Car pulling to the left.

Tesla

Tesla

Tesla

Soldato
Joined
19 Jan 2003
Posts
17,601
Location
Bristol, UK
On Monday my brother picked up his first car. After looking for months a good example cropped up and we got it for a good price.

It's a 1.4 Nissan Almera Premium (AC). 1998 "S" with 98k. Loads of service history and 2 previous owners. Pretty tidy and well spec'd considering the price (£825 with tax and MOT) and size/target market of the car. I will definately be recommending these in the "1st car threads".

The car hadn't been serviced for around 2 years so we have done all of that today. I was expecting super-tight sump bolts and the oil filter to be impossible to remove but it all came away easily.

Anyway, the only problem with the car (which we are fairly sure was not apparent on the test drive a few days before picking it up) is that the car is pulling to the left quite hard. It's making my brothers arm ache and also seems a little dangerous and I imagine will not benefit various suspension components.

The front tyres are relatively new and are middle-of-the-road brand/perfomance Nankang I think.

I have pumped all of the tyres to the correct pressures.

When the car drifts round to the left the steering wheel is also being pulled round to the left. If the steering wheel is held straight the car will go straight but is constantly wanting to pull round to the left.

So, what could be possible problems?

I have a keen eye and can spot no signs of any accident damage.

I have noted that the drivers side of the car has much lower brake pad than the passenger side.

I was thinking the next step to take is get some 4-wheel laser alignment done? Any recommended places in/around Bristol?

Cheers!
 
Last edited:
the uneven brake pad wear suggests you might have a binding brake.
even though you would expect that to pull to the left, you would need the passenger side brake to be binding.
however it could be that it is the passenger side that is binding and the previous owner just replaced the one side.
try jacking up the car and rotating the front wheels. then get an assistant to press on the brake pedal and release it, check that the wheel moves freely straight after releasing the pedal.

other than that check the wheel alignment. also could be a knackered balljoint.
 
Many thanks. The uneven wear is I think a possible clue.

How can I check for a worn ball joint, excessive play?
 
It was the tracking, +3.9 on the n/s wheel toe and the o/s wheel was +ve toe. Camber was ok though. Got it done at ProTyre. Very impressed with the people, garage and equipment. Price was also good at just £23.50!

We are going to replace the front brake pads and also replace the brake fluid in a month or so as I imagine old fluid is causing uneven pad wear, nothing is binding.
 
Wicked, I brought a 98 Almera as my official first car, lovely little car if looked after!

In just under a year of owning it, i've had to spend less than £150 including 4 tyres and a full service :D.

Nice cheap fix on the alignment issue as well!

edit: by "official first car" I meant the first car I have had for more than two weeks!
 
Having to revive the thread as Dad drove my brothers car and it's stilling pulling to the left, not as bad but it still is doing it more than just drifting with the camber of the road?

What would you check next?
 
Firestar_3x said:
I would now be looking for something bent :p
Click to expand...
Where's El?


FrannoBaz said:
My friend has the same problem with his 2006 Nissan Micra GT... Perhaps its a Nissan Brake issue?
Click to expand...
It is pulling all of the time, not just under breaking.
 
I own a 96 almera and it pulled to the left too. I went to get the tyres looked at and the guy in the garage said that my front left alloy wheel was buckled and he couldn't get it to balance. Pulls a lot less with a new wheel on but still does it a little. Doesn't bother me enough to look into it any further

I treat my car like crap and it never gives me any grief really.

I doubt any of this info is of any help whatsoever :rolleyes: good luck
 
I recently had a very severe pull to the left in my car that I assumed was tracking, got that done and it felt marginally better so I was convinced it was some expensive suspension/brake thing. In the end it was resolved with by getting two new front tyres, the new tyres were not the cure but the balancing was one of my wheels had a slight dent in it and now has the biggest balance weight I have ever seen!
 
Thanks for the tips so far. My brother took it back to ProTyre (the place he had the tracking done originally) and they said that the toe of the front right wheel was out so have realigned it for free (he took the receipt and print out from the other week with him).

Is this likely to of been causing the pulling to the left?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom