Why Your Car Veers Left or Right — And It's Not Always the Tyres

You've noticed it. The steering wheel drifts to one side when you ease off the wheel. You actively have to hold it to go straight. It starts small and becomes more annoying by the day until you finally decide to do something about it and go straight to tyre replacement, because that's usually the culprit, right?

Sometimes. But sometimes the tyres are completely innocent.

 

KEY TAKEAWAY: A car that pulls to one side has several possible causes. A tyre change before a proper diagnosis can waste money and leave the problem completely unsolved.

 

Wheel Alignment Issues

Wheel alignment refers to the angle at which your tyres meet the road. When key alignment parameters (camber, toe, and caster) are out of specification through hitting potholes or kerbs, the car will pull toward the side with the most deviation. Alignment should be checked when new tyres are fitted, after any significant impact, and every 10,000-15,000km regardless.

Suspension Wear

Worn control arm bushes, strut mounts or stabiliser bar links can cause handling that feels exactly like an alignment issue. Suspension wear-related pulling is often worse on rough roads or under braking.

Uneven Tyre Wear

A tyre that's worn more on one side than the other has a different contact patch shape and rolling radius from the tyre opposite it. This creates a pull. The underlying alignment or suspension cause must be addressed, otherwise new tyres will wear unevenly too.

Brake Drag

A calliper that's partially stuck, or a collapsed brake hose trapping hydraulic pressure, will pull the car toward the affected side. Brake drag tends to get worse as brakes heat up. If your car pulls harder after a longer drive, this is worth investigating.

Tyre Pressure Differences

If one tyre is significantly lower in pressure than the others, the car will pull toward that side. Check all four tyres cold before assuming something mechanical is wrong.

At Tyreplus HTR, we have laser wheel alignment equipment and the ability to check suspension and steering components properly. We'll tell you what's actually causing the pull before recommending a solution. 

 

Come visit us today or call us on  (03) 9560 0442