I've noticed on the highway, and when I accelerate from a stop, the my car will pull either left or right. The direction seems totally random and varies between one way or the other on my 30mile drive to work. There also seems to be a very slight shimmy/vibration in the steering wheel that is hardly noticeable. Tires have about 3,000 miles on them. I noticed the first change in pulling direction after they were rotated @ 1,000miles (don't ask).

I assumed at first that it was my alignment, but when it started to pull in the opposite direction, I started thinking that it might be something more serious. Any ideas?

I'd like to have some knowledge before I bring it in to the dealer this weekend so I don't get ripped off with some bull$hit maintenance.

 

If it is pulling left or right from a stop with your hands off the steering wheel, then it is probably just torque steer (normal). If it is pulling either left or right randomly while cruising, then it is your toe (alignment).

 

nice write up!

 

On a side note. I noticed my maxima likes to chirp alot off the line .

 

Yeah, whazzzup pretty much explained it. After I got mine, minus the torque steer, mine pulls to one direction while cruising. The dealership did 3 alignments and 2 wheel balances, still pulls to one direction. I kinda gave up on them. Might go to Firestone and get the lifetime one. Hope its not a suspension issue.

 

It can also be a tire issue if it is pulling to both sides. Mine was doing the same thing and I had it aligned twice. The guy that aligned it swithced left and right tires on the front and it went from pulling slightly to the left to slightly to the right afterwards

 

My car also pulls, I'm thinking its the tires, although when the wheel is turned all the way in either direction, the front end suspensions or axle creaks going over a bump. I have michelin pilot sports that I bought the car with and I think that is part of the problem

 

Every single time my car accelerates from a stop it pulls one way and than the other... just torque steer

 

easy off the gas pedal...

 

Somes times a front to back rotation will ease/solve the problem - could be a tire or rim issue.

 

maybe its just the roads?

 

dont drive through puddles with only one tire.

 

lol. you should turn around and make sure to hit the same puddle with all 4 wheels.

 

if its going left and right at the same time u should be good... its going straight...

 

Definitely can just be a tire problem. I know that when my car was pulling to the left while just coasting on a flat road, I switched my front driverside tire with the back driverside tire and the problem went away.

 

as stated, its probably torque steer, but do you have aftermarket rims? or directional tires on your OEM wheels? high performance tires, usually of course on aftermarket rims, are directional and have a tendancy to follow grooves in the road. each tire is different how it responds, but its just something to think about if you have them.

 

Check the wear on your tires. Then report back.

 

Tire wear looks normal, perhaps slightly greater at the outside edges of both front tires. I'm going to get the alignment next Friday morning, hopefully that takes care of the issue.

 

Might wanna check the air pressure in those tires, correct me if im wrong but tire wear that is greater at the edges hints to underinflation.

 

Don't do that, the problem is that you own a Maxima. I have the exact same problem and took it to Goodyear 6 times within the week on my lifetime warranty. They could never get it fixed. I then took it to Westend alignment and it's now better. It still has a little drift to the right but it's barely noticable. Once Firestone gets it within spec, they no longer have to work on it.

 

i think he means the outside edges meaning the right side of the right tire and left side of left tire. which would mean that he has a camber (or caster, not sure which is which) issue. if its both edges of each tire then it is underinflation.

 

that makes sense too

 

i've done three allignments and my suspension is brand new so i just concluded that its torque steer.

 

I actually had this exact problem fixed today - depending on the road, the car would either pull to the left or the right. I didn't really understand what the mechanic was telling me (something about "toe" on all four corners?), but it just needed an alignment. The car tracks straight as an arrow now!

 

Toe on all 4 corners?

 

uhhh, not really sure how you get toe in the back, but alright. he probly meant toe in the front. that would make you track into grooves in the road much easier than with a properly adjusted toe.