98 Lesabre alignment problem

[Greg R]

After having new struts installed I took the car in for an alignment. After 3
return trips to the alignment shop the car still drifts to the right. The alignment shop says it's a tire issue. Before the strut replacement the car tracked straight. The tire pressuse is the same all around and we rotated them but the car still drifts to the right. What could we be overlooking or has anyone seen this problem before?

[happydog500]

You'd be surprised to find out how roads can effect a car. In my state, you might not be able to see when you drive, but there is a crown in the road. That is, it's higher in the middle then it is on the edges.

Like I said, you might not be able to see it, but it's there even if it looks flat.

This is probable not the problem, just one thing it could be that I know of.

What kind of 'tire issue" do they say it is?

Chris.

[Greg R]

They don't say what the tire problem is. That's why I think it's the excuse
of first resort. The area we drove it on does have some crown to the road.
I just tried it in a flat parking lot and the car requires a steady pressure to the left to keep it in a straight line.

[inafogg]

if the car pulls on a flat road & moving the tires around does'nt change anything then i'd suspect the alignment.did they give you a print out??if so look at the caster readings are they close to the same +/- 1/2 degree??
Good LUCK

[imidazol97]

If it didn't pull one way before that may have been a coincindence or it may mean something changed when they did the realignment.

You have rotated tires side to side on the front? And that doesn't affect the action.

I suggest finding a really flat road like a newly laid concrete highway which usually has the least crowning and has only the gentle slope from top to side. Or you can find a road not traveled much and drive down the left side for a distance and note that a car should lead slightly to the left in that case due to crowning of the road and then lead to the right slightly when back on the right side of the road. I do the same testing on the inside lanes of an interstate. Often the 1 and 2nd lanes slope to the right and the inside lane slopes to the middle of the interstate for drainage.

Possibilities are there is a caster setting that is different with the new struts. There is no caster variation. But they can grind the holes and make room to give a different caster. They did that for my car because it would lead to the left--98 LeSabre, when new. The dealer had originally given some cross caster and camber to compensate with the original soft General tires. When I put on Michelins the quality of the tire meant the drift feel was back.

Another problem might be from the mounting bolts for the whole front frame portion for the motor and wheels. Maybe it's called the carriage or cradle. I've read a couple of posts in high salt areas where people have had had rusting in the bolt area where those mount to the rest of the body. I don't remember if the bolts or plates have rusted but that's been on a couple of Bonnevilles (same car).

Might be worth a check at a place that KNOWS the car like the dealer or an alignment place that knows more than $69.95 and out the door like some shops around here.

After the problem with my car I figured out that the cradle is bolted on slightly off from where it should be.