I have an '07 Honda Accord that pulls ever so slightly to the right I’m wondering if it’s normal that it slowly wanders to the right when going down the highway. I think I remember reading someplace that it’s normal for cars to pull slightly to the right and that roadways are sloped slightly (elevated slightly in the middle) to allow for rain drainage. Could this be the cause of the car having a tendency to pull to the right?
Thanks in advance for any comments.
If the wheels are aligned perfectly true, then it would pull slightly to the right on a 2 lane road. Most cars have a slight difference in the camber between the right and left tires to compensate for this.
what do you call slight?
[b]To find out if there’s a steering/suspension issue, locate a large, empty, flat parking lot. Get the vehicle going straight and let go of the steering wheel. If the vehicle wanders off from the straight position, there’s a pull somewhere in the steering/suspension.
Tester[/b]
i would bet that you may have a whacked front end which may need realignment. have you hit any deep potholes lately?
your test of pulling to the right may be influenced by the crown in the road. try finding a road that is flat, or as tester suggested a parking lot.
i would suggest an interstate highway which has the camber in the center lane, so you can go from the left lane, (which is usually cambered to the left) then go to the right lane (which is usually cambered to the right). see if either lane makes a difference as to how much it pulls (more or less).
does this only happen when you brake? or is it anytime? is it worse when you brake? does the crown of the road make it better or worse (depending which side of the crown you are on?)
A little pull to the right on a crowned road is expected but you should barely feel it if at all with the steering wheel. You can set camber to cancel this pull out but then the car will pull to the left on a flat road. Your mentioning it makes me think that you may have a small alignment problem. The specs that I have for various cars that we have owned show no difference in camber setting for left and right sides.
Check your tire pressures and know that rear wheel misalignment can also cause pull.
I have never owned a car with a right/left difference in the alignment specs.
Check your tire pressures and have your alignment checked (by a real shop, not a quick lube or tire place).
Easiest to check first is the tire pressure. Be sure it’s on spec (at least not significantly different amongst the tires). If that’s not the problem, try rotating tires and see if it drives any different. My 07 Focus pulled right more than just a little. Cross-switched the front two, and the pull almost went away. Still had a little. Switched rears and fronts, still pulled right a little. Took it in for alignment, they increased the camber on the right side, and it’s just fine now. HTH.