Pulling to the left (ooo errr Mrs)

[shep1984]

Afternoon,

Recently the Fab has been drifting or pulling to the left. The speed that you are traveling at doesnt seem to make a difference there is still a gradual draw towards the curb.

I have made sure that the road is flat and tested, still the same. I have had the wheels balanced at Skoda - they are fine. Had the tracking and the tyre pressure checked by my local tire place - spot on. Also checked for uneven wear and tear on the tires and they seem happy.

There are no other noticable issues with the ride. I have considered sticky brakes rubbing slightyly however i cannot see any visual evidence of this.

Any suggestions??

[octimark]

:rubchin: Does it pull to the left all the time or only on certain roads/surfaces?

[SteVRs]

They all do it. Try a search

[JohnnyE]

Mine does this as well. New front tyres on about 6000 miles ago seemed to have helped slightly, but it's back to its old ways again now.

Quite irritating over a long journey as the pull can be fairly strong.

[shep1984]

Did have a little look on the search but didnt find a great deal, must have been searching for the wrong thing.

I dont want to sound silly but shouldnt a car go in a straight line ???

Happens on all road suraces and i dont think it used to happen.

[ap0gee1978]

I dont want to sound silly but shouldnt a car go in a straight line ???

There seem to be two schools of thought on this issue. Everyone seems to think their Fabia does it to some degree, but some reckon it's a safety thing as it's better to hit the kerb than drift into oncoming traffic, should you lose consciousness at the wheel, and others reckon it's because it's set up to run straight on for LHD cars, where the camber is in the opposite direction.

Don't think there's been a definitive answer, but yes, they all do it...

[shep1984]

that just sounds silly to me.

I spoke to Skoda and they have said that its better to drift left than right for that very reason (almost the same words). So is there nothing that can sort it??

[ap0gee1978]

So is there nothing that can sort it??

You could get a tyre place to put the tracking 'out' so it steers ever-so-slightly to the right of the dead-ahead setting, I suppose. No idea how much they'd have to do it by, though...

[octimark]

that just sounds silly to me.

I spoke to Skoda and they have said that its better to drift left than right for that very reason (almost the same words). So is there nothing that can sort it??

Ive never heard that reason before, mine pulls dead straight but theres always the cambre in the road to consider.

Having said that my mazda has never gone in a straight line and always pulls to the left even when the tracking, tyres etc is bob on, always has done.

[ScoobyChris]

Interesting my Fabia also did this, although it's the only car I've owned which ever did! As said above, the only way I can see to cure it would be to get a tyre place to fiddle with the tracking, but that might have the result of increasing tyre wear....

Chris

[r_holmes22]

I'm sure the pull shouldn't be noticeably strong. Mine did it for a while when the front ARB needed replacing. I've not noticed a strong pull since then. I'm sure your dealer would have spotted if the ARB was wearing out though so it's unlikely this is the cause.

[shep1984]

Well Skoda have not had it into their workshop for this fault as yet so i will have to give them that chance. I have it booked in for a service later in the month and will ask them to look at it then - along with the DMF vibration that they are sure doesnt exist.

[mluton]

On my octy the Front calliper Pins were very mucky. so the pins didnt travel smoothly.

Mine went to the left slight, but since cleaning it doesnt. Might be stopping the calliper moving on the Pins, causing it to grip that disc more than the other side.

Hope it makes sense.

[BrOwS]

Got the same problem with my Fabia.

Initially my alignment was knocked out and Skoda put this right which did help but despite a complete check underneath to find everything was OK, it still wanted to go walkies on particular roads.

I'd put it down to a character of the car plus pretty sure I remember reading some post here where it was suggested because the driveshaft is shorter to the left wheel than to the right, this causes a natural pull towards the left.

Interesting comment mluton about the caliper pins, may check mine over next time I have the front wheels off.

[martyrobertsdj]

******!!

Set up to pull to the left for "safety"??

So......you fall asleep at the wheel and it's ok, coz your car will pull to the left, off the slip road and into the school at the bottom of the hill?

A car should go straight if you let your hands off the wheel....end of!

For safety.....what a crock!

Mine always went straight as a die, but now pulls considerably to the left. Tracking is ok, but the steering wheel is a bit off centre. I'll get it sorted when it goes in for other warranty work in a couple of weeks.

[ap0gee1978]

^ There's no need for that!

Octimark's post from Czech Republic may well have nailed it, in that his runs straight when driving on the right. Why the car can't be set up for driving on the left, I don't know.

The 'safety' reason is just one explanation that people have been given by Skoda. Unless you're on a dead straight road, then turning left, right, or going dead ahead will be just as dangerous, and put schoolchildren equally much at risk, as you so eloquently put in your post!

This forum's here for people to discuss things sensibly; not for abuse to be hurled when you disagree!

[octimark]

^ There's no need for that!

Octimark's post from Czech Republic may well have nailed it, in that his runs straight when driving on the right. Why the car can't be set up for driving on the left, I don't know.

The 'safety' reason is just one explanation that people have been given by Skoda. Unless you're on a dead straight road, then turning left, right, or going dead ahead will be just as dangerous, and put schoolchildren equally much at risk, as you so eloquently put in your post!

This forum's here for people to discuss things sensibly; not for abuse to be hurled when you disagree!

I flit between Uk and Czech but I live in the UK and my car is RHD. The steering wheel is dead centre and if I take my hands off the wheel it drives straight with no adjustment required, whatever the road surface or type of road.

Having said that every car or van ive had has at some stage pulled to the left (a couple to the right) and I usually put it down to getting the tyres and tracking checked. That usually sorts the problem out so then the only thing to affect the pull to the left is the cambre on the road. Which ever direction you travel it pulls to the left as the cambres set that way for the rain to drain off. Some motorway sections have quite a cambre on them.

[ap0gee1978]

Fair enough. Mine's always pulled a bit. It had 4-wheel alignment done last week (was virtually spot-on anyway - not bad after 50k) and there's no change. Maybe like you say it's just the steepness of the cambers up here in the Grim North!

Not about to lose any sleep about it, in any case...

[octimark]

Not about to lose any sleep about it, in any case...

Me either:cool:

[shep1984]

interesting what you said about the 4 wheel alignment - free??

My local skoda garage said that they could do this to check the tracking (altho i dont think this is the issue) however it would cost me

[ap0gee1978]

interesting what you said about the 4 wheel alignment - free??

Free? No, sadly. I actually tried to pull that one when haggling over the price for my new brakes, but it costs over

[Ecomatt]

Am I correct in thinking that the rear axle is a torsion beam and the wheels are fitted to that torsion beam. As the wheels are fixed they have no movement or adjustment. Only the front tracking can be adjusted. Anyone explain why they have 4 wheel tracking and not just 2 like me? Or am I missing something??:confused:

[ap0gee1978]

From what I remember from the printout, the rear wheels were checked for toe-in and camber, although rear tracking's obviously not an issue unless you're driving a Prelude (NB: I said 4-wheel alignment)

I don't know whether either settings are adjustable in the same way as tracking for the front wheels (i.e. with tierods, etc.), or whether a Birmingham Screwdriver would be required to make any adjustments. Either way, I trust Awesome not to have charged me for something that wasn't necessary...

Another point is that the tyre place that did the tracking on my wife's car ONLY did the tracking, not toe-in or camber. So

[Gyp]

Afternoon,

Recently the Fab has been drifting or pulling to the left. The speed that you are traveling at doesnt seem to make a difference there is still a gradual draw towards the curb.

Mine always went straight, but the steering wheel wasn't straight, tyre wear was bad on the outer edges at the front and the car squealed and understeered at the slightest provocation. I took it to my local tyre shop who put it up on the tracking machine and told me that the alignment was about 5 degrees out

Having had the tracking sorted, the wheel is straight, the squeal has gone, the understeer is very much reduced, but, like yours it now drifts to the left wherever I am on the road

As my Octavia is perfectly neutral (runs very slowly left, goes straight on or runs very slowly left depending on road position) I spoke to the local dealer today, and they told me that this behaviour was "normal" for a Fabia, and incidentally the Octy behaviour was "normal" for an Octavia.

Thinking "********" I of course searched Briskoda, and it appears that the dealer is right. Again.

So whether it "should" go left of not, it's nice to know that there's nothing wrong with it and as importantly don't need to spend money getting it fixed

[Kaiserb_uk]

Whether it should or not, it is bloody annoying. Mine didn't really do it till I got the tracking sorted a fortnight ago, now it's like I have to 'heave' the car round right hand bends whereas I 'chuck' it into left handers. Still, the place that did the tracking do a 30-day 'bedding in' checkup for free, so I might ask if they can tweak it to the right.