Ok, I have an OZ, not an Evo, but the Lancer section has no "tire" catagory, and you folks are more knowledgable anyway.

I recently replaced my OEM tires with some new BF Goodwrench G-force tires from Discount Tire. Anyway, when I brought my car in my alignment was dead on with the stock tires. After driving away, I noticed my car pulling to the right pretty hard. I called them immediately and told them about the problem, and that I'd be bringing the car back in the next day (I had to go to work right then). They said that was fine.

So the next day I take the car back to Discount Tire Co. and explain the problem. They tell me, ok, we'll fix it. 20 mins later they send me on my way telling me they rotated the right side tires. I drove off, and still, it pulls just as hard, if not harder to the right.

Immediately I took the car back and said "Nope, still pulling". So then they rotate the left side, and I drive off. This time, the pull is much less, but it's still there.

At this point I begin thinking that maybe my alignment really is off. So I take it to Mitsubishi and have them do an alignment for $79.99, as well as check all the control arms, tie rods, etc, etc, to make sure nothing was bent. All was ok, and the alignment is spot on.... yet it STILL pulls to the right slightly.

What should I do?? I am going to take the car back to Discount Tire tomorrow and show them the alignment sheet.

I'd like to have ammunition though. What could they have POSSIBLY done to throw off my alignment? Are the tires improperly balanced? Mounted wrong? Could they have torqued something down wrong or something?? Any and all advice would be really really appreciated.

- Jason

 

Does it pull to the right at all times?

 

What you might be experiencing is "Radial Pull". This basically means one of the tires was mis-manufactured and as a result the car will pull in one direction. Because this cannot be discovered on a machine, you can diagnose it on the car itself. If the car is pulling to the right its obviously a tire on the pass side. Dismount and move that tire to the drivers side. If the car stops pulling or then pulls to the left, its radial pull. You might have to do that with each tire on the car to find the bad one. Its a rare thing, but it can happen. This would be covered under the manufacture warranty and the tire should be replaced. Just an idea...

 

mttam510: It pulls if I am coasting, but not as hard as when I'm accelerating, that' s when it pulls the most.

- Jason

 

Neal@tirerack: Are there any other possibilities? Is it possible they were improperly balanced or mounted? Or would that not be causing a pull?

- Jason

 

Definately a tire pull. Out of balance tires won't cause a pull.

It'll pull harder when accelerating because of Torque steer. Meaning on a front wheel drive, the shorter axle will have more power to the ground causing it to pull under accel.

Only way to fix a tire pull is to switch around tires. If it still doesn't fix it, in your case, Get it warranteed and replaced as Neal said.

 

This might seem stupid, but is often overlooked. Have you checked your tire pressures?... a lower pressure in one of your front tires will cause your car to pull in that direction.

 

Low pressure in a rear tire will also cause a car to pull to the side.
(Although on an EVO it takes a lot lower pressure to be noticable in city traffic. Advans are almost "run flat" tires at speeds below 30 MPH. (Who left that sheet metal screw in the road?))

But if it's worse under acceleration (in a FWD OZ) then I'd check the fronts first.

Check all the pressures with an accurate gauge, then try tweaking a bit. A pound or so difference makes a noticable difference, on a well balanced suspension. Maybe put a half pound more in the right front than the left, and see what effect that has on the "pull".

If tweaking your pressures by a psi or so doesn't eliminate the pull, then try the unmount and swap the front tires suggestion above, to check for a defective tire.

 

Hmm, I'll try that. I guess I just assumed the pressures would be correct since they were just installed by a professional shop not 5 days ago. I do have a digital tire gauge, so I'll check that, but I highly doubt it.

- Jason

 

Bump, taking the car in today... anyone have any last minute ideas of what could be going on??

- Jason