Skoda Fabia vRS/Monte - Drift/Pull To The Left Issue

[A9X SJ]

I was talking to the bloke from super pro last year at car show.

We got on about the cars pulling to the left etc etc

The answer was that all car manufacturers make the cars for left hand drive so everything is set up for left hand drive. Then we bring them to the uk and are right hand drive but there still set up for left hand drive with the suspension, bushes etc etc

Now superpro do a poly bush wishbone kit 5j 10+ with one side caster offset to compensate and the wheels in a straight line.

Ant

 

Does yours pull to the left Ant

[Ant-Vrs]

Does yours pull to the left Ant

It does abit sometimes just depends on what setting I've got on the airride. I want to do the poly bush kit with the caster offset

[Xeon5]

My GTI seems to pull a bit as well, even when breaking.

 

Tyres look fine and have plenty of meat on them. Could it be the calipers causing issues?

[Toxicvrs]

My GTI seems to pull a bit as well, even when breaking.

Tyres look fine and have plenty of meat on them. Could it be the calipers causing issues?

Potentially if any sticking

[Xeon5]

Potentially if any sticking

 

Hmm, interesting, I will have to get that checked.

[A9X SJ]

Hmm, interesting, I will have to get that checked.

Think its something we will have to live with 

[Ootohere]

You do not have to live with it, it is a fault, not a design feature but a poorly aligned steering set up.

[A9X SJ]

Small Update - Swapped the front struts Left to Right & replaced the Springs 

 

The pull to the Left is still there will do tyres next 

[MilgeS]

When I had new tyres fitted they also did alignment. When I drove it away I noticed that the steering wheel wasn't in a central position when the car was going in a straight line, I had to have it slightly turned to the right to keep the car straight. If the steering wheel was straight the car would end up off the road withing 25 metres.

 

I returned to the tyre centre and they said that everything was set up perfectly and it must be the car that wasn't straight (or word to that effect), so I asked them to put the steering wheel straight as possible, it's still not perfect, slightly to the right by about 1cm to keep the car in a straight line, so I am monitoring tyre wear and will be speaking to Skoda if they wear unevenly, my rear tyres were out of shape, the reason for me changing all 4. It's always pulled a bit left from new (now 30k) but the steering wheel was always straight and the car drove straight.

[Ootohere]

They put it off when setting the alignment.

The steering wheel should have been locked straight then they adjust the steering and alignment.

Do not accept what someone did wrongly.

[MilgeS]

I will keep that in mind for future, I knew I had heard/read that somewhere before, thanks for the confirmation

[MilgeS]

I have just been to get the car alignment checked, when I arrived the steering wheel was "nearly" dead straight (see above) and the reading was +2 & -2 on the alignment tool. They adjusted to 0 & 0 which put the steering wheel way out, had to be held about 1.5 inches to the right to keep the car straight on the road. After much head scratching and tinkering we have got the steering wheel straight and the car driving straight at +2.7 & -2.7 on the alignment tool.

 

Question is, why are these settings so far off 0 & 0 is something bent?

 

Has anyone else had to set their car up like this or found a perfect set up?

[A9X SJ]

Got a pic of your results

 

I reckon my steering wheel has possible been put on a squint from manufacturing if that makes sense  I will replace tyres next 

[Ootohere]

MilageS, 

Who is working on your car?

On its 2nd engine and also squirters changed, lots of technicians must have driven it, and your pupils.

 

It looks like someone that has done your alignment has messed up rather badly.

[MilgeS]

MilageS, 

Who is working on your car?

On its 2nd engine and also squirters changed, lots of technicians must have driven it, and your pupils.

 

It looks like someone that has done your alignment has messed up rather badly.

Would this have to have been stripped out for the engine change and then not put back correctly?

 

It was a local company I was recommended to this morning doing the alignment, they had never had to track a car to the position mine was after we got it running straight, usually he sets it to 0 & 0 for correct position.

 

I never thought about it being put back together wrong after the engine out/squirter work to be honest....

[Ootohere]

I am not suggesting any issues caused at the Engine Change etc.

But your car has had plenty of garage time and trained techs should have road tested it over the past years.

 

?

So has you car had issues with pulling left or a squint steering wheel since you got it new, 

or when did the issue appear, was it after someone did a Tracking Check / Change tyres or sometime else?

[MilgeS]

I am not suggesting any issues caused at the Engine Change etc.

But your car has had plenty of garage time and trained techs should have road tested it over the past years.

 

?

So has you car had issues with pulling left or a squint steering wheel since you got it new, 

or when did the issue appear, was it after someone did a Tracking Check / Change tyres or sometime else?

Ah ok

 

Only appeared after new tyres and tracking check a few months ago, I took it straight back and they said they had it set perfect on alignment (confirmed today by the other company when they set it up perfect on the tools) and it must be the car out of line.

Edited 28 May, 2016 by MilgeS

[2ndskoda]

GUYS - please be assured that the position of the steering wheel has NOTHING to do with the pull to the left problem - the pull is an entirely separate issue. So many people go on about this, quite wrongly.

 

What you must realise is that if your car goes in for alignment (and the steering wheel is in an acceptable position when it goes in)  and it comes back off level - this is a result of some very amateur and unthinking  work by unskilled 'mechanics' (I use the word loosely)

 

YES, the tracking can be out (even though the steering wheel is 'level')  BUT in making the correction the adjustment must be made equally to both sides/track-rods.

 

We were always trained to apply equal changes to both sides - perhaps just a quarter turn or less at a time to each side until proper correction was attained. It is not rocket science for anyone to then realize that this method retains the starting position of the steering wheel.

 

Lets put it another way. - Picture a view of your steering taken from above (TOP VIEW) and let us suppose that there is too much toe in. Quite simply if the track rods of any car are at the rear  (that is behind the vertical turning point of the wheel- one would reduce the track rod measurement equally on both sides.

 

If there was too much toe out - it follows that the track rods have to be equally lengthened!  The mechanical principles of car steering as I said is NOT rocket science.

 

There is a further point that all MUST take in. When the car is assembled - the rack itself is set to a centralized position before the steering wheel is fitted - the track rods are then adjusted to provide true symmetry.

 

Supposed mechanics playing around incorrectly with  one side need to lined up and shot - not only do they cause cosmetic issues (my wheel is not straight etc etc) - but they are altering the steering geometry out side the parameters of the original design. 

To finish my bleat - do not be fooled by fancy equipment - the Hunter machine is THE one to use of course, but the end result depends on the person using it.

[babymanor]

Hi guys, firstly tracking is a very involved business and it takes a technician with a lot of knowhow to do the job right otherwise it mess's everything up, firstly first a specialist who uses the 3d camera system as it is the latest and watch the process because many garages get the right numbers then print it off before everything is tightened up, for as they tighten things tracking figures go out again as I have seen happen many a time. 

[A9X SJ]

Has anyone actually rectified this problem on there vRS or Monte ???

 

I've since done the following to no success

 

Tyres Replaced

Springs Replaced

Wheel Alignment 

Different Wheels Tried

[A9X SJ]

Solved or Improved

[MilgeS]

Solved or Improved

Best I have managed to do is alignment to 2.7 each side, goes in a straight line with the steering wheel straight, if it's set to 0 the steering wheel is way off centre

[A9X SJ]

Sorry meant to say I have Solved or Inproved the issue!!!!

Replaced Tyres with Uniroyal Rainsport 3's

PSI 33 all round

The car now want to go with the camber if the road

[Xeon5]

Sorry meant to say I have Solved or Inproved the issue!!!!

Replaced Tyres with Uniroyal Rainsport 3's

PSI 33 all round

The car now want to go with the camber if the road

 

I had some Uniroyal Rainsport 3's put on mine, they have to be the best tyre I have bought. Improved the control on the road.

 

Also had a power steering fluid change recently. Worth doing to yours if it has been a few years.

[babymanor]

Hi all, I do not believe this to be a tyre or tracking problem, I believe the pulling is either being caused by the braking system or differential. As these 2 components are sometimes electronically controlled I fear a real tech can possibly help, do Vrs's have the XDS system ? As this system causes the car to automatically brake on one side when needed.