2002 taurus pulls to right while driving.

[libraflo]

I have a 2002 taurus with 3.0 engine which pulls right while driving. At first it was a slight pull but has progressed to a major pull.
I thought it was a caliper not releasing but I checked the rotor temps with a laser gun as well as felling the rotors and they are both about the same temp. I can accelerate in a parking lot and the car doesn't pull when applying the braked aggressively.
I noticed today the steering wheel slightly rotates back and forth slightly when slowing down.
I intend to have the tires rotated and the alignment checked tomorrow. I don't remember hitting anything that would be noticeable. Never had a bearing do this.
Any of you guys have any other ideas.
I bought brake parts to rebuild brakes but I am not sure this is a brake problem. I can return the parts for a full refund so no problem there.

[shorod]

The slight wobble in the steering wheel when slowing down would suggest you have a brake rotor, or rotors, on the front of the car that are warped. That won't necessarily cause the car to pull. From your description, it sounds like the pull is constant when running down the road, it doesn't seem related to acceleration or braking, is that correct? Is the pull to the right noticeable on the highway? Roads will often have a crown to them to allow water to run to the shoulder, and that crown can cause a properly aligned car to appear to pull to the right.

Rotating the tires is where I would suggest you start, and if they are not directional tires, I'd try swapping them to the other side of the car rather than just front to rear. If the pull changes based on this, then the tires are probably the cause. While rotating the tires, carefully inspect the suspension and steering components for looseness.

Since this forum is most effective when people identify what ultimately fixed the vehicle, please be sure to reply back with what you find as you work through this issue.

-Rod

[libraflo]

I had the car checked by the tire dealer I use and it was radial tire pull. Rotated the tires and problem solved.

[shorod]

Thanks for following up with what you found. You may want to pressure the tire shop to replace the new tire that was causing the pull. It sounds like one of the tires may have a separated belt. Unless you can get the tire dealer to put in writing that there is no need to rotate these tires in order for the warranty to be honored, the problem is only "solved" until you rotate the tires again in about 5000 miles.

-Rod