pulling hard left now

[mishalah]

'96 T&C van, just had alignment and tire rotation. Tech says everything underneath looked good (recent right axle, strut, and sway bar link replacement). NOW....since the alignment...it pulls hard left when accelerating from a stop or low speed. I haven't taken it out on the hiway yet.

Any ideas?

[RIP]

I'm assuming you changed the components listed and had the alignment done right away. If not, did you do a basic alignment, drive it for a while with no pulling, then have the alignment done and end up with the pull?

I would go back and have them confirm the alignment is good. Seems odd they do the alignment and now you have to do everything you can to keep it out of the ditch.

You left the impression you changed just the right side strut. Most recommend changing left and right as a pair. May be a contributing factor.

Why was the right axle changed? The new axle could be pushing the van left if the left side cv joints are weak.

[mishalah]

The struts were replaced about 6000 miles ago. The right side axle and the sway bar links were replaced approx. 500 miles ago. The van has tracked straight without any pulling until now. It was due for a tire rotation, and I was hearing some popping noises when turning/stopping/reversing. I thought it might be a ball joint, but the tech says everything looks good. I've never had any noises from the left axle. 116K miles.

The tranny was replaced about 20K ago. The tech wrote on my service order that it had a "major transmission leak"....although it hasn't ever left a drop of fluid on the ground. Makes me wonder what he was smoking, or if he was even referring to the right vehicle.

So....none of the components were changed at this alignment. The van didn't pull left before the alignmment and rotation. I could see a bit of wear on my outer right front compared to the rears. That's why I asked for the alignment with the rotation. No....actually, I asked them to check for anything worn out becuase of the noises I was hearing. They said it needed alignment.

[RIP]

I would either take it back to whoever did the alignment or take it somewhere else for another alignment. Make sure it's a 4 wheel alignment.

[mishalah]

Originally Posted by RIP

I would either take it back to whoever did the alignment or take it somewhere else for another alignment. Make sure it's a 4 wheel alignment.

I took it back and had the alignment and front suspension rechecked. They said everything was fine. It does track true when driving on a level road, but still pulls left when I hit the gas.

The tranny is leaking after all (isn't that a coincidence). I never saw any drips, but I park on an inclined driveway. When it is parked on a slight downhill it does drip a little atf. I added a pint right after I got it back from the second inspection, but it was the first added since the last service almost two years ago (<10K miles). They insisted it's a tranny problem.

I've only put maybe 150-200 miles on it since that inspection, but I am now hearing those little sounds I heard before I had to have the tranny rebuilt several years ago. Before the last rebuild it didn't leak....just those little noises and rough shifts that everyone seems to get before tranny death.

Is it possible it's just one of those selenoids or sensors needing replacement?

[RIP]

Pulling, popping, leaks. You've got a lot going on.

You've run the gammit on my experience with the pulling issue. Hopefully someone will chime in and solve this for you. The thing I don't understand is if it's pulling to one side on acceleration it sounds like a drivetrain issue but, why would that start after an alignment. If it weren't for that I would say change the left drive axle. Some say they should be changed as a set anyway. Just doesn't make sense.

Popping noises can mean different things to different people. If it's more of what I would call a click noise, find an empty parking lot, roll the windows down and listen for clicks while turning left and right at various speeds. This is a common check to determine if you have a cv joint going bad. A mechanic can spend thirty seconds twisting the axles, not see any play and call them good. Many times you can't get enough torque by hand to see the play. If you hear clicks turning left, the right outer joint is bad and vise versa. A clunk or jerk on straight ahead acceleration points to an inner cv joint.

A popping, clanging, or banging sound could also be a bad strut mount, control arm joint, ball joint, or swaybar joint to name a few. Unfortunately, many times the only way to know for sure what the cause is is to change the component and that can add up to big bucks. You need to find an expert and come up with a "most likely" list.

My only experience with a transmission leak was a leak that may or may not apply to you. Fluid was leaking past the front pump seal, flowing out a sensor and collecting on top of the tranny case. Eventually it would drip down over the sides. In your case the mechanic may have seen fluid on top of the tranny and called that your major leak. It may have been a smaller leak and taken a while to collect on the top and overflow. Take a look at the top of the tranny just aft of the engine to the drivers side. If you see red pools of fluid in amongst what I would call a heat sink grid molded into the case (small depressed squares) this scenerio could be your problem. Cost $700 to fix. I lived with it for 4 years. Just kept checking the fluid level and topping it off. When I started adding nearly a quart a week I cracked open the wallet and got it fixed. Cheers!

[mishalah]

Just to let those who have this problem know, I eventually replaced the motor and transmission mounts. That solved the problem for the past 6 months but I am feeling the same pull again...or maybe it's my imagination. I did have to replace the left front caliper and pads (only 4K on them) because the caliper was sticking.

Maybe it's just getting old and I hear every little sound it makes. I'd love to get an '05 or '06 with stow n go seats but the prices are going up instead of down. I'm spoiled by all the LXi options and wouldn't have one without leather.