hey guys. yesterday, i switched back to summer wheels/tires. this morning, right away, i noticed that the car is pulling to the left. it's pretty consistent. occasionally, it pulls to the right. i tested it by taking the hands off the wheel (but, hovering it) and maintaining the steady throttle. this wasn't noticeable with snow tires.

i do recall going over a snow-covered (hence hidden) curb slightly hard, once during the winter. other than that, i don't remember causing any damage. the tires are RE-11 with about 3-4k miles on Forgeline 17s.

so, do i need an alignment? or, possible damage to the suspension? there shouldn't be any wheel mounting issues, right? initially, the tech over-torqued them (to about 95 lbs). after my insistence, he lowered it to about 75 lbs (i forgot to check the manual for the correct specs). i will be going back after a couple of weeks for re-torquing.

if there is any suspension damage, i would take that opportunity to completely upgrade the setup.

thanks guys.

cheers.

henry.

 

s2000 is very sensitive to tire pressure.

 

i forgot to mention; i set the pressure to 32 psi all around before installing the wheels. i specifically asked the tech not to change the pressure. so, the pressure shouldn't be an issue (though i will check again tomorrow morning).

i usually check the pressure every other week.

thanks.

 

Your toe settings are probably off in the front. It is more noticeable because the summer tire has more grip.

 

thanks, robinson. i have scheduled a session with the local alignment specialist (thealignmentguy.com) next week. it has been a while since i done one anyway. i will go with the 'UK Specs'. hopefully, the alignment would resolve the issue.

cheers.

 

you might want to tell the tech you had a little accident ahead of time, so he/she can look out for bend part(which can be a bitch to spot)

see if you can put it back to proper spec

 

thanks, dude. i will let him know that. it was bit of a hard knock over a curb.

here is a general question: how often alignment needs to be done for optimal and consistent handling?

thanks.

 

I align at least once a year because I autocross and change my setup often.

 

i suggest recheck tire pressure and recheck that wheel nuts are tightened well.

 

I'm having a similar problem. When I step on the gas, the car tends to go left. When I release the gas, it comes back to the right. I just got new tires, the pressure is the same all around within 1 psi. I've gotten a 4 wheel alignment, the front toe was off a little on one side so they fixed it; my sideways problem has improved, but still there, and noticeable at highway speeds. The internet says it may be called torque steer.

I'm wondering what the solution was to your problem? It may help me out.

Thanks,
Tom
tom007stud