Here's a fun story, but hopefully someone will think of something I haven't.

I bought 4 new BF Goodrich KDW's from Tirerack. When I got them, they were banded in two's. Took them to NTB and had them put on, as well as get an alignment just to be on the safe side (I'm driving down to Bristol Aug 1). As soon as I picked up the car, it was pulling really bad to the right. I took it to another NTB to have the alignment checked and they said it was all good, but they did rotate the front rims/tires to the back and vice versa. Picked up the car and it was only pulling slighty to the right and I could feel a little vibration in the steering wheel at certain speeds sometimes. So, tirerack sent me a new tire, had it put on the front right, didn't fix it. Tirerack sent me another new tire, just had it put on the back right, didn't fix it. I'm still slowly drifting to the right, but no where near as bad as when I first got it, and today on the interstate the steering wheel was vibrating only sometimes, but more than what it did when I first got the new tires. When I say vibrate, i mean it's going left and right pretty quick, but not very noticable when looking at it.

Any thought/ideas/suggestions? The car drove fine before the tires and alignment.

 

Which NTB did you take it to?

I would say the camber got trashed on your car.

 

I went to the one in Fairview Heights to have the tires put on, then the one in Earth City to have the alignment checked, then back to Fairview for everything after that.

How would the camber get messed up though? I'm not an expert on tires or anything, but NTB should know how to do an alignment. Or do you think just from getting the 2 new tires put on it could have messed up the alignment and I should go get it double checked? It's under warrenty with NTB for the alignment, so at least it'll be free.

 

It's possible they weren't balanced properly. I don't know if that would cause the pulling but if you're getting vibration and shaking, that can easily be what it is.

 

The only reason I say it's a camber problem is because when I had a little unplanned off-road excursion in my tC, it was riding and felt exactly the way you described it. Turns out my camber was all jacked up on the front passenger side.

I would go into a third NTB and wave your warranty around, informing them that you want to make sure it isn't a case of ineptitude on servicing your car that's causing the problems.

 

I would first let them test drive it and then have them redo the alignment. For every alignment I have had done, I have had to take it back 2 or 3 more times to get it right.

 

Haha, off-roading in the tC? I mean, I know it sits kind of high stock....

Thanks for the advice though, I will have it checked out again. I just don't want to believe that 2 seperate places could have misaligned it, but who knows. If I would have just gotten the tires alone put on without an alignment, that might have saved me some sonfusion.

Wow, did you go back to the same place to get it re-aligned or different places? Thanks for the advice for sure though. Sounds like I will be re-aligning and seeing how it goes after that.

 

Yea I did. Just keep on going back to the same place till they get it right. Tell them whats going on and they should take it for a test drive.

 

are you on stock wheels or aftermarket wheels? if aftermarket, do u have hub centric rings?

 

hey man.. crack kills... but yeah sounds like it maybe a balance issue.. n somethines Fed up with your alignment.

 

I wish it was just a humorous trek through mother nature. Hit a wet spot taking some twisties on a 70 outer road in Warrenton too fast. The road's raised where I went off about four feet high and I landed on my front passenger side with a ceremonious crash and a dust cloud. I've never been so terrified in a car.

So yeah, camber!

 

Vibration? No clue. (Other than the tire[s] being out of balance.)
If you're drifting ever so slightly right, that's normal. They do this on purpose so if you fall asleep at the
wheel, you drift onto the road side and not smack dab into on-coming traffic.

 

No aftermarket wheels here, just the stocks.

It's not an ever so slighty drift, more like if I let go of the steering wheel it starts to immediately pull right. It's strange because at higher speeds like 70 mph or so I don't have to compensate as much as say 40 or 50 mph. But I understand what you're saying, they grade the road for water runoff, sleeping drivers, etc.

I'm going to have the alignment checked and the balance on the rims checked this weekend. This shake in the steering wheel is just crazy. Sometimes it's there, sometimes it's not, kind of like nice weather!

Ouch, sorry to hear that! Talk about putting your foot down though

 

I'm not surprised at your problems with your tires from Tire Rack. I will get flamed as people are in love with Tire Rack out there but it's one of the worst places to buy tires!! Everything I ever got from them was defective! I wonder if they have good prices because they deal in 2nds and blemished tires. Everything was either out of round, or the belts already broken inside. Ever since I gave up on them and went to a local tire dealer, never had another problem with tires, except for regular balancing.

I'd suggest seeing if Tire Rack will give you your money back on the tires and take your business elsewhere. Even if they keep swapping tires out for you you'll see it will be one bad one after another.

It is NOT your alignment, it's the tires, they're defective. The belts are most likely broken inside causing the pull, since it's not flat when against the ground, but leaning to one side.

 

you need an LSD

 

This is no time for hallucinogenics!

 

Haha! I think I'd want a turbo before that!

Yeah, I'm starting to agree with that. Don't get me wrong, they have great customer service so far with me. I just had the alignment checked again and it was fine. I called Tirerack and they are sending me another tire, which this one will go on the front left. The tires that were on the front in the beginning are now back in front and the same pull that was felt the first day was back. To me that means it's one of the front tires, and since I've had the passenger side fron and back already replaced, it SHOULD be the front left then... We'll see. It comes in Wednesday so I will get it put on then. Until next time!

 

So, if my count is right, you're up to three replacement tires from them?

 

i had the same problem when i bought new tires and wheels from tirerack.com
Tires were Goodyear GT tires i believe, i started to feel my car drifting towards the right whenever i hit a bump on the road, it would jitter to the right but not too bad where i lost control but i would notice it a few times, but after having them for about 3 months now im not having this problem anymore, maybe they had to be broken in,um who knows, i never had an alignment done either or anything to fix it.

 

Yep, the third one will be here today. I'm going right after work to have them put it on the front left. If that doesn't do it, I'm not sure what will. I'm running out of time before I go to Bristol at the end of the month.

That was something else NTB said, that it might just wear out of the tire with normal driving. I'd rather not have it at all and replace some tires first, but after this 3rd tire, I guess I will just have to drive it and hope it works out.