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Old 28 Jul 2005, 01:38 am
Rybo Flavin Rybo Flavin is offline
Fresh Cruiser
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: .
Posts: 5
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Sorry to reply to such an old topic, but I wanted to follow up with everything that's happened since my original post. I took it to the dealership and they assured me that all of the bushings and suspension are in good condition. They also performed an alignment and everything looks pretty good. Unfortunately, I've still got the pull and highway driving is making me crazy because I can't let loose of the steering wheel for a second.

I messed with rotating the tires (Yokohama Avid V4S, directional tires) around tonight and here is what I found (tires are numbered):

*Test 1 Original Configuration*
In this config it pulls to the left while cruising and straigtens out when under heavy throttle. At 65 MPH, it will drift to the passing lane on the highway instantly if you let go of the steering wheel.
3___1
R___F
4___2

*Test 2 Front Tires Swapped*
3___2
R___F
4___1
In this config it pulls to the right while cruising and slightly straightens under heavy throttle. I thought I was on to something here because by swapping, my pull was completely reversed to the opposite direction (however the directional tires were rotating backwards).

*Test 3 Swapped Passenger Side Front to Rear*
3___2
R___F
1___4
I did this swap to determine if "Tire 1" was the culprit by moving it to the rear and bringing "Tire 4" to the front. In this configuration it was cruising perfectly straight, but under heavy throttle it would dive hard to the left toward oncoming traffic. It *should* pull to the right due to the crown of the road. I thought this may be due to the fact that the directionial tire was backwards on Tire 2, thus making more drag??? I continued my test below:

*Test 4 Swapped Driver Side Front to Rear*
2___3
R___F
1___4
By making this swap I've essentially brought the original rear tires to the front and criss-crossed the original front tires and mounted on the rear. In this configuration, it acts just like the original configuration where it pulls to the left while cruising and straightens out under heavy throttle.

I'm really at a loss now. Anyone have any other ideas I can try with these tires / wheels? Obviously the problem is originating somehwere with either the tires or wheels because, as shown above, simple rotation can affect the direction of pull I am getting.
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