Suspension problem: car pulls left after left turn; pulls right after right turn

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Santa Fe, NM
#1
Suspension or alignment problem

I recently had front struts replaced. I did the work myself with help from a certified mechanic.

After installing it turns out that the car tends to pull left after a left turn and pulls right after a right turn. I had another mechanic who owns a BMW look at it and he discovered that one of the strut mounts was missing a bearing. So I had to just about re-do the job, replacing the bad strut mount with a good (but used) one.

Now the problem is not as bad as it was, but the car still pulls one way or the other (depending on which way you last turned).

I am pretty sure the struts are installed correctly. We followed the Bentley book exactly and double-checked everything. The springs are positioned correctly up against the metal stops with the rubber bumper in place.

So, the question is: this just an allignment issue, or is there something else going on here?

With an alignment problem I thought that the car would only pull one way constantly, but not both ways -- ie, left or right depending on which way you last turned.
 
Last edited:
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Location
Bay Of Islands, NZ
#2
Play in a steering component??

Why did you have the front struts replaced?

When you say you replaced the struts did you replace the entire strut or just the shock inserts? Have you had a proper alignment on an alignment machine since you did the bearing?
 
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Location
New Orleans
#3
I recently had front struts replaced. I did the work myself with help from a certified mechanic.

After installing it turns out that the car tends to pull left after a left turn and pulls right after a right turn. I had another mechanic who owns a BMW look at it and he discovered that one of the strut mounts was missing a bearing. So I had to just about re-do the job, replacing the bad strut mount with a good (but used) one.

Now the problem is not as bad as it was, but the car still pulls one way or the other (depending on which way you last turned).

I am pretty sure the struts are installed correctly. We followed the Bentley book exactly and double-checked everything. The springs are positioned correctly up against the metal stops with the rubber bumper in place.

So, the question is: this just an allignment issue, or is there something else going on here?

With an alignment problem I thought that the car would only pull one way constantly, but not both ways -- ie, left or right depending on which way you last turned.
I have the same problem with my e30.
I think it is the rack and pinion. After I take a hard right the car pulls to the right, after a hard left the car pulls to the left. I had the car aligned and nothing changed. I am really not sure what the issue is, but I have been trying to figure it out for a while.
 
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Location
Santa Fe, NM
#4
Play in a steering component??

Why did you have the front struts replaced?

When you say you replaced the struts did you replace the entire strut or just the shock inserts? Have you had a proper alignment on an alignment machine since you did the bearing?
Sorry, yes, it was just the shock inserts that were replaced. After that the car was pulling hard right or left (depending on the direction I last turned). I had a mechanic look at it who is familiar with BMW's and he examined the strut mounts and concluded that one of the strut mounts was missing a bearing. So I replaced that strut mount as well. (yet another 2-hour+ job). The symptoms were not as bad after that, but it still pulls in the direction I last turned.

I haven't had a proper alignment done yet because I'm not too sure whether this type of problem would be fixed by an alignment. If I have the car aligned but still have that problem it's just going to be a waste of money, unless the alignment job will reveal what the problem is.

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but when you have an alignment issue, wouldn't the car just pull constantly in one direction? Or can the problem I described also be an alignment problem?
 
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New Orleans
#5
Correct me if I'm wrong here, but when you have an alignment issue, wouldn't the car just pull constantly in one direction? Or can the problem I described also be an alignment problem?[/QUOTE]

I believe you are right in that respect.
I wasted $80 getting my car aligned and nothing changed, I had a very small negative camber, but it wasn't enough for me to have to get an alignment.
 
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Australia
#6
Your problem can be caused by a few things (or combination of things): strut ball joints, tie rod end ball joints, worn steering rack, worn or broken top strut mounts and bearings (I wound never buy second hand ones of these IMO) also and I've seen this before, a wandering rear subframe! (not your problem lol)

jack the front of the car up and wiggle/shake all components to determine whats shot.
 
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Location
Santa Fe, NM
#7
Correct me if I'm wrong here, but when you have an alignment issue, wouldn't the car just pull constantly in one direction? Or can the problem I described also be an alignment problem?
I believe you are right in that respect.
I wasted $80 getting my car aligned and nothing changed, I had a very small negative camber, but it wasn't enough for me to have to get an alignment.[/QUOTE]

That's what I was worried about, another possible $80 or so down the drain for an alignment that doesn't fix the problem.
 
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Location
Santa Fe, NM
#8
I believe you are right in that respect.
I wasted $80 getting my car aligned and nothing changed, I had a very small negative camber, but it wasn't enough for me to have to get an alignment.
That's what I was worried about, another possible $80 or so down the drain for an alignment that doesn't fix the problem.[/QUOTE]


Here's how this problem started:

Before I worked on the struts I had a supposed mechanic change the shock inserts. I should have known better. This guy was a truck mechanic and had never worked on a BMW. He was like some kind of stone age mechanic. If he didn't have the right tool he'd just improvise. In fact he ended up doing the job wrong, leaving out the rubber bumper on one side, and positioning the spring incorrectly and leaving out the metal stop on the other side. I had to do the entire job all over again.

I learned the hard way. Don't let anyone touch your BMW unless you're sure they're qualified to do the work.

In any case, I still have the problem of the car pulling right or left after a turn and not sure what to do about it.
 

Big Daddy

Senior Member
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#9
Your issue could be:

Steering Axis Inclination (SAI)
SAI is the measurement in degrees of the steering pivot line when viewed from the front of the vehicle. This angle, when added to the camber to form the included angle (see below) causes the vehicle to lift slightly when you turn the wheel away from a straight ahead position. This action uses the weight of the vehicle to cause the steering wheel to return to the center when you let go of it after making a turn. Because of this, if the SAI is different from side to side, it will cause a pull at very slow speeds. Most alignment machines have a way to measure SAI; however it is not separately adjustable. The most likely cause for SAI being out is bent parts which must be replaced to correct the condition. SAI is also referred to as KPI (King Pin Inclination) on trucks and old cars with king pins instead of ball joints.
 


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