new tyres - tracking left

[gordonium]

Morning All

I had two new tyres on the front last week (replaced overly hard Vredestein Ultracs with Contisport 3s)

Since then, i have noticed the car, when steering wheel held straight, tracks to the left.

I have put this into a garage to check (not the same one who changed wheels as they scuffed the bumper and denied it even though i was watching! another long story!)

I thought it may be tracking had changed with the new tyres, but new garage said unlikely and unlikely this will make it track left.

Can i ask if there is much play in the vRS steering, it is slight tracking to the left, and does anyone else have similar issue?

Also, there is an awful increase in tyre noise (around 50-70mph), which on previous contis did not spot, could this be related to the tracking issue

or just he difference in tyres?

Its in garage to get checked at the moment, but they thought initially it may just be the way it is!!

Any help appreciated!

Thanks all

Gordon

[KenONeill]

First mistake - replacing Vredsteins with Contis! I'm not joking; Contis turn into ditchfinders even in the dry at 3mm tread remaining.

I'd suspect the tracking may be a design tendancy, depending on how much it pulls.

Noise - I know enough about Contis to never use them voluntarily, but different makes of tyre do evolve different amounts of tyre roar.

[gordonium]

Ah, knew that reaction would not take long!

It was Ultracs i had on before, not sessantas, and they were very hard and very skittish in the wet, there are several posts on this.

The contis are far more forgiving for our west of scotland potholes, and i dont do enough miles that am happy to change at 3mm.

Anyway, self justification over.....

The noise is not tyre roar as such, almost a whoop whoop whoop which increases with speed, and only at certain speeds (50-70) almost sounds like a bearing, but is when going straight.....

confused!

[chicken_eyebrow]

Could be a defective tyre with a flat spot. Or they haven't balanced the wheels properly after fitting the new tyres.

[gordonium]

Thanks

Garage came back saying couldnt find anything apart from a noisy bearing (for 120 to fix, i can put up with a noisy bearing!) (will watch it incase gets worse)

They did say tyre pressure was at 28, which is strange as when i got new tyres i checked that and put it up to 32 just 5 days ago.

said tracking, balancing ok (that is if they actually checked it!)

Well, looks like it be tracking left and making a noise!!

[JezvRS]

I have recently had my wheels balanced and alignment done, I also had the rear wheels switched with the front, I now have the noise you described at about 40mph then it goes...my VRS also still pulls slightly to the left (when I let go of the steering wheel anyways) and I get some steering wheel wobble at 60mph, then it disappears. I'm wondering if this is down to the tyres although the garage surely would have pointed this out (you would hope). I'm taking it back in to be re tweeked. Its a minor but seriously annoying issue!

[will_]

A loud noise at certain speeds usually suggests a worn wheel bearing. I used to live with them as long as I could bear it but now my garage tells me it's an MOT failure if they're too rough.

Low tyre pressure on one side can cause the car to pull that way.

[IulianE]

I had the same problem after changing front tyres Good year NCT5 with new NCT5s....

new tyres manufacturated in 2009 ,the problem is that that the left tyre is heavyer than the right one....the car steers left ant the steering wheel is pointed to the left about 15 degrees

I made a new alignament in service ,I told them the problem,and with some corrections on steering the problem was solved

[gordonium]

I have recently had my wheels balanced and alignment done, I also had the rear wheels switched with the front, I now have the noise you described at about 40mph then it goes...my VRS also still pulls slightly to the left (when I let go of the steering wheel anyways) and I get some steering wheel wobble at 60mph, then it disappears. I'm wondering if this is down to the tyres although the garage surely would have pointed this out (you would hope). I'm taking it back in to be re tweeked. Its a minor but seriously annoying issue!

My steering wheel does not seem to wobble, just sits about 5-10 degrees to the right to make it go straight.

They thought it may be the bearing making it go left, but could not spot anything else.

PS is it just me or is a quite of £120 to fix a noisy bearing a bit steep?

i did not get it done at that price!!

[gmaster]

If the alignment is correct then why is the steering wheel off center? A decent alignment job should make sure the wheel is straight, i had issue's for ages with garage's that cant seem to do it! :no: I then found a decent independent garage and they are spot on steering wheel is dead straight and alignment is correct.

If it bothers you that much then i would try another garage, though they could make it worse. :S

Regarding wheel bearing thats not to bad main dealers will charge about £140 for a front wheel bearing.

[IulianE]

is a common problem spoting perfect straight position of the steering wheel,because many Mk1 octy has a litle wobble in steering column and steering cassete,so is a maner of luck when you do the alignament

I had the same problem,My steering column had a little wobble(allmost not noticeable),changing it and problem solved....now after new alignament the steering wheel is perfect straight

Edited 12 April, 2010 by IulianE

[JezvRS]

My steering wheel does not seem to wobble, just sits about 5-10 degrees to the right to make it go straight.

They thought it may be the bearing making it go left, but could not spot anything else.

PS is it just me or is a quite of £120 to fix a noisy bearing a bit steep?

i did not get it done at that price!!

Ah that'll defo be the alignment bought on by dodgy baring! With the garage costs these days...£120 is probably fairly standard, call around get another quote just to be sure, to be sure.

Edited 13 April, 2010 by JezvRS