I have a ’09 VW Routan mini-van that pulls to the right.
When you let go of the wheel it pulls so bad that it changes lanes quickly. The
front right tire is also going bald on the outside which is unexpected since
the tires have less than 10k miles on them. First, I assumed it was not aligned.
I had an alignment done and also replaced the bald front right tire, but neither
the alignment nor the new tire was successful in correcting the pull. I then roated the tires and the pull remains. I then
compared the front brake pads and found the right front brakes were worn much
more than the left front brakes. I then assumed a stuck caliper. I replaced the
front right caliper and bled all the brake lines. The pull is not as bad as
before, but the van still pulls to the right and the new tire is showing wear
on the outside. I would like to fix this problem before I have to replace
another tire.
The outer edge of the tire wearing down on one side only generally means there is too much positive camber. This means the top of the wheel assembly is further out than the bottom.
Too much positive camber on the right front will cause a pull in that direction. The usual preference is that the RF wheel have more negative camber in it than the LF.
If you got a printout of the alignment you should look at the camber specs closely. My gut feeling is that the car has a curb strike against it. That can have a tendency to bend a control arm and cause the wheel assembly to kind of “kneel under” so to speak; meaning the top of the wheel is out further than the bottom.
If this happens it usually throws the toe adjustment way off so you should look at the specs to see if there was any toe adjustment made.
Compare the temperature of the front wheels after a drive, preferably using an infrared thermometer. If the right side is hotter, then you haven’t fixed your brake problem, in which case I’d replace the brake line next.
A complete inspection of the front end would be a good idea to look for damaged or worn parts.
Brake issues won’t cause irregular tire wear. What you describe about your tire wear suggests an alignment issue. When you had the car aligned they gave you a printout of your readings. Are you able to post a copy of that here?
Otherwise, I recommend having the alignment checked again.
Alignment - less caster on the right causes a right pull, more positive camber on the right compared to left causes a right pull. Brake drag (stuck caliper, stuck slides, bad hose) on the right causes a right pull.
Check them all AND make sure the alignment checks the rear as well because if the rear steers right, the van will go left
You on the steering wheel tugging it back left causes wear on the outside of the tire.
