98 Camry Pulls Hard Left

[tc9805]

I hope someone can assist with a very bothersome alignment problem. The car is a 1998 Camry LE Sedan with 80k miles on it. I have been trying to fix this issue for over a month and have no indications whether I am going the right direction. The story line is as follows:

• Tires had 40K plus miles and were hydroplaning badly
• Had tires replaced with Yokohama Avid tires
• Car started to pull left, and while the car was in the air I noted the Struts were all leaking
• Had struts replaced with Monroe Sens-Trac Struts and car was aligned
• Car still pulled hard to the left
• Returned the car to the shop for them to address the pull and ensure the car was properly aligned.
• Car was kept 3 days, struts were removed, all from end parts were inspected, tires were rotated, and different manufacture’s tires were installed on the rims and installed on the car.
• The shop set the car alignment up more than 6 different ways. Car was set such that it should have driven off the road to the right as soon as the steering wheel was released.
• Car still pulls left!!! Hard!!

The only possible thought the shop has is an issue with the rack. I will investigate any possibilities.

Thanks for any input.

[Leviathan66610]

Yea I've kinda got the same problem but mines a gentle pull; sounds like yours is a bit more serious. It's time to consider things like rack n pinion, ball joints and tie rods. Also, a mechanic one told me the lower control arm bushings can cause that. Sometimes you just gotta do things yourself. Get under there and wiggle all the suspension components, visually inspect all the bushings. And if they all seem fine then it would have to be the rack n pinion

[carsrus]

Has it ever been in a accident?

[Admiral]

may seem obvious, but are all 4 tires inflated to spec?

[tc9805]

Originally Posted by carsrus

Has it ever been in a accident?

Yea, the car was in a small skirmish before it had 5k on it. Car was purchased new by my mother and in the first year she was hit in the left front at an intersection. All records indicate it was simply cosmetic and not frame or suspension damage was sustained.

The shop concurred due to the readings the Hunter alignment machine was putting out. his was one of the first things I mentioned to the shop and investigated with my mother.

What is amazing is that if it was bent or damaged from an accident then the alignment should be able to compensate for the pull through over adjustment.

The other particular thing is the mechanic looked for any obvious bent or damaged parts and was not able to find anything he thouht could cause the problem. Of course he was not a Toyota expert.

[tc9805]

Originally Posted by Admiral

may seem obvious, but are all 4 tires inflated to spec?

All tires were checked and are at the toyota recommended pressure.

[tc9805]

Originally Posted by Leviathan66610

Also, a mechanic one told me the lower control arm bushings can cause that.

Thanks for this input. I will get the car up in the air and take a look at the lower control arms. Do you know of a technique to determine if the bushings are worn?

The tie rods and ball joints were checked more than once and all concur that they are tight and in good condition.

[BMR]

Perhaps a brake is dragging on the left side?... stuck caliper piston or the caliper is stuck on the slider pins?

[zppeacock]

Do you have the sheet that the hunter machine printed off. My es300 (Camry) Pulls hard right, It pulls because of a worn out lower control arm bushing.

[Leviathan66610]

Usually if the bushings are bad something will be loose. But the best way to tell is simply to inspect for cracks or dry rotting. It's just like inspecting a tire or hose basically; rubber rots after so long and if the bushing are bad try to buy ones made of polyuethane. Supposedly it lasts forever without rotting.

[NFSPD]

I have the same problem was told it was the rack but not sure. Going to look into more this week. Will keep checking here to see what you find.

[peshwa]

NFSPD,tc9805 did you guys find out any correlation between cracked control arm bushings and car pulling towards left/right? If so please post back.

[tc9805]

Originally Posted by peshwa

NFSPD,tc9805 did you guys find out any correlation between cracked control arm bushings and car pulling towards left/right? If so please post back.

I apologize for mot replying sooner, I have been out of pocket and have not had a chance to get the car in the air. With the weather as it is currently I am trying to find time for further investigation.

When I attempt a fix the problem I will report back to update.

[tc9805]

Originally Posted by peshwa

NFSPD,tc9805 did you guys find out any correlation between cracked control arm bushings and car pulling towards left/right? If so please post back.

Originally Posted by Leviathan66610

Usually if the bushings are bad something will be loose. But the best way to tell is simply to inspect for cracks or dry rotting. It's just like inspecting a tire or hose basically; rubber rots after so long and if the bushing are bad try to buy ones made of polyuethane. Supposedly it lasts forever without rotting.

I concure with your statements on the polyurethane version. I have experience in 740 Volvos. Once I have a chance to determine if these are the culprits I will advise.

[73sport]

All,
Typically (as in almost always), cars do not pull from worn out parts like ball joints, tie rod ends, A-arm bushings, anti-sway bar bushings, leaky struts, ect. . .

Lets say the car was never wrecked or curbed hard but has 160,000 miles. Should it pull to the left or right with a normal alignment? No, all the parts wore out together. YES, it may drive like cr@p, and it might saw off your tires, and it might rattle your teeth but it probably wouldn't pull unless something else is wrong like, the right side A-arm bushing are damaged or missing as a result of someone mashing into the curb every Friday night for 5 years.
Also, It is the rightside of the car that almost always goes in the ditch and takes the most abuse (USA). Thus, the rightside could have a wheel set-back due to worn or damaged parts.

Check:
Rack - start car with front tires hanging in the air. Turn wheel back and forth and feel the difference. Does it trun easier one way than the other? A bad control valve in the rack or a leaky piston can create a pull. Or on a road with little traffic (safe place) and one which you know the car pulls on, place the trans in Neutral and turn the key off. Does it still pull?

Bad tires will cause a pull. You said this is the second set. Rotate the two fronts swaping them left to right and test drive.

This is not personal, just an observation; weak springs can allow the car to sag on one side and change the camber causing a pull. So can a heavy driver. Most shops seldom load the car as it is being aligned to simulate how it is used. Is this a factor? Measure the ride height empty and with you the driver in the car!

Alignment -
Excessive difference in Camber, caster, and wheel set back can make a car pull. Excessive toe out can be an issue when you stand on the gas creating torque steer but will not make the car pull when set to spec.

Typical alignment which works well on crowned roads daily driver:
Left - - - - - - - - - - Right
Camber 0.0 deg 0.0 to -.25deg
Caster 3.0 to 3.5 3.0 to 3.5deg
Setback 0.00 0.00
Toe = ZERO, to slight toe-out 1.5mm max

Thrust line, not a big deal a on front wheel drive car. Lots will look like crab going down the road and makes centering the steering wheel a pain.

FYI: I suspect if there is no damage to the lower A-Arm or strut but the car has some set-back on the right front you could loosen the craddle bolts push the right side ahead or pull the left side back. Get a tape measure and crawl under the car. Measure from equal anchor holes in the cars sub-frame to the lower ball joints. Both sides should be an equal length.

Let me know if you have any questions. Oh and post up the before and after alignment numbers if you have them. Also have the shop check the toe-out on turns to confirm you don't have a bent spindle or strut assembly.

Its fixable. Give us some info. . .
Good luck.