alignment - pulling?

Maybe, but I bet a nickel you have too much play in something up front which is causing the toe to drift.

--scott

Worn control arm bushing would do it.

9:28 snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote: "'04 Cavalier. Tracks OK with just me in the car, even on moderately crowned roads - at least, I don't notice pulling. With a moderately heavy person in the passenger's seat, it pulls right. Not horribly, but more than enough to noitice. Tire wear seems even. "

Sounds great!!

The past 3 cars I've owned have all pulled LEFT, passenger seat occupied or not.

Remember: Front Toe is NOT a directional parameter. It affects tire wear and how straight the steering wheel is when driving straight ahead.

If you notice pull or drift to the right only when a heavy person is in the passenger side, I'd say you have no problem and I envy you!

I'm worn out from always finding myself crossing the double-yellow and yanking the car back to the American side(!), and also from being told by shops that all specs are within tolerance and they can't find anything bent underneath.

Swap the front tires with each other.

Bill Vaneck:

On my THREE most recent vehicles?????

I seriously cannot believe that I could have a conicity issue with the front tires on the last two cars I drove and on my present ride.

I did try that, by the way, and it only slightly reduced the left pull.

If it changed it, there is a tire problem, but obviously not *the* problem. The only thing you can do is to change the alignment to compensate. Alignment shops do that all the time. Do you have a printout of your measurements? And what kind of car is it again?

What works, in my experience, is changing the camber on FWD, and the caster on RWD. The specs have a range, and you should be able to just tweak the cross camber or caster within the range.

Bill Vaneck:

The shops I use won't go "outside the box" for "liability reasons".

I currently drive a '08 Kia Optima. Before that, a '05 Malibu. Before that, a 03 Impala.

The Malibu left-pull, on top of video game feel electric steering, was the most egregious, requring the steering wheel be held 30 degrees over to the right to go straight.

This, after having grown up on early '80s Buicks where I had to hold the wheel about 10 degrees to the LEFT, a more normal circumstance.

Take it to an alignment shop and tell them your problem. Then pray that they're smart and not dumb. Be aware that you might get more tire wear. I've never had this problem before. You guys must have funny roads.