5th & 6th Generation (2002-2006 & 2007-2011)Toyota Camry Discussion for years: 2002-2006 & 2007-2011
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My dealer just did a full 4 wheel alignment and it did not fix the problem. Dealer keeps telling me that this is "normal". I do a lot of highway travel and it just doesn't feel natural. My steering wheel has to point to 11 o'clock position if I'm in the outside lane (slow lane) or 1 o'clock position if I'm in the inside lane (fast lane). If I straighted the steering wheel then it immediately starts drifting into the next lane. If I'm on a perfectly leveled road then it tracks straight. I've owned Accords, Civic SIs, Prelude, Maxima, Mazda 3, BMW 3 and a Audi A6 before but I've never had this problem before? Is this something I'm gonna have to live with?
Is this really "normal' for this car? Are others 07 Camry owners experiencing the same thing?
A crowned road means that the outside/right hand side of the lane is lower than the left side of the lane. This improves the drainage of the road but adversely affects vehicle handling. Road crown must be compensated for in alignment settings because a vehicle driving on a crowned road leans to the right, causing some weight transfer to the right, and the camber changes slightly more positive. This combination creates a pull or drift to the right. Most alignment technicians adjust the vehicle with a slightly more positive camber, usually 1/4°, on the left to compensate for the road crown. This slightly more positive camber will not cause a noticeable pull when driving on a flat road. However, if camber is unequal from side to side with a difference greater than 1/2°, the vehicle will pull to the side with the most positive camber. If the specifications allow, 0° to ±.5° is usually best for tire life and vehicle handling.
So the moral of the story is to have your mechanic make adjustments accordingly from nominal alignment in terms of your camber adjustments.
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Both my 07 SE V6 and the family Benz ML500 tend to start steering in the direction of the road angle if you leave the wheel alone for 2-3 secs (which is normal), but certainly drive straight when the wheel is held at 12 o-clock.
Have you checked for uneven tire wear?
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If this is normal condition, why is this happening to some people and not to others driving the same vehicle?
Not all roads are graded EXACTLY the same. Every single road is different. This explains why some people notice and others dont, Unless they aren't noticing it on the exact same road as you there is no problem
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Both my 07 SE V6 and the family Benz ML500 tend to start steering in the direction of the road angle if you leave the wheel alone for 2-3 secs (which is normal), but certainly drive straight when the wheel is held at 12 o-clock.
Have you checked for uneven tire wear?
I've recently had my tires rotated and the ones I have now in front have more tread left on them. This problem existed even before the tire rotation and I was hoping this would remedy the problem but it did not help. Both of the front tires have plenty of tread left on them and they have about the same amount of wear on them. The Michelin Energy MXV4 S8s have about 19,000 miles on them now. Dealer also did full 4 wheel alignment after they replaced immediate shaft for steering wheel noise TSB about a month ago.
Not all roads are graded EXACTLY the same. Every single road is different. This explains why some people notice and others dont, Unless they aren't noticing it on the exact same road as you there is no problem
I've been on I-85, I-75, I-20 and I-26 extensively and I've noticed this issue on all four of the interstate highways. It even does it on local roads with angles. I feel like they can use my car to measure the curvature of the roads.
You don't know what it's like to have a vehicle that follows road crown or ruts until you drive a car with no suspension bushings, 275 width front tires, a lot of negative camber, and a lot of positive caster. Just driving straight on most roads is a work out.
I have noticed that my 07 SE has more bump steer and feedback to the steering wheel then my wifes 02 LE. I actually prefer more road feedback. And yes, I can sense/feel road crowns more on the 07.
I take I-80 and I-76 to work in Akron, OH every day and this definitely happens to me, especially on I-76. I've found it varies greatly, but its the worst on the highways. The handling on the Camry is so sensitive; I think maybe that's why its more noticable than other cars I've owned.
It's a non-issue for me. You really can't fault a car maufacturer for the way the roads are paved.
My dealer just did a full 4 wheel alignment and it did not fix the problem. Dealer keeps telling me that this is "normal". I do a lot of highway travel and it just doesn't feel natural. My steering wheel has to point to 11 o'clock position if I'm in the outside lane (slow lane) or 1 o'clock position if I'm in the inside lane (fast lane). If I straighted the steering wheel then it immediately starts drifting into the next lane. If I'm on a perfectly leveled road then it tracks straight. I've owned Accords, Civic SIs, Prelude, Maxima, Mazda 3, BMW 3 and a Audi A6 before but I've never had this problem before? Is this something I'm gonna have to live with?
Is this really "normal' for this car? Are others 07 Camry owners experiencing the same thing?
Just a question, "Could the body weight of only a driver affect the alignment, if so, what would the results be on the handling (flat road/high crown road)?
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Just a question, "Could the body weight of only a driver affect the alignment, if so, what would the results be on the handling (flat road/high crown road)?
The weight of a driver has little affect on alignment. That being said, I did have to align one vehicle with the driver in it because he was HUGE and caused the vehicle to pull.
"Camber is the one adjustment that can be set according to driving habits. Generally, if you drive more aggressively when cornering, more negative camber can be set. If you drive on highways and do very little hard cornering, more positive camber can be set."
I also heard that on some front wheel drive vehicles camber adjustment is not even available. Do you guys know if it is adjustable on 07 Camrys?
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