thomsbrain

Did a lot of searching, but all the threads on pulling seem to end in a tire pressure solution.

I'm getting pulling to the right on acceleration and left on decel, subtle but there consistently. That would indicate a low passenger rear, but I've quadruple checked the pressures with multiple gauges and they are equal: cold 31 warm 35 at all four corners.

Background: I noticed minor pulling at the beginning of a 250 mile drive, by the end of the drive I had a flat tire with major pulling. Replaced both rear tires with new ones. The car has pulled to the right on acceleration ever since. I have replaced the diff oil since replacing the tires, with no improvement. The old diff oil was very clear and still in good shape. Subjectively the car isn't handling right in the corners, seems to lack front grip and the VSA is fighting me like crazy.

Now what? Could alignment settings cause this kind of behavior? Did driving with low pressure on one rear cause weird wear on the fronts that is causing this?

Ideas appreciated.

importkid

Check your alignment. I had this problem and checked tire pressure and everything. My rear toe was way out. Fixed the problem.

for doing your homework and checking tire pressure. Not just asking us to perform a miracle by giving no info besides pulling under accel.

thomsbrain

Alignment was going to be my next step, but good to hear that it may be my last step, too. We have a great alignment guy here in the Bay Area who has worked on my car before. I figured the wheel probably took some big hits without the tire to protect it, so it would make sense if it got banged out of line. But I always fear the worst (oh noes! my subframe is shifted!).

Importedpower

Mine does that a bit, figured it was a body thing or maybe just needed an alignment... we shall see in a few weeks.
if i am turning and let off itll turn sharper too, but its perfectly straight under constant speed. Speed up is the big time i notice it, and harder i rev the worse it is. I figured it could also be my diff twisting in its mounts a bit under load

Reckon

Sounds like an alignment issue if the tire pressures are checking out ok. Are the new rear tires the same brand as the front and were they put on correctly? Just some other ideas...

thomsbrain

Rear tires are Star Specs, mounted and balanced by a shop the community trusts.

Front tires are RS-3s. I had the same Star Spec/RS-3 combo before I replaced the Star Specs. Would have gone for RS-3's but Tire Rack was backordered a month. 225/255 stagger on stock wheels.

thomsbrain

Alignment did not fix it.

So with the following symptoms: pulls right on accel, pulls left on decel, ridiculous understeer in steady corners in both directions...

...I think I have a problem with dynamic toe change at either the passenger rear wheel or driver front wheel. If it is the pass rear, then it is toeing in on compression, toeing out on rebound. Opposite for driver's front wheel if that is the problem.

My next step will be to examine my alignment adjusters and see if they were set equally to achieve equal results, and then measure all the suspension components to try to see if something is bent.

This is such a bummer.

ahrmike

Are you sure its not the tires? Its not good to drive with the treads backwards, but if I were you I'd swap left and right tires for maybe 1-2 miles and test out if the problem switches sides..

MP2k

I had a very similar problem with a new set of Yoko S-Drives on the rear. It turns out one tire was made in the USA and the other was made in Japan. I got the US tire swapped for a Japanese one and it fixed it. Your tires could have come from different manufacturing facilities and one could be slightly different.

downloader

can you swap your set of wheel with another s2000? it would take a lot of the guess work out. this is a long shot but are the tires the same size? Good luck