car pulls to right after being hit hard on left tire and slight dent on wheel well.
kia van backed out of driveway into bmw hitting about the driverside wheel well. After accident notice that the tire was turned at 2o clock position towards right side of car. There was slight den above at bridge of wheel well. Car was test driven and was driving fine no pulling or vibration. Car was driven approx. 726.5 miles without no issues or symptoms. Now car pulls to the right at speeds above 50 miles/hr.
What could be the issue? Are there any specific parts that could be damaged? What's the appropriate test(s) to diagnose the Problem? Appreciate your response. Thank you
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
There was probably at least some damage to your tie rods. These are the connections between the steering rack and the wheel. If one is bent or fatigued, it could even be dangerous to drive the car. There are some other components that may also have suffered including the control arms and the struts. At the very least you need to have the alignment set. Alignments are available at tire stores as well as the dealerships for a wide range of prices, but this can be a real case of you-get-what-you-pay-for. The alignment at the dealership or at a BMW specialty shop will be more expensive, but also more complete than a tire store.I recommend you have the front end inspected by a Technician from your mechanic before you get that alignment. you can usually count on the alignment technician to inform you of what pieces are damaged and need to be replaced before completing the alignment, but then you have to do the repairs on their terms and not yours.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced mechanics :
One of the Most Common Causes of Pulling is Wheel Alignment
The most common reason a car pulls to one side is that the wheel alignment is off. Whether it skews to the side over time, or you hit a particular vicious pothole, wheel alignment will be altered by driving conditions, and it should be checked regularly.
There are several other possible causes of a vehicle pulling to the side, including a bad wheel bearing, worn steering linkage, an uncalibrated steering angle sensor, or a worn tie rod — all of which are difficult to diagnose on your own and could be dangerous if left unattended.
One of the most common reasons why your car pulls to the right is the uneven air pressure in your tires. A tire with lower pressure on one side of the vehicle has a different height which causes the wheel alignment to shift. Under-inflated tires have an increased resistance to roll, which amplifies steering pull.
An aligned car can still “pull” to one side so the first thing to check is the air pressure in the tires. The car will pull to the side with the lower tire pressure due to the increased friction of the low tire. If this doesn`t correct the pull, try swapping the front tires from side to side.
Low pressure in your tires: While a heavy steering wheel is almost always the result of a problematic or malfunctioning power steering system, it can also be caused by low air pressure in one or more of your tires.
If your car pulls to the right, it may be due to low/uneven tire pressure, uneven tire wear, conicity or separation in a tire, improperly aligned wheels, worn suspension components (like tie rods), worn brake parts (like brake calipers), or torque steer.
When your tie rods go bad, the symptom you`re most likely to experience first is a vibration or shaking sensation in your steering wheel. You may also hear associated clunking and rattling noises, especially when turning the vehicle at low speeds. These sounds are caused by tie rods that are starting to wear out.
Camber can cause pull if it unequal side-to-side. The vehicle will pull toward the side with the most positive camber. A difference of more than half of a degree from one side to the other will cause vehicle to pull.
Poor camber and caster alignment can cause your vehicle to “pull”, and can cause tire tread to wear unevenly. Toe in won`t cause your vehicle to pull, but it can cause extremely fast tire tread wear.
Radial Tire Pull. This happens when the steel belts inside the tire are positioned off-center either due to wear or manufacturer default. The tire will naturally follow the direction of the radial cord. You can check this by rotating the tire in question to the opposite side.
IMPROPER WHEEL ALIGNMENT
The most common reason for a car pulling to one side is incorrect wheel alignment. If this is the case, when you release the steering wheel, the car will drift in one direction and the steering wheel is unlikely to return to its normal position.
A car that is leaning to one side is almost always experiencing an issue with the shocks, springs, struts, chassis, or suspension. These are all critical parts of the vehicle, and should not be dismissed. Continuing to drive a vehicle that is leaning to one side or the other can do further damage to these components.
Your pull(drag) may be a sign of a worn tire, bad alignment, or fault in your braking system. A fault In the braking system is likely responsible for a pull to the left or right or a type of feeling as if the vehicle`s weighted down.
One of the most common reasons that your car may be pulling to one side is that the wheel alignment is off – in other words, your wheels aren`t pointing quite in the right direction. Wheels are correctly aligned when your tyres are in line with the axles, making a rectangle parallel to each other.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
car pulls to right after being hit hard on left tire and slight dent on wheel well.
ANSWER : There was probably at least some damage to your tie rods. These are the connections between the steering rack and the wheel. If one is bent or fatigued, it could even be dangerous to drive the car. There are some other components that may also have suffered including the control arms and the struts. At the very least you need to have the alignment set. Alignments are available at tire stores as well as the dealerships for a wide range of prices, but this can be a real case of you-get-what-you-pay-for. The alignment at the dealership or at a BMW specialty shop will be more expensive, but also more complete than a tire store.I recommend you have the front end inspected by a Technician from your mechanic before you get that alignment. you can usually count on the alignment technician to inform you of what pieces are damaged and need to be replaced before completing the alignment, but then you have to do the repairs on their terms and not yours.
Front right tire hangs lower than left tire when placed on jack stands of equal height.
ANSWER : Hello – your RAV4 uses torsion bars instead of springs to suspend the weight of the vehicle. Each wheel/tire carries a different amount of vehicle weight. An alignment adjusts torsion spring force to support each corner of the vehicle to a certain height – called ride height. Think of this as the distance between the ground and a point on the undercarriage that will be the same side-to-side. It will be same for both front tires, and both rear tires, although the front and rear ride height may be different. This may result in different "tire hang when suspended" distance as you have noticed. Test this by driving the vehicle onto an absolutely flat piece of pavement, then measure the distance between the ground and a front frame or sub-frame point that is common on both the right and left sides. If the distances are equal, the vehicle was aligned properly, regardless of how the tire hangs when the vehicle is suspended.
Car pulls to the right after tire rotation
ANSWER : Hello. On your 2002 Mercedes Benz SLK320, all of the tires have to have the same tread design an the same amount of tread. Any variations will cause the computer to not read the sensors correctly which will cause these issues. You need to purchase two more tires that are the same as the new ones, and install the tires to replace the other two tires. If you want to have this looked at before replacing the tires, a local expert from YourMechanic can come to your car’s location to diagnose your car’s pulling issue.
Car body leans to right & steering pulls to the right
ANSWER : As the vehicle ages, the strut pulse dampeners on the pump may lose some of their gas pressure and require replacement. As far as the ride height, it could be due to the suspension in the right rear being low on gas or the suspension system being weak and unable to support the weight. Also, I have seen where the opposite side shock is locked and will not come back to normal height. Enlist the help of a trained technician, such as one from YourMechanic, to inspect your steering and suspension and perform the correct repairs.
When I put my car up on the jack and the front wheel comes up and I go to loosen it the wheel hole wheel moves left to right like
ANSWER : What you are describing sounds like free play in the tie rods. Your car has enough miles on it for this to be a problem. The tie rods are the link between the steering gearbox and the front wheels and as they wear, they will develop a certain amount of free play. There are about six pieces there that can be replaced as needed to tighten things up again. You can contact Your Mechanic to have a technician come out to your home or office to check out your front end and advise you on which pieces need to be replaced. Don’t put this off too long. Eventually, a worn tie rod can separate, if that happens, you will lose control of the car.
I hear a loud clicking noise on the drivers side by my tire rim when turning the steering wheel front tires vibrating as well.
ANSWER : A clicking noise on turning is very characteristic of a failed outboard CV axle joint. Sometimes, in such a circumstance, you can see that the rubber outboard boot is actually torn and leaking grease. If you see that (look behind the wheel toward the axle end), the axle for sure will have to be serviced. If you change the axle, be sure to install a new rubber seal on the transmission output side so that you do not have transmission fluid leaks with the new axle (a common mistake is to overlook that seal; if an old, left-in-place seal leaks after the axle is put in the job has to be done all over again). Vibration without actual shaking of the steering wheel "might" be related to the axle issue. On the other hand, such vibration could also be due to a failed wheel bearing, especially with over 200,000 miles on the vehicle and if those are the original bearings. If you were to need both an axle and a wheel bearing at the same time, and on the same side, that’s actually not that bad because the steering knuckle that holds the wheel bearing has to come off anyway to replace the axle. But, backing up here, the very first thing to do is get the issue properly diagnosed so you spend the minimum possible. If you want to obtain a diagnostic, please request a vehicle CV/wheel bearing noise inspection and the responding certified mechanic will get this taken care of for you. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.
Car steering wheel seems to being pulled to the right when I turn left and car shakes a lot while driving over 60 mph
ANSWER : Normally on the Hondas, the front end components start wearing out as the car approaches 200 thousand miles. You could have one or more worn control arm bushings, ball joints, or tie rod ends. Your hard braking episode may have put enough stress on the components to cause a shift in the lose components which has messed up the alignment. There isn’t any point in trying to have the car aligned until you have replaced whatever is worn out in the front suspension. If you contact Your Mechanic, they can send a technician to your home or office to check out your Honda front end and let you know what pieces need attention.
steering wheel turned to the far right and locked in place while the wheel are straight. and I can’t turn the key.
ANSWER : Hi there. From the description you have provided, concerning your vehicle’s steering wheel is locked far right and key won’t turn with the front wheels in a forward default position, is somewhat confusing to me. It could be, undo pressure is being applied to the steering wheel lock. You could try, physically moving the left front tire side to side in either direction, to relieve the pressure on the steering wheel lock. It could be, the key you are using has a problem, try another key if available. It could be, the ignition lock cylinder is at fault. I recommend having your vehicle’s can’t turn the key be diagnosed and repaired by a certified technician, such as one from YourMechanic.
