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wandering wheels with a difference

Oldie Micra ('93) pulls slightlly to the left at even slow speeds. It's drivable but annoying. There was also some wheel vibration at

70mph (yes it will go that fast - eventually :-) ).

So I had the wheels rebalanced and the vibration has gone. Then I noticed the car was pulling slightly to the right! I knew which rim was which and saw the tyre balance place had swapped the wheels over. I swapped them back again (just to see) - and yes it pulls to the left again!

Don't understand this at all. I thought that if the tracking was out then it would pull one way or the other regardless of which wheel was where. It seems there's something wrong with one of both wheels in some way - no sight of the rims being kerbed or anything.

Any ideas how this could be?

Reply to
dave
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On Wed, 20 Oct 2010 23:51:42 +0100, dave boggled us with:

I had exactly the same problem you describe just the other week with my Citroen Xantia. It *looks* like it was a faulty tyre, though after doing

750 miles in the last few days, the bloody wheels have gone out of balance *again*. I'll be back at the tyre place tomorrow to get them to balance them for the third time.

Not cheap tyres either! I'd have an excuse if they were...

Reply to
Mike P

hi Mike, in my case I think the tyres are balanced ok as no sign at all of any vibration at any speed. I suppose I could go get the wheels alignment checked - but from previous experience - that could make things worse. Beside, if it was alignment I would have thought the car would pull the to same side whichever way the wheels were on.

Reply to
dave

Directional tread pattern, maybe ??

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Reply to
David

Its the bias in the tyres. Crook tyres in other words.

If you have both wheels off try standing them up straight on the tread, flat level surface, they will fall over, as a rough guide, to the problem tyre.

Reply to
Rob

Swap the wheels front to back.

If the fault disappears, you will have confirmed a faulty tyre.

It's not that uncommon, especially if the tyres are not from a reasonable maker.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan

Or they've different tyre pressures, worn differently or are different makes

Reply to
Duncan Wood

lots of used cars pull to the left, most road camber is to the left, most cars are bounced up kerbs on the left, the vast number of roundabouts shoves all the cars weight onto the left. Tracking on its own should not make the car pull one way or the other, but something bent or worn will. It may be worth taking a steel tape measure and (with the wheels dead straight) measuring things like wheel base left and right, wheel position in the arch etc.

Reply to
Mrcheerful

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