HELP! Mustang still pulling to the right even after alignment at the dealer!

[Lakersfreak]

I took my Stang in for it's first oil change, and had them check the alignment because it's been pulling to the right since day 1. Apparently one of the wheels were off alignment and they fixed it. However, it's still pulling to the right. It's not the crown of the road since it happens on every single road I am on. Anyone have any clue on what is going on?

Also, they didn't do a tire rotation cause the service tech said the tires are different sizes and they can't do a tire rotation. Is this true?

Sponsored

 

[Mustangbuc85]

I took my Stang in for it's first oil change, and had them check the alignment because it's been pulling to the right since day 1. Apparently one of the wheels were off alignment and they fixed it. However, it's still pulling to the right. It's not the crown of the road since it happens on every single road I am on. Anyone have any clue on what is going on?

Also, they didn't do a tire rotation cause the service tech said the tires are different sizes and they can't do a tire rotation. Is this true?

you dont happen to have a picture of the alignment print out do you? also if you have a GT than yeah they are staggered fitment tires and cant be rotated

 

[LouG]

Sounds like the alignment may not be correct. I wonder if they did a cheap and nasty toe check, or did all the other geometries too?

 

[kinelisch]

you dont happen to have a picture of the alignment print out do you? also if you have a GT than yeah they are staggered fitment tires and cant be rotated

I thought all my tires were 255s. Now I have to go check. I have a 24 GT Premium with the 19 inch bronze wheels.

 

[509Mike]

I took my Stang in for it's first oil change, and had them check the alignment because it's been pulling to the right since day 1. Apparently one of the wheels were off alignment and they fixed it. However, it's still pulling to the right. It's not the crown of the road since it happens on every single road I am on. Anyone have any clue on what is going on?

Also, they didn't do a tire rotation cause the service tech said the tires are different sizes and they can't do a tire rotation. Is this true?

Do you have lane keeping assist turned on? That might be the problem.

 

[Lakersfreak]

I only have the vibration on not the function where it's supposed to keep the car within lanes. I did turn the keep car within lanes function off a while back cause it wasn't working properly....it would push me towards the other lane! I'm wondering if that issue is related with my steering wheel being off.

 

[GrabThatBlue]

I thought all my tires were 255s. Now I have to go check. I have a 24 GT Premium with the 19 inch bronze wheels.

Only Performance pack have staggered wheels. A normal GT has 4 same wheels.

 

[Jim Bob]

Check to see if your RF brake is maybe dragging a little bit. It wouldn't take much to give you a slight pull to the right.

 

[Lakersfreak]

Check to see if your RF brake is maybe dragging a little bit. It wouldn't take much to give you a slight pull to the right.

How do I check that? RF= Right Front?

 

[rustedrotors]

Any change to the pulling. Sometimes correcting alignment alone wont fix it. Tire has wear in the direction.

Should of improved a bit. My car drives ok, but the inside edges are wearing. Looked at the car, there isn't much ajustment without any service kits. Bolts with cam washers.

My beater 2004 altima has them all over the front and rear stock. MY last pickup, a 2004 ram 1500 had to have servce kit bolt set put on.

Not many folks at the shop can do a good alignment, or are allowed the shop time to do it right. I would do it the old school way at home, then have it polished up at a private repair shop. Sometimes it takes 2-4 times to get the mix of adjustments right. I would do the 1st 1 or two and make ure everything moves easily for them.

 

[Farmer Fran]

I have heard rumors of the lane keep being jacked and causing the steering to be off, not necessarily in the Stang but other vehicles.

 

[Jim Bob]

How do I check that? RF= Right Front?

Yes, RF is Right Front. I used one of those infrared heat gun temp reader things and found a hot right front rotor on my son's Edge after driving, as compared to the LF. I guess the piston had slightly stuck in the bore on the caliper...just enough to cause the pad to drag a bit and make pull to the right ever so slightly.

 

[Alan Applegate]

It is my opinion that Ford's manufacturing slogan isn't always correct. If you talk to the dealers, they'll tell you that far too many times, realignment is necessary before delivery. I sort of suspect the alignment is on the dealer as part of the new car get ready routine.

My Eco-Boost wasn't correct as the steering wheel was sitting about 7° to the left, and the car pulled right. The dealer didn't get it correct the first time, much less the second time. I had it realigned at a shop with a brand new Baer machine. They apparently know how to do things right, as every parameter is dead center of the range settings.

 

[Skye]

As mentioned by @Mustangbuc85 , did you receive a before and after printout of the alignment settings? They should have offered that to you. If they did, can you post that? If the factory settings have been confirmed correct, that variable can be removed and other topics checked.

While the tires cannot be rotated from end-to-end (staggered setups), they could be rotated side-to-side.

If (1)the alignment specs are good, (2) the tires have worn evenly and (3) the pressures correct, the tires could be moved from side-to-side, to see if the condition changes. If any of these three attributes is not right, any one of them could cause an issue.

While it doesn't happen near as often as years past, tires can be made with a defect often called "radial pull". Something in the way the tire internals are laid in the mold causes the it to tug to one side or the other.

If items 1-3 are correct, and there are no problems with the brakes (see below), one of the tires might be faulty. I'd have to read it, but there's a Ford Tire Warranty.

https://www.fordservicecontent.com/Ford_Content/catalog/owner_guides/11tirtw2e.pdf

Edit,

As to the brakes dragging, that could be happening. If it's been occurring since new, I'd think a brake-specific issue would have presented itself, either by sound, smoke, brake pad wear, alarm, etc. Front or back. Should be kind of obvious, either by checking temps or simply spinning the wheel by hand.

 

[Stonehauler]

I took my Stang in for it's first oil change, and had them check the alignment because it's been pulling to the right since day 1. Apparently one of the wheels were off alignment and they fixed it. However, it's still pulling to the right. It's not the crown of the road since it happens on every single road I am on. Anyone have any clue on what is going on?

Also, they didn't do a tire rotation cause the service tech said the tires are different sizes and they can't do a tire rotation. Is this true?

The last can be true. If you have a staggered setup and a directional tire (often the case with staggered setups), then yes, they will be unable to rotate the tires. In general, a staggered setup means that your tires (rears especially) will get about HALF the normal wear rating in terms of lifespan. So if you get a 50k mile tire, you will be replacing it in about 25k miles. This is just the nature of how staggered setups work in my experience.

Now, as for your car, I would take it into an independent tire shop and get them to do a four wheel alignment. Tell them you want a "before" and "after" alignment set of readings. Compare the before readings to the ones your dealership gave you. Unless you have driven extensively or hit a major pothole, these should be fairly close. Also, ask them to check to be sure the wheels themselves are not having any issues and that the wheels are properly high speed balanced.

I have seen some really funky things in my time, including cars and trucks that had a misaligned rear subframe or solid axle such that it was causing the car to go right. This is why you want a 4 wheel alignment as you want to be sure the vehicle is tracking straight and not crabbing. If Ford only did a 2 wheel alignment, you might still have issues.

Folks have mentioned above that one of your brake calipers may be slightly dragging, it's a good thing to check

Although unlikely, you might have a bent "frame" (yes, I know it's a unibody). If this is the case, it might need bodywork to fix. A good autobody shop can help you here, either by pulling the car back into straightness, or at least documenting the issue.

(NOTE, if you have been in an accident, the below probably won't apply)

Hopefully your car is under 1 year of age. Document everything and keep going back to the dealership with your problems. If they can't fix it, you might be entitled to try and get your car "lemoned". Note, there are some very strict rules about lemon laws, including giving them multiple opportunities to fix the vehicle and time allowed to make a claim (most require the claim before 1 year is up after giving at least 3 attempts to fix the car). You will need to research the laws that apply to your state

Sponsored