The car pulls to the right after changing wheels reasons

Very often people wonder why the car pulls to the left or right after changing tires. There may be several reasons for this phenomenon. And since the safety of the driver and passengers directly depends on the tires, it is recommended to identify the problem as soon as possible and fix it. Otherwise, you may get into a serious accident. Also, malfunctions that lead to slippage can lead to premature wear of the tread, which will force you to unplannedly fork out money for the purchase of new tires. There are several reasons for this behavior of the car, let's look at them in more detail.

Brakes

Why does the car pull to the left or right after changing tires? This question is quite complicated. In some cases, it may have nothing to do with tires. And the beginning of the slip simply coincides with the moment of changing the tires. This happens when the brake mechanisms of one of the front wheels jam. At the same time, the car can be pulled both to the right and to the left.

This problem may not be noticeable when using sufficiently wide winter tires. Summer models are often a little narrower, which immediately allows the fault to come out. The problem is treated by developing a caliper or replacing the cylinders. For greater reliability, it is recommended to change the working cylinders on both wheels at the same time.

Why does the car pull to the left or right after changing tires? 6 reasons

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Pressure

This is one of the most common reasons for a car to be driven away after installing other tires. Many people have a ready-made set of wheels that they simply change when the season changes. But very often they forget to check the tire pressure, which may decrease during storage. If the wheel on the front left has low pressure, then the car will move in that direction.

Also, this negatively affects the condition of the tires; driving on flat tires leads to accelerated destruction of the tires. Therefore, be sure to check your tire pressure. If you don’t have a pressure gauge, you can do this at any gas station absolutely free. There you can inflate the tires so that the pressure in them is the same.

Rubber wear

. Tires wear unevenly; even with the correct settings, each tire will have a slight difference. And if before this the car was driven for some time with a broken wheel alignment, then perhaps one of the wheels turned out to be worn a little more and completely unevenly. Carefully inspect the tire on the side where the car is steering. You may see that the tire on the outer circle is a little more worn. The only way to deal with this problem is by replacing the tire.

Tire wear

Another reason that can be called quite common is the car spontaneously moving to the side when driving due to uneven wear of the tires. If your car uses tires (or one of the tires) that have previously been used somewhere, it is possible that the tires will have different wear.

In this situation, you need to carefully inspect the tires located on the side of the car towards which it tilts while driving. Look at the tire tread pattern; it may be a little more worn than on other wheels.

Uneven tires

The technical regulations attached to the Road Traffic Rules contain direct instructions on the need to use tires with the same tread pattern on all wheels. But many car enthusiasts forget about the existence of this document at the time of obtaining a license, and install wheels on their cars without taking into account their compatibility. And if the left front wheel has a high level of road grip, then most likely the car will confidently pull to the left.

To avoid this problem, use only the same tires, if not on all wheels (preferably on all), then at least on one axle.

Wheel alignment

This indicator largely depends on the tires, so experienced drivers recommend that when changing tires seasonally, be sure to check these settings. This is especially important when switching to summer tires with studs. The general condition of the suspension also affects the slip.

Immediately after replacing consumables or completely rebuilding the suspension, the risk of changing the wheel alignment settings is minimal. Well, if the chassis is worn out enough, which happens after winter, then the likelihood of problems associated with the car being driven away is quite high. If a slip occurs, in any case, visit the stand and check the condition of your machine.

Conclusion

. Car malfunctions come in a variety of forms. At the same time, some are quite mysterious. They appear after quite ordinary car maintenance procedures. And then drivers wonder why the car pulls to the left or right after changing tires. After all, everything was done correctly, even the wheel balancing was normal. But the car still goes somewhere to the side. There may be several reasons for this. Most often, this is simply the inattention of the owner himself. But sometimes technical faults also manifest themselves this way.

Now to the left, now to the right: why does the car pull to the side?

When a car pulls to the side, it is always unpleasant. It is especially unpleasant that the search for the cause of this phenomenon may take a long time. Let's try to figure out why the car can pull to the side and how to quickly find the true cause of this disgrace. For simplicity, we will consider three situations: pulling to the side during linear uniform motion, during acceleration and during braking.

Besides this...

There is one more situation that I will discuss separately: the car does not drift, but there is a difference in the effort when turning right and left. Here, in addition to purely mechanical reasons, which we will talk about below, there are also some electronic ones that we will not deal with today. A classic example is the Mazda 6 (GH) with its ever-dying steering angle sensor. In addition, it happens that the steering rack with power steering dies, which also sometimes manifests itself in a similar way: the steering wheel turns in one direction more easily than in the other. This doesn’t happen very often, and the owners of the “sixes” already know which repair kit to order and how to change it. So we'll look at the more common causes of sidetracking. And let's start with the simplest thing - with rectilinear movement.

Just not straight!

So, when moving uniformly in a straight line, the car is pulled to the side. What to watch first? First, let's turn on Captain Obvious mode: look at the tires. If they are all inflated evenly and the pressure is correct (it is indicated in the documentation for the car), we drive Cap away with a wet rag and start thinking.

The car pulls to the side - reasons:

First, you should check the tire pressure. You can do this procedure yourself using a pressure gauge. The fact is that the difference in pressure in the right and left wheels is often the main reason for the car to pull to the side. The same will happen with excess or insufficient pressure. On average, the normal pressure for a passenger car is 2.1 atmospheres. You can get more accurate information by reading your machine's owner's manual.
The second reason - just like the first - belongs to the category “due to inattention”. To do this, just compare the tire models installed on the front and rear . On the front axle, as well as on the rear, it is not allowed to use different tires, as well as tires that are worn unevenly on the right and left.
Number three - the most common problem - the wheel alignment is not adjusted . We changed the suspension, replaced the tires - don’t forget to go for a wheel alignment adjustment.
The fourth reason lies in everything related to brakes . Unevenly worn brake pads, airy brake circuits, leaking brake fluid, soured guides or brake cylinders, uneven wear of brake discs - these are the main reasons associated with the brake system.
Poor quality tires and uneven wear. If this problem occurs, you can try swapping the right and left wheels; there is a high probability that this will be enough for a comfortable ride. If, after replacing the wheels, the car begins to pull in the other direction, then it’s time to go to a tire shop. Ask to place the defective wheel backwards, that is, so that the outer side becomes the inner side, or vice versa. If you have directional tires, you will need to swap the rear wheels with the front ones.
Curved rim In this case, you will need to roll out and straighten the rim.

Here are the main problems why your car may be pulling to one side. Now let's figure out how to deal with this problem .

The difference in tire pressure can be easily eliminated using a pressure gauge and a pump . If you do not have such devices, you should drive to the nearest gas station. Almost any gas station has a pump with a built-in pressure gauge that will equalize the pressure in all four wheels.
Different tire treads on the same axle must be replaced. The rubber must not differ in tread, manufacturer, or model!
If you have made any manipulations with the tires of the car or its suspension, be sure to adjust the wheel alignment . At the same time, you should not carry out this procedure in your garage; contact qualified specialists with good computer equipment (Autopride - high-quality diagnostics and professional car repairs in St. Petersburg). An incorrectly adjusted wheel alignment can lead to very rapid wear of new expensive tires, so you should not delay this procedure.
Problems related to the brake system can be fixed with your own hands , but you should not do this if you have absolutely no knowledge of cars. Experimenting with your brakes could cost you your life. Therefore, if you are far from all this, entrust the work to specialists.
If the malfunction lies in uneven wear of the brake pads or brake discs, remember - these spare parts are replaced only in pairs , both on the right and on the left!
Brake cylinders and guides with visible signs of wear are not ground ! They need to be changed.
An airy brake circuit can also cause the car to pull to the side , this is especially noticeable when the brakes heat up. If you decide to bleed the brake system, replace the brake fluid immediately. Remember, it changes at least once every two years.
All brake fluid leaks must be repaired immediately , otherwise the car will not only pull to one side, but you risk being left without brakes.
If you come across low-quality tires and after all the manipulations with the wheels the problem is not resolved, you may need to replace it . Old tires can be placed on the spare wheel.
If the brake disc is bent, you should contact a car repair shop, where they can roll it out and at the same time, if necessary, carry out balancing.

Owner's inattention - what malfunctions it can cause

The most likely reason for a car pulling to the side is different pressure in the car's tires. The problem can be solved by simply measuring the pressure using a hand pressure gauge and inflating the wheels. The operating pressure in passenger car tires is 2–2.1 atmospheres. If you don’t have a pressure gauge at hand, you need to visit the nearest tire shop to carry out this procedure. In addition, many gas stations now have automated tire inflation systems, where the inflation process can be done independently and absolutely free.

Also, this malfunction can occur if, due to an oversight, the car owner or tire service worker installed different tires on one axle of the car. It is necessary to carefully examine the appearance of the wheel tread and the size of the tires; they must completely match. On each tire the size is indicated in three numbers separated by a fraction. For example, 185/65/14. These parameters must be completely identical on both wheels of the same axle. The tread pattern may also vary, even if the tire size and manufacturer are the same.

Don’t forget about such a nuance as the direction of rotation of the wheels. The fact is that many tire models have a specific tread pattern that allows them to be installed in only one position. This is especially true for winter tires and tires intended for off-road use. The direction of rotation is indicated by an arrow, often accompanied by the words "Rotation". By inadvertently mixing up the direction of rotation of the wheel, we get an effect in which the car begins to pull in one direction due to the different coefficient of adhesion of the tires to the road surface. The solution to this problem is obvious - install identical tires on both sides of the axle, while observing the direction of rotation of the wheels. You can do this yourself or at the nearest car service center.

Uneven tire wear on different sides can also cause the car to pull to the side. Usually the cause of this is an incorrectly adjusted wheel alignment of one of the wheels. In addition, the problem may lie in low-quality tires, a manufacturing defect or improper storage. You can notice this problem by carefully examining the surface of the rubber. If the tread on one side of the tire is worn out more than on the other, it is necessary to urgently adjust the car's wheel alignment. If the tread depth is less than 1.6 mm on any side, the tire requires replacement.

Why does the car deviate from a straight line?

When the car does not want to move straight, the ride becomes uncomfortable - the driver has to constantly steer, and in some situations actually keep the car from drifting. You can’t relax - you’ll end up in a ditch or have a head-on collision with an oncoming car. It is better not to delay in finding out the causes of the described problem.

Spontaneous movement of the machine from a straight path may be a sign of the following problems:

The pressure in the front tires is very different;
uneven wear of the front wheel treads;
faulty steering parts;
problems with the front suspension and chassis;
malfunctions of the brake mechanisms.

Before looking for reasons, it is advisable to make sure that the car actually pulls to the side when you let go of the steering wheel. Example: When driving on unpaved and poorly paved roads with ruts, the wheels tend to follow the path of least resistance and are reluctant to leave the grooves. Carry out the test on a flat piece of road surface.

The bulk of the listed problems occur during the acceleration and forward movement of the car. Brake malfunctions are immediately noticeable: the car drifts when slowing down. The more intense the braking, the more the car deviates from the straight line, and the driver has to turn the steering wheel more to keep the vehicle on the desired trajectory.

Why does a car pull to the side and is it dangerous?

A vehicle pulling to the right when driving quietly is a fairly common problem with used cars. In such circumstances, the driver is forced to periodically steer in order to maintain a straight direction. At some points, this requires significant effort. You can’t relax here for a split second, because literally in one moment you can find yourself in another lane or ditch. It is dangerous to delay the restoration of directional stability.

Unauthorized departure of a moving vehicle from a flat trajectory may be a consequence of the following shortcomings:

malfunctions of steering system elements;
unevenly inflated tires;
failures in brake response;
uneven wear of the front axle tire treads;
wear of the chassis.

The most popular sources of impaired controllability of vehicles are named. But when it practically blows away after slowing down, it’s the brakes that are to blame.

A clear symptom of the “disease” will be a noticeable deviation of course to the right on a perfectly flat road without additional maneuvers. Here it’s time to get worried and urgently start looking for reasons that are important to eliminate in the coming days, or better yet, hours.

It is important to remember that inaction risks losing control of the vehicle at any time - on a flat road, when accelerating/decelerating, or while performing any maneuvers.

Tire problems

The pressure difference in the front wheel cylinders is the most common reason for a car to easily pull away while driving. Diagnosis could not be easier - just measure the pressure with a pressure gauge and, if necessary, pump up the sagging slope. If the car pulls to the right, then low pressure should be observed in the right wheel and vice versa. Otherwise, you need to look for the problem elsewhere.

Equally common is uneven wear of the rubber on the wheels of the front axle. The reasons for the phenomenon are:

a car enthusiast rarely monitors tire pressure;
the wheels have not undergone the balancing procedure;
in front there are tires with different patterns and sizes;
slopes with a directional pattern are installed incorrectly;
long driving with unadjusted camber angles of the front wheels.

Rubber of varying degrees of wear often ends up on one axle as a result of seasonal replacement. The owner of the “iron horse” did not mark the removed wheels according to their installation locations and next time he put them on at random. As a result, the rear and front axle tires got mixed up.

Reference. On front-wheel drive cars, the front slopes wear out much faster than the rear ones. If the wheels are mixed up and placed on one axle, the car will begin to pull towards a lower tread.

How to solve the problem of unevenly worn rubber:

Choose a tire with high tread instead of a worn wheel. For example, install a spare tire.
Balance the wheels, check and adjust the camber angles. Continuing operation and waiting for the differential to complete its task will increase the load on a tire of a larger diameter, causing the tread to quickly wear out.
Place the rear slopes forward.

Avoiding the above-described manipulations is quite simple - pump up the cylinders in a timely manner, carry out balancing at intervals of 5 thousand km and visit the camber stand every 10-15 thousand km or after a strong blow to the suspension.

Why does the steering wheel pull to the side when coasting or accelerating:

Uneven tire pressure is the first thing to check, because it is the difference in pressure in the front wheels that most often leads to steering wheel pull when driving, is the easiest to diagnose and no less easy to correct, and is also the most common cause of this symptom. Just check the pressure in the tires of your car and, if they are different, pump them up and make them the same on both tires of one (front, obviously) axle of the car. The pressure on the side where the car is leading should be less than on the other side - only in this case this is the reason. After pumping, drive again in different conditions, on different roads and at different speeds to make sure that the symptom disappears. If you don’t know what pressure should be in the wheels of your car, you can find out in one of our tables by selecting your car brand.
Uneven tire wear - this is most often inextricably linked with the first reason - different tire pressures, because it is incorrect pressure that leads to excessive tire wear, and if this pressure is different in different wheels, then their tires will also wear out at different rates. However, this problem is often discovered after a seasonal change of tires from winter to summer or, conversely, simply after installing other (not new) tires on the car. In this case, you may simply not take into account which side and on which axle this or that tire was installed on the previous car (in the case of, for example, purchasing used tires) or on your car last season. For example, on front-wheel drive cars, the front tires wear out a little faster than the rear, and therefore, if you put the rear tire forward on only one side of the car next season, the steering wheel will most likely pull in the direction opposite to where the less worn tire is located. rubber. Therefore, it is very important when changing tires to always mark the tires or wheels that you are removing and storing with chalk or even more abrasion-resistant materials, where which wheel was on the car before removal from it.
But you shouldn’t think that the problem can only arise if you use used tires - there are cases (although far from frequent) when new tires (especially if they are cheap and of a little-known brand) lead to the steering wheel starting to pull. To best establish this exact reason that the steering wheel is pulling to the left or right, swap the front wheels of the car (namely the wheels, not the tires)... of course, after checking the pressure in both. If this is the reason, then the steering wheel will begin to pull in the other direction and even with the same force as before (of course, if there are no other reasons). Obviously, to correct a malfunction due to differences in tire wear, you just need to swap the wheels on one side of the car - put the rear one forward, the front one back. If this does not help, then try to do a similar procedure on the other side of the car.
Broken wheel camber/alignment - this reason certainly leads to the fact that the car pulls to the right or left. Wheel alignment/camber needs to be checked if both of the above methods fail. To identify and eliminate this malfunction, it is necessary to check and adjust the wheel alignment angles - this can only be done by a specialist... of course, if you are not this specialist yourself, but in this case you would not have read this article.
Steering components are poorly tightened - it happens that the reason that the steering wheel pulls to the side may be the negligence of the specialists who repaired certain steering elements, or simply loose components. To establish this, it is also necessary to carry out diagnostics from specialists - check the steering rods and steering rack.

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Chassis and suspension malfunctions

When mechanical problems occur, the car pulls to the side much more than from the difference in tire pressure or different tread heights. The following faults cause the vehicle to be driven away:

Worn tie rod ends. The ball pin does not turn well in the hinge, and sometimes it simply jams. A clear sign is that the steering wheel does not return to its original position on its own, the car continues to move in an arc.
One of the steering rods was bent as a result of the impact and became several millimeters shorter. The toe angle of the front wheels is disrupted, tire wear on the affected side is accelerated, and the car is driven in the appropriate direction.
The ball joint is stuck. The pin rotates around its own axis with great difficulty and does not allow the wheels to turn freely. At the last stage of wear, the hinge emits a loud creaking sound - a harbinger of final failure.
The separator of one of the wheel bearings is destroyed. The balls scattered and ground into metal shavings, blocking the rotation of the hub. The car pulls towards the jammed wheel.
After repairing the suspension, the alignment procedure was performed incorrectly or not done at all.

After changing tires, the car pulls to the side - what is the reason?

All motorists have, in one way or another, experienced uncomfortable vehicle operation after changing tires.

Such problems can be solved either by a trip to a car service center or by spending your own time searching for problems and their subsequent elimination.

Reasons why a car pulls to the side. Among the many different reasons for such problems, two main ones can be identified. Firstly, such a malfunction may occur due to the inattention of the car owner or the person servicing the car. Then you can eliminate it yourself. The problem may also be related to technical problems with the vehicle's chassis. Of course, it won’t be possible to fix them as quickly as we would like. The reasons may be different: different tire pressures, differences in tire pattern, tire size and model, uneven wear, incorrectly set wheel alignment, as well as wear or damage to tie rod ends and ball joints.

The carelessness of owners constantly leads to various problems. The most common situation in this case is different tire pressures. The thing is that it really depends on the attentiveness of the driver, who must monitor all indicators and check them regularly. You can check the operating pressure in your tires using a tire pressure gauge. If this device is not at hand, you can contact the nearest car service center.

Also, this malfunction can occur if, due to an oversight, the car owner or tire service worker installed different tires on one axle of the car. It is necessary to carefully examine the appearance of the wheel tread and the size of the tires; they must completely match. It is important not to forget about the important nuance. We are talking about the direction of rotation of the wheels. The fact is that many tire models have a specific tread pattern that allows them to be installed in only one position. This is especially true for winter tires and tires intended for off-road use.

The running gear of the car also breaks down sooner or later. Problems with the car's chassis can also lead to the car starting to pull to the side during active use of the car. In order to take care of the chassis, it is necessary to perform regular maintenance on the machine. This will not only avoid problems with the chassis system, but also identify possible hidden problems.

The wheel alignment procedure is also a very necessary procedure that should be carried out regularly. Using a computer in the service center, the driver will be helped to set the correct parameters for the car's chassis. You shouldn’t ignore it either. Otherwise, the car will continue to be driven to the side, which sooner or later can lead to emergency situations on the road.

Conclusion. There are many reasons why a car pulls to the side. Among all the possible ones, you need to first check the simplest ones, which do not require much time to correct. If the breakdown is more serious, then experienced drivers can try to fix it themselves, but beginners should still contact service centers.

Brake problems

Problems with brake mechanisms appear both after pressing the pedal and while driving. The reasons are as follows:

complete failure of one of the working cylinders, including on the rear axle;
jamming of the working cylinder piston in various positions;
fluid leakage from the brake circuit tube;
failure of the hydraulic valve of the anti-lock braking system.

When the working cylinder on one of the front wheels fails, the car literally rolls away after sharply pressing the brake. If the car pulls to the left, it means the right cylinder is not functioning and vice versa. When the brake cylinder of the rear axle fails, the car does not pull away so clearly. The easiest way to find the “culprit” is by leaking brake fluid, inspecting each hub from an inspection ditch or simply looking under the car.

On cars with high mileage and worn calipers, the piston of the working cylinder may become stuck in the position of squeezing the pads. The wheel on the side of the faulty mechanism is continuously braked, and the car constantly moves in the same direction. It is easy to identify a breakdown: after driving 1–2 km, feel all the wheel rims with your hand. The “culprit” will be revealed by the heated rim.

If the piston of the working cylinder is frozen in a free position, then the vehicle will drift during the braking process - the car will drift in the direction opposite to the non-working mechanism. To finally make sure that the element is broken, hang the wheel from the suspicious side and try to spin it with the brake pedal pressed.

Diagnosing anti-lock braking system (ABS) problems in a garage environment is difficult. If fluid does not pass through one of the valves, you will have to disassemble the calipers and make sure that the cylinders are functioning normally. It’s easier to go to the nearest car service center, where technicians will check the brakes using specialized equipment.