Why Cars Drift to One Side

Have you noticed your car starting to favor one side of the road more than the other? Why does your car start to drift to one side in Athens County, OH? It’s frustrating, and can be dangerous in the Ohio winter weather. If you’ve been struggling to drive in a straight line lately, there could be several causes:

• Your alignment is out of order: This is the most obvious cause, but it’s not always the cause of car drift. Wheel alignment refers to the idea that your wheels and axles should form a perfect rectangle. If you’ve recently driven over a pothole, curb or been in an accident, that rectangular structure can be jostled and your car will start to drift.
• The road is uneven: Many roads are sloped on one side (the right side, in the U.S.) to allow for drainage. If you notice that your car is only drifting on one specific road, it might be because of the grading.
• Your tires are too low: Uneven air pressure in your tires can also cause drift. Lower air pressure in one tire causes it to have a lower profile than the others, thus throwing your car out of alignment. If your car has a short wheel base, you’re more likely to have this issue.
• Braking is causing the pull: Are you only noticing a pull when you start braking? That means it’s probably not a wheel alignment issue—you would notice a constant pull in that case. If you’re only pulling to one side while braking or notice a sharp burning smell while braking, you likely have a brake or loose suspension problem.
• Acceleration causes the pull: If you notice that your car pulls to one side only when you accelerate, that also indicates a cause other than your wheel alignment. Acceleration pull may be a symptom of problems with your ball joints, tie rods or strut bearings.
• One or more of your tires has a defect: Have you gotten new tires lately? You might be dealing with tire conicity, which is a manufacturer’s defect. This causes a hard pull in one direction thanks to your tire inflating in a cone shape rather than being flat on the bottom.
• You didn’t put your new tires on the rear: Finally, your tires wear unevenly, and putting new tires on the front can cause a pull. Always replace your tires in pairs, and put new ones on the rear first.

Fix your alignment issues in Athens County, OH

Dana’s Tire Center has been family owned and operated since 1983. Our goal is to be your all-in-one auto repair shop, whether you need repairs fast or just want to stay up to date on your car’s routine maintenance. No matter the size or scope of your problem, we can help. Having issues with your tires or alignment issues in Athens County, OH? Bring your car to the experts at Dana’s Tire Center and we’ll have you back out on the road in no time.

Categorised in: Auto Repair

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