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Typical Causes Of Steering Pull

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A steering pull occurs if your car tends to pull to one side even when you try to steer straightforward. A steering pull means something is wrong with your car, and it is also a safety issue. Below are some of the reasons your car might experience such an issue.

Brake Drag

Brake problems can also cause your car to pull to one side. The brake drag may occur only during braking, or it can occur at any time when the car is in motion. If the drag only occurs when you apply the brakes, then you are dealing with unequal braking where one brake is stronger than the other. If the drag occurs at all times, then you probably have a stuck brake, brake maladjustment, or stuck return springs.

Extreme Cross-Caster

The caster is the angle between the steering axis and the vertical axis of your car for each wheel of the car. Ideally, the caster should be the same for all wheels, and steering pull can ensue if one of the wheels has a greater caster than the other.

Damage or wear in the transmission system is one of the things that can trigger such problems. Maybe a bent wheel strut or spindle is causing the uneven caster. Whatever the case, rectifying the caster discrepancy may help deal with the pull.

Tire Problems

Correct tire pressure is valuable on so many levels; it even helps avoid steering pull. For example, if you inflate your tires to different pressures, the tire with the lower pressure will experience more drag than the tire with the higher pressure. As a result, the car will end to pull towards the side with the low pressure. Such a problem can occur, for example, if one tire has a slow puncture. The same thing can occur if the tires are mismatched (and one side has a greater rolling resistance than the other) or if one tire is more worn than the other.

Unbalanced Power Steering Assist

Many cars use power steering these days, and the power steering relies on hydraulic pressure. The hydraulic pressure should be evenly matched on both sides to prevent steering pull. A damaged or worn seal, however, can reduce hydraulic pressure to one side of the car, leading to a steering pull in that direction.

As you can see, there are many underlying reasons your car might experience a steering pull. Thus, the best solution is to get a professional diagnosis and solution before the malfunction worsens.

Contact a mechanic at a company like Professional Marine for more information.


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