.

Did the place that did the alignment inspect every part of the suspension? I feel like it's gotta be an uncontrolled change in toe.

When i accelerate, the car pulls right, and when I brake, the car pulls left. When remaining at a constant, the steering wheel must be kept about 3 degrees left of the normal straight steering wheel, just to keep the car going straight.

The only time my car ever did that was when I had a broken control arm a couple weeks ago....
UM... you'd know if you had one of those... Big crunching noises during almost any manuvering.

Well, Does it have ANY other symptoms?
Does the wheel shimmy or vibrate when going straight?
Do the new tires that are on it actually all look okay and match?
Any other noises that could be associated with this? (maybe when turning)
Is it any worse or any better at higher or lower speeds?
How about wheel bearings?

I dunno, I don't really know much about cars. I just figure the more info you throw out here, the better chance someone will pick up on something...

Did they check the balljoints, too? Could also be tie rod/steering rack related. Definitely sounds like a toe issue.

Steve

dreamdefier wrote:Alright, I was wondering if the pulling to the right could be caused by the awd?? Is there any chance of that, the suspension seems to check out, it all looks good, the car is aligned. So I'm stuck with a problem. I don't know.

One of the nice features of AWD is that you don't have the torque steer that most front wheel drive vehicles have. Put your right foot down and the car goes where you point it.

As far as your symptoms are concerned: it sounds similar to a problem that my friend had in his Impreza wagon when he put his struts back together wrong. I believe there was a domed washer in the top mount that was in upside down. Something like that. Caused the car to pull in one direction, then in the other direction during different dynamic situations.

Alliteration aside, it sounds like something in the suspension or steering.

Ok, i took the car to a different shop, and found out that the problem was with my tie rod. So the tie rod was replaced, and now I have no problems at all with the steering. Thanks for all the input though.

ultrasonic wrote:One of the nice features of AWD is that you have the torque steer that most front wheel drive vehicles have. Put your right foot down and the car goes where you point it.

That isn't what torque steer is.

Torque steer in a FWD car is when you smash the gas, and the car jumps in one direction or another. Equal length shafts help prevent this, but it's the diff unloading to one side that causes erratic straight line acceleration.

AWD cars don't have this. I can launch and never have a torque steer problem. Any equal power FWD car, and I'd be fighting for control.

Point and shoot, yes. Torque steer, not likely.

The matched driveshaft lengths help significantly - my car has virtually no torque steer unless there's extremely messed up pavement and I launch it. Torque steer is one of the reasons I hate fwd. I like the car to follow my commands, not do waht it wants. Call me a control freak.

Steve

yeah they help, but it doesnt completely get rid of it. My car is living proof of that

Yeap, AWD and equal length shafts definitely help, but do not completely eliminate torque steer.

MK

BAC5.2 wrote:

ultrasonic wrote:One of the nice features of AWD is that you have the torque steer that most front wheel drive vehicles have. Put your right foot down and the car goes where you point it.

Torque steer in a FWD car is when you smash the gas, and the car jumps in one direction or another. Equal length shafts help prevent this, but it's the diff unloading to one side that causes erratic straight line acceleration.

Oh man, I know that, I just mistyped... there should have been the word "don't' in there. My bad. I'll even go back and put the word where it's supposed to be in my original post.

You dont' think I call torque steer a "nice feature" do you?

I've driven enough FWD to know what torque steer is. Speaking of which, you should check a current Cadillac. Northstar V8 + FWD = gobs of torque steer.

I think that's why most companies are returning to RWD or (if cost is less an issue) AWD. Most cars have to much power today for FWD. I test drove a Maxima SE before I bought my Legacy and it was a great car except for the (I think unacceptable) torque steer. If that thing had been RWD ... Well, I guess it would be something like the G35 now.

Steve

or like the 300zx seeing as how that's all it is, just nerfed a bit power wise.

ultrasonic wrote:Oh man, I know that, I just mistyped... there should have been the word "don't' in there. My bad. I'll even go back and put the word where it's supposed to be in my original post.

You dont' think I call torque steer a "nice feature" do you?

I've driven enough FWD to know what torque steer is. Speaking of which, you should check a current Cadillac. Northstar V8 + FWD = gobs of torque steer.

Figured as much, lol. No worries!

Drive a new caddy? Drive a new GTP! Total torque steer.