Discussion
Hi all,
I've just had the tracking on the front done as the car was pulling to the left and it seems I have a few problems.
I'm not an expert in vehicle geometry but know the basics.
Here's the results from their alignment rig.
I have copies of what the manufacture settings
Front
Rear
My aim is to have the car handle the best it can and to have the best fuel efficiency out of it. I do a lot of motorway miles and enjoy throwing around some B roads when I can
The car is a Citroen DS3 so has a beam type rear end and I'm thinking either its had a bang and it's miss aligned or it's bent. When I bought the car I notice it had a newer alloy on the offside rear so I'm guessing that side had an impact?
When I get some time I'll get the car on axle stands, see how much "slop" is in the mounting points and see if I can make that better. If its easy enough to undo the bolts maybe have the alignment place have a go at setting it better. I remember on my old 306 I could undo the bolts on the rear beam and push the car forwards to get the beam better, I just hope I can do the same with this.
One thing I don't understand is why the caster and camber are all over the shop? Is this because the gauges weren't setup correctly or something else? Is the maximum turn angle bit on the form required to set the steering central?
Thank you if you've made it through my post and yes after the tracking being adjusted the car still pulls to the left, I take it that's because the rear beam is pointing right
Is there anything else on the results I should be concerned about?
I've just had the tracking on the front done as the car was pulling to the left and it seems I have a few problems.
I'm not an expert in vehicle geometry but know the basics.
Here's the results from their alignment rig.
I have copies of what the manufacture settings
Front
Rear
My aim is to have the car handle the best it can and to have the best fuel efficiency out of it. I do a lot of motorway miles and enjoy throwing around some B roads when I can
The car is a Citroen DS3 so has a beam type rear end and I'm thinking either its had a bang and it's miss aligned or it's bent. When I bought the car I notice it had a newer alloy on the offside rear so I'm guessing that side had an impact?
When I get some time I'll get the car on axle stands, see how much "slop" is in the mounting points and see if I can make that better. If its easy enough to undo the bolts maybe have the alignment place have a go at setting it better. I remember on my old 306 I could undo the bolts on the rear beam and push the car forwards to get the beam better, I just hope I can do the same with this.
One thing I don't understand is why the caster and camber are all over the shop? Is this because the gauges weren't setup correctly or something else? Is the maximum turn angle bit on the form required to set the steering central?
Thank you if you've made it through my post and yes after the tracking being adjusted the car still pulls to the left, I take it that's because the rear beam is pointing right
Is there anything else on the results I should be concerned about?
OK, I am not an expert but here is my 2p.
Cars mostly "pull to the right/left" due to an issue other than toe, with toe, if it is out the steering wheel just re-centres out of true if that makes sense.
The rest of your car apart from front toe is non-adjustable so any difference will only come from slackening everything off & seeing if there is any movement in the right direction.
Whether it has had a whack can obviously only be told from a close inspection.
Cars mostly "pull to the right/left" due to an issue other than toe, with toe, if it is out the steering wheel just re-centres out of true if that makes sense.
The rest of your car apart from front toe is non-adjustable so any difference will only come from slackening everything off & seeing if there is any movement in the right direction.
Whether it has had a whack can obviously only be told from a close inspection.
E-bmw said:
OK, I am not an expert but here is my 2p.
Cars mostly "pull to the right/left" due to an issue other than toe, with toe, if it is out the steering wheel just re-centres out of true if that makes sense.
The rest of your car apart from front toe is non-adjustable so any difference will only come from slackening everything off & seeing if there is any movement in the right direction.
Whether it has had a whack can obviously only be told from a close inspection.
Yes, hopefully there is enough slack to get things a little better.Cars mostly "pull to the right/left" due to an issue other than toe, with toe, if it is out the steering wheel just re-centres out of true if that makes sense.
The rest of your car apart from front toe is non-adjustable so any difference will only come from slackening everything off & seeing if there is any movement in the right direction.
Whether it has had a whack can obviously only be told from a close inspection.
stevieturbo said:
Really...any before or after differences there are almost negligible.
Road surfaces can cause some cars to pull, as can tyres for whatever reason. Alignment is another possibility, but harder to determine.
On a 100% smooth and flat road at steady speed, does it not drive straight ?
When I first got the car I thought it was down to tyres so rotated them diagonally and had the same issue. I've just had new tyres, same make and type all around, Michelin before now Hankook, still have the issue. Took it in for an alignment, still the same issue. Road surfaces can cause some cars to pull, as can tyres for whatever reason. Alignment is another possibility, but harder to determine.
On a 100% smooth and flat road at steady speed, does it not drive straight ?
The pulling to the left is more than I've ever had on any car and it's on all surfaces and speed doesn't help.
Any idea on what the error factor is on a Hunter alignment rig?
Edited by DeeTurbo on Saturday 13th March 12:09
stevieturbo said:
Could be 0% wit a competent user and properly calibrated/setup rig
It would be 100% error with an idiot...which is quite common unfortunately.
At a basic level....is the steering wheel even straight ?
No, the steering wheel goes to the left when I let go and the car starts turning to the left.It would be 100% error with an idiot...which is quite common unfortunately.
At a basic level....is the steering wheel even straight ?
What are your thoughts on the values on the print out?
As already said, before and after are almost identical, so if they actually made any changes you would never feel it.
The wheels do appear to be pointing more or less where they should.
Maybe there could be something in the chassis that is bent, even if wheels are pointing correctly. Is there any history of crash damage etc ?
Are all steering components ok, nothing badly worn ? including suspension bushes etc
The wheels do appear to be pointing more or less where they should.
Maybe there could be something in the chassis that is bent, even if wheels are pointing correctly. Is there any history of crash damage etc ?
Are all steering components ok, nothing badly worn ? including suspension bushes etc
stevieturbo said:
As already said, before and after are almost identical, so if they actually made any changes you would never feel it.
The wheels do appear to be pointing more or less where they should.
Maybe there could be something in the chassis that is bent, even if wheels are pointing correctly. Is there any history of crash damage etc ?
Are all steering components ok, nothing badly worn ? including suspension bushes etc
Do you not think the rears being like that would cause any issue?The wheels do appear to be pointing more or less where they should.
Maybe there could be something in the chassis that is bent, even if wheels are pointing correctly. Is there any history of crash damage etc ?
Are all steering components ok, nothing badly worn ? including suspension bushes etc
The cars had a new N/S/F wing at some point in its life so looks like its had a knock that side and I noticed a newer alloy on the rear offside making me think that might have had a bang on a curb?
Bushes are in good condition. I normally keep on top of them as I hate that loose feeling they cause when they start to go. I've not changed any on this car so far.
I'd replaced the drop links when I bought the car as they were past their best. I'd also noticed the top mounts weren't correctly seated and aligned so sorted them. The top mounts were most likely not put in properly when the pervious owner had springs replaced after one snapped. Rear springs had been replaced to at some point. DS3's are known for snapping OEM springs.
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