Are cars supposed to pull to the right? What does it tell you when this happens? It is a malfunction that is traceable to different areas of the car, including the alignment, braking system, suspension, etc.
If you’re experiencing a similar situation in your car, do not panic. It is a challenge that you can overcome once you spot the causes and rectify the problem as soon as possible.
However, this article unveils a lot of details about the reasons why your car pulls to the right and how to rectify the problem.
What Causes Car Pulls to the Right?
Wheel misalignment is the primary reason why a car pulls to the right. This may be due to bad road conditions or the wheel alignment naturally shifts over time. In any case, regular maintenance will help you avert this problem.
If your car always pulls to the right when accelerating, it simply means you have a problem to deal with.
However, it is best to know the cause of the problem before proceeding to figure out the corresponding solution. Some of the common causes of a car pulling to the right include the following:
Uneven tire air pressure
A vehicle’s tire air pressure helps it maintain balance when the tires are evenly gauged. In other words, if the air pressure in one of the front tires becomes less, it will impact the vehicle’s alignment and cause the car to pull to one side.
Meanwhile, when a car’s tire is punctured, it will cause the tire to deflate to a point where it will no longer maintain the same height as the other tires. This misalignment may cause the car to pull to the right constantly until it is rectified.
Wheel misalignment
Vehicles maintain balance when the wheels are properly aligned. Therefore, a shift in the proper alignment system of a car will most likely cause the car to pull towards the right or left. In some cases, this can be an incorrect lining between the wheel and the axles.
An improper alignment between the wheel and the axles will eventually cause the steering wheel and the front tires to pull towards the right. Sometimes, this pull can also be towards the left.
However, in order to check your vehicle’s wheel alignment, simply take off your hands from the steering wheel. If it starts to pull towards the right or left, you most likely have a misalignment.
Uneven tread wear
Uneven tread wear is another culprit to a car pulling towards the right. Lack of regular maintenance, especially tire rotation, will likely result in uneven tread wear. This can further cause the car to pull towards the right when accelerating.
Tire conicity
Sometimes, a vehicle’s tires may not be properly manufactured, thereby leading to unexpected occurrences during usage. Conicity is a common manufacturing defect that makes a car’s tires appear in cone-like shapes. If your car pulls to the right after new tires, this is the case.
This usually occurs when a manufacturer fails to align the belts beneath a vehicle’s tire tread. Conicity is peculiar to new car tires.
Worn out suspension or steering parts
The steering wheel and suspension are major components that link up with a vehicle’s tires. Therefore, a malfunction in one or both of these components can be revealed through the tires.
In other words, a worn-out steering wheel or suspension will eventually cause the car to pull towards one side when accelerating.
Brake system problems
A car’s brake plays a vital role when accelerating and slowing down, especially during traffic. However, if you have a faulty brake system, the car may likely pull towards the right when you apply the brake.
If a car pulls toward the right when braking hard, some common malfunctions that may be responsible for this situation include; collapsed brake hose, stuck calipers, uneven brake pad wear, and tear, etc.
How Do You Fix a Car that Pulls to the Right?
Fixing the problems that cause a car to pull to the right will ultimately rectify the issue ASAP. The following recommendations will help to fix the problem in line with the various causes outlined above.
Inflate tires properly
If you discover that any of your vehicle’s tires have air pressure less than the prescribed gauge, ensure to pump more air into such tires to the recommended level. This will help keep the tires at an optimum level for excellent performance.
Engage a proper wheel alignment
Wheel alignment is a critical exercise that you must not overlook. Therefore, if this is the reason why your car keeps pulling towards the right, ensure to contact an expert auto mechanic to align the wheels properly.
If your car pulls to the right after alignment, you may have to check out what else could be wrong and fix it.
Perform tire rotation and replace defective tires
Regular tire rotation will help you overcome uneven tread wear. So, it is important to make regular maintenance part of your culture in order to keep your car in good shape. However, if any of the tires are bad, ensure to replace them.
Replace cone-like shape tires
Since conicity is a manufacturer-related problem, ensure to inspect a car’s tires properly before purchasing. Also, ensure that you replace any spotted cone-shaped tires as soon as possible.
Repair/replace faulty suspension and steering parts
If your car’s suspension and steering wheel are faulty, ensure to contact a professional auto mechanic to fix the problem.
The steering wheel repair may include changing contaminated fluid, refilling low fluid, replacing faulty power steering hose, etc. Also, ensure to replace the faulty suspension to restore the car back in good shape.
Change faulty brake components.
Since faulty brake components can cause a car to pull towards the right, it would be best to inspect your car’s brake system if this is a culprit.
So, if your car pulls to the right when braking, kindly identify any faulty parts, including the brake pads, brake hose, stuck caliper, etc., and replace them accordingly.
If your car pulls to the left, Consider checking this well-detailed article ‘car pulls to the left to find out the reason and how to fix it.
FAQs
Q: Can worn tires cause pulling?
Of course, worn tires can cause a car to pull to one side of the road. For instance, if one of your car’s front tires is newer with more tread and the other is older with lesser tread, the newer tire will grip the road better.
Wheel misalignment is a common reason why your car’s tire may wear out faster. When this happens, you will eventually experience the car pulling to one side when accelerating.
So, if your car pulls when accelerating, you will have to change the worn-out tires in order to get rid of this problem.
Q: What alignment angles cause a pull?
Camber is the alignment angle that causes a pull on a car, especially when one side is uneven compared to the other. Usually, the side that has more camber will most likely cause the pull on the car. In other words, the car will pull to the right if that side of the car has the most positive camber.
Camber helps to prevent the top of a car’s wheels from bending inwards more than necessary. This inward bending is usually due to too much load in the wheel bearing and suspension ball joints.
So, it is vital to ensure that your car’s front tires maintain a slightly negative camber angle of around 0.5 – 1 degrees. On the other hand, the rear tires will perform better with a negative camber angle of around 0.8 – 1.3 degrees.
Q: Will toe adjustment cause a pull?
Toe adjustment may not necessarily cause a car to pull; however, it can result in faster tread wear on the car’s tires. Meanwhile, the toe angle will further affect the car’s turning response, directional control, and tire tread lifespan.
These effects can result in unexpected dangers if not properly handled. A car’s turning response, directional control, and tire tread are very important to the driver’s safety.
So, it would be best to fix this issue as soon as possible to avert any negative consequences in the long run.
Q: Can power steering cause a pull?
Of course, a defective power steering can cause a car to pull to the right. Since the steering wheel is responsible for the directional control of the car, you may have a hard time turning corners when driving.
Besides causing a pull, a faulty power steering can also trigger a whining noise when driving. Some causes of power steering issues include fluid leak, contaminated fluid, defective steering pump, snapped drive belts, etc.
Q: Will a car pull to the side with a more positive caster?
Not necessarily. A car will not pull to the side with a more positive caster. However, this situation will make the car more difficult to turn. Basically, too little or too much caster may not necessarily cause a car to pull either to the right or left.
However, an unequal caster angle from side to side will cause the car to pull to the side with the least amount of caster (negative caster). It is important to inspect your car’s camber and caster angle degrees from time to time in order to avoid situations that can result in serious danger.
Q: Which alignment angle affects the stiffness of steering?
Caster is the alignment angle that affects the stiffness of a vehicle’s steering. Increased caster level will most likely enhance straight-line stability, increase steering effort, and also increase high-speed stability, as well as the vehicle’s ability to corner effectively.
Manufacturers ensure that they maintain a 3 – 5 degrees caster angle on vehicles. This caster angle helps to achieve a reasonable steering effort, straight-line stability, high-speed stability, and smooth cornering effectiveness.
Final Words
This article has unveiled a couple of reasons why a car may pull to the right. Also, the corresponding solutions have been provided above. So, if your car pulls to the right when on the road, ensure to engage the solutions above in this article.
Also, if you know someone who complains thus, “My car pulls to the right when I let go of the steering wheel,” you can recommend this article to them without the least hesitation.
