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Old 05-22-2022, 08:17 AM
Vanman1720 Vanman1720 is offline
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Re: Steering pulls left, not alignment

Quote:
Originally Posted by RidingOnRailz View Post
Actually, with what is termed a 'thrust angle alignment', T/A is the first item to be peformed, at the rear. Then the front parameters are set based on that.

In my particular case, the front camber angles on my 2010 Accord are supposed to be zero, with up to, I think, half a degree tolerance either way. On my example, I have negative 0.3° on the right wheel, and positive 0.1° on the left, both in the spec window, but both leaning left.

Visually, from the drivers perspective, both front wheels are leaning ever so slightly to the left. And as you know, a tire rolls in the direction it is cambered. So even with a perfect 0.00000(!)° thrust angle, my Accord drives slightly leftward with those two left-leaning wheels.

The aligner I used a year ago to correct this said he was "surprised" I even felt a drift. I told him, I'm the one driving the car, so I know what it's doing.

Using my knowledge of thrust angle directionality, I requested that he make the T/A slightly negative, while still in spec.

While not the complete solution, it has helped the car track as straight as it can, until the front cambers are addressed.

Again, this is on a 12 year old car, not a modern one with electric steering, lane assist, etc. Which is why any future cars I buy will also be low mileage pre-2012 examples. I am the final arbitator of how my vehicles roll down the road - not some computer or sensor
That's a great solution. Always great to know more about your vehicle so you can ensure you get a correct repair. I am sure when you talked to the person doing the alignment for you, they were probably confused at what you were asking for. haha
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