If you drive your car every day, you soon develop a sense of the right way to turn it over and exactly how it moves. So when it starts to run differently, you’ll notice immediately, especially if the issue is your car pulling to the right.
In this article, we will discuss what might be causing your car to pull to the right and how you can go about fixing it.
Contents
What’s Wrong When Your Car Pulls to the Right?
Several problems may result in your car pulling to one side. These can include –
- Uneven tire pressure – If your tires are over or underinflated on one side, it could leave your vehicle unbalanced and cause it to lean to one side.
- Collapsed brake hose – This issue may be inside the hose itself, causing a restriction of brake fluid being delivered to whichever side has collapsed. In this case, when you depress the pedal, the collapsed side will take longer to reach the right amount of brake fluid to slow down and cause uneven driving.
- Misaligned wheels – Improper wheel alignment is a common cause of your car pulling to one side. When your wheel bearings are no longer parallel, this will cause your steering wheel to stick and not return to its central position, making driving inconvenient and complicated.
Is It Normal for a Car to Pull Slightly to the Right?
It’s understood that left-hand drive cars that drive on the right-hand side of the road have been designed to pull a little to the right; this is built into the car to avoid it swaying into approaching traffic if the driver falls asleep though it should be a barely noticeable pull.
Diagnosing the Pull Problems
As we’ve discussed, your car pulling to one side is likely symptomatic of another issue, which can be diagnosed by looking at the circumstances that make it pull to the right, so let’s discuss what might be causing your car to veer and how we can fix it.
Car pulling to the right when braking hard
If this is the case, there is probably a complication with your braking system that is making your car pull to the right. You can also diagnose this issue if your brake pedal feels mushy.
Worn suspension components may also lead to your car veering when you brake.
Possible cause
A dry slide pin, collapsed brake hose, worn brake pads, or a stuck brake caliper might be the issue.
Calipers exert pressure on the brake pads; if the caliper is stuck or the brake pads are worn, it will make the car pull to the right when you brake.
Solution
A mechanic will be able to check and repair or replace brake pads or whatever is causing your brakes to malfunction. An adequate braking system is crucial to your car, so be sure to seek professional help as soon as possible.
Car pulling to the right after new tires
It can be particularly annoying and noticeable for your car to suddenly begin pulling to one side after the installation of new tires.
Possible cause
Tire pressure may be the issue here; you might have over or under-inflated tires. This will mean your tires are at uneven heights and will cause them to veer over.
If not tire pressure, then tire conicity might also be the problem. This is when new tires are not properly aligned with the belt underneath the tire, which can lead to them inflating conically and beginning to pull to one side.
Solution
You can check your tire pressure with a pressure gauge and then inflate them all to the correct PSI. Your gauge maximum pressure can be found on the drivers’ car door jam.
Car pulling to the right and shaking
If your car is pulling and the wheel is shaking, the issue may come from your steering wheel system.
Possible cause
A tie rod end, which is a connector that connects the steering wheel to the tires, when weakened, can lead to poor steering response and will make the wheel vibrate harder the weaker the connection becomes.
Solution
Several issues can result in the deterioration of the tie rod end; a servicing shop will be able to diagnose the issue and perform the repair.
Car pulling to the right when accelerating
This can be caused when the engine torque begins to impact the steering. A front-wheel-drive car will pull to the right when affected by torque steer.
Possible cause
A loose steering element, yielding tie rod, or poor control arm bushings are among some of the reasons your car may be suffering from torque steering.
Solution
As there are so many potential causes for this problem, it’s best to consult a specialist to install the correct component.
Car pulls to the right when hitting a bump
A bump can change the geometry of your car and cause it to veer left or right over a bump instead of simply traveling over them.
Possible cause
It is likely a ball joint, wheel bearing, poor lower control arm bushing, or tie rods that are causing your car to veer. A particularly bad bump may have disrupted your wheel alignment.
Solution
A mechanic will be able to tell if it is your tie rods that need replacing after an inspection. If it’s another component that is faulty, such as a deteriorated wheel bearing, a mechanic can fix it, but this is a complicated process.
Car pulls to the left when I let go of the steering wheel
When your wheel alignment is proper, your car will naturally pull to the right; if it’s pulling the opposite side, then you have a problem.
Possible cause
Improper wheel alignment is likely the culprit in this situation; you can check this by briefly releasing the steering wheel. Luckily this is an easy fix.
Solution
A mechanic will be able to quickly diagnose poor wheel alignment and realign it.
Car pulling to the right after alignment
If your car begins to veer after your wheels are aligned, there may not be an issue. Remember, cars are designed to drift a little to the right anyway, and the camber of the road may also impact this.
Possible cause
If you’re sure the car is not veering by design, then it may be that the mechanic failed to align your wheels properly and left a nut loose somewhere.
The issue may also be related to your tires.
Solution
If you suspect the issue is tire-related, then try switching the tires around and see if that fixes it. Otherwise, return to your mechanic and advise them of your issue.
Car pulls to the right when shifting gears
The change in speed when shifting gears may cause you to veer; if so, it can be either a very quick fix or a slightly more involved one.
Possible cause
Accelerating while shifting could lead to torque steering, which causes the vehicle to veer. If not this, then it may be wheel alignment or tire wear.
Solution
Adjusting your driving habits and accelerating less while shifting may solve this issue. However, if not, you may need to take your vehicle to the shop.
Is It Ok to Drive a Car That Pulls You to the Right?
If your car only pulls to the right a little, then this is probably just its natural engineering. You know your car best and will be able to tell when its veering becomes too big a problem to leave unaddressed.
