Member Since: 23 Apr 2010
Location: Kent
Posts: 794
Does yours drift to the left?
Mine does. Formost of this year my D3 has drifted to the left and my steering wheel is no longer lined up correctly. If I let go of the wheel the car goes straight away over to the pavement. I have driven in the middle of the road where it seems ok, but will drift eventually. I have tested this when driving in Europe and on the other side of the road it still drifts to the left!
I have had I think 4 alignments at the dealer, the last one said the rear wheels were slightly out of alignment which were adjusted and they said that they can only put it down to the quality of the roads. Whilst I admit that the roads aren't great, none of my other cars drift over so aggressively all the time. I am constantly holding the steering slightly to the right when I am driving it. It feels like the natural centre for the steering rack is slightly to the left if you can understand what I am getting at. The car is running on Pirelli Scropions which were new last year and I have 19 inch HSE wheels fitted.
I have never taken it off road, but am beginning to think that something is bent underneath that is not obvious which is causing the car to drift a lot. Every other time the wheel alignment has been checked it is ok and within spec, but with respect to the dealer I'm not sure whether or not they look at the figures and try and adjust it so that the car goes in a straight line.
Any comments welcome, I am going to speak to the dealer today as I just don't think it is right and will see if they have a D3 preferably with HSE wheels on that I can drive on the same bit of road by the dealer with someone from there to see what happens and get a comparison.
Member Since: 12 Dec 2005
Location: The Gaff
Posts: 50934
I have exactly the same after returning from Morocco last year ...4 workshop inspections and 3 alignments later and still no joy. It's not the tyres or wheels as I have run Scorpions on the original 19" rims, Pirelli Ice& Snow & MTR on my spare set of 19" rims and it does it with any combination.
I thought it might be the rack but apparently not ...will be getting a 2nd opinion shortly. 21 year LR veteran > D2 GS 2003 > D3 S 2006 > D3 HSE 2009 > D4 HSE 2013 > D4 HSE 2015 > D5 HSE 2018 > DS HSE R-Dynamic P300e 2021
8th Nov 2011 10:42 am
crwoody
Member Since: 09 Mar 2009
Location: Littleborough
Posts: 2109
How about a sticky caliper causing the brake to drag on one side?
Have you noticed any significant brake dust build-up on one wheel more than the others?Clive
8th Nov 2011 10:48 am
Gareth Site Moderator
Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
Posts: 26702
Both of my D3's have done this. Its strange how when I drive on the continent, it wanders to the right! I can only assume that its caused by the natural camber of the road.
I did swap the tyres around recently (front to rear on same side) to even out the wear, and it has improved it a little, but it still follows the camber.
I too have been through all the alignment, bushes etc, to no avail.
8th Nov 2011 10:53 am
highbayrack
Member Since: 09 Jul 2008
Location: Northamptonshire
Posts: 2776
DG wrote:
I have run Scorpions on the original 19" rims, Pirelli Ice& Snow & MTR on my spare set of 19" rims and it does it with any combination.
Maybe not for the same reason but on my D4 I recently fitted Pirelli Ice & Snow on 19" rims and it is doing exactly the same thing as you discribe. ive had the balance re-checked independantly but it's fine. The origional OEM 20" rims with Scorpions did not have this problem at all and I was wondering if it could be down to the softer compound .On a mission to find the perfect Pork Pie. Just Found it (I think)..(Yes I have)
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It's a strange one , my o8 hse , does not do this , only offering a comparison do you think it's the roads itself , as when my tyres were about 4 mm , it did wander but only because they were worn and I noticed a big difference when I put new tyres on No wandering about .2008 ,hse, it does what it says .
8th Nov 2011 11:04 am
zarnd
Member Since: 23 Apr 2010
Location: Kent
Posts: 794
Has anyone tried taking the 19 inch wheels off and fitting 18's to see if that cures the problem? I've done 21,000 miles in it since last year and since May only use it if absolutely necessary as I have a company car so it sits for most of its life at the moment. I never noticed it when I was driving it everyday to and from work and at weekends, so maybe it was there but is now just more pronounced as I rarely drive it and I notice things more and more!
I'm convinced that I've maybe gone over a pot hole and something is ever so slightly bent enough to make a difference but on visual inspection is not noticeable
Member Since: 10 Aug 2011
Location: South Wales
Posts: 255
could be camber of the road. Try driving on the other side for a bit (obviously pick somewhere quiet ).Dec 04 TDV6 HSE in Tonga green with Alpaca interior.
8th Nov 2011 1:26 pm
packingstrips
Member Since: 24 Mar 2010
Location: uk
Posts: 435
Probably gonna be shot down here but here goes. I cant remember the last time i drove a D3/4 or any make come to think of it that doesnt wander to the ns to some extent. Most modern cars with parellel tracking are more prone to follow the camber of the road...its just the severity thats the issue. If you were to release the steering and it gently goes across then you have little to worry about...if however you are fighting to keep it straight or it shoots across badly then clearly you have other issues going on.
8th Nov 2011 1:38 pm
zarnd
Member Since: 23 Apr 2010
Location: Kent
Posts: 794
It coulod be the camber of the road, but it drifted to the left when I was driving in Europe in the summer. Would have thought that if it was purely camber related that it would have drifted to the right when abroad
Member Since: 12 Dec 2005
Location: The Gaff
Posts: 50934
highbayrack wrote:
DG wrote:
I have run Scorpions on the original 19" rims, Pirelli Ice& Snow & MTR on my spare set of 19" rims and it does it with any combination.
Maybe not for the same reason but on my D4 I recently fitted Pirelli Ice & Snow on 19" rims and it is doing exactly the same thing as you discribe. ive had the balance re-checked independantly but it's fine. The origional OEM 20" rims with Scorpions did not have this problem at all and I was wondering if it could be down to the softer compound .
I don't believe it's anything to do with any of the three types of tyres that I have run on the motor since it started ...the degree of drift is the same with all.
The dealer and I have checked the brake components and there appear to be no issues.
As for road camber ....the motor was fine for the first 20 months with no such drift issues so I can't imagine that camber is an issue now.
I still have suspicons about the rack 21 year LR veteran > D2 GS 2003 > D3 S 2006 > D3 HSE 2009 > D4 HSE 2013 > D4 HSE 2015 > D5 HSE 2018 > DS HSE R-Dynamic P300e 2021
8th Nov 2011 1:57 pm
Gazellio
Member Since: 09 Jan 2011
Location: Chilterns
Posts: 4130
I think it Camber and once in the mind its hard to ignore it.....
I drive loads of D3's as they pass through and they all have the steering wheel slightly turning right as you driving on normally cambered roads. Let go and you slowly drift left.
Worth looking for a large flat Car Park (services lorry park) to test your car which should of course track straight on a level car park.....
8th Nov 2011 3:26 pm
DG Site Moderator
Member Since: 12 Dec 2005
Location: The Gaff
Posts: 50934
Guys I've been driving D3's since 2005 and driving for 27 years ...it's not camber ...though it could be my mind mind 21 year LR veteran > D2 GS 2003 > D3 S 2006 > D3 HSE 2009 > D4 HSE 2013 > D4 HSE 2015 > D5 HSE 2018 > DS HSE R-Dynamic P300e 2021
8th Nov 2011 3:36 pm
TC
Member Since: 26 Oct 2005
Location: Gloucestershire
Posts: 253
Mine pulls left also. It doesn't though feel consistent, ie, you can drive the same road twice and get different behaviour......
8th Nov 2011 6:01 pm
zarnd
Member Since: 23 Apr 2010
Location: Kent
Posts: 794
Well at least I'm not on my own which could point to it being the camber of the road, but mine hasn't always done it and just started doing it one day.
My steering wheel is not straight and maybe if I straightened it it may help me (mentally) to forget about the drifting left issue. I spoke to the dealer who thought that if I moved it to the right one notch that it would then be too far over the other way as the splines are very large. Any thoughts?
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No wandering about .
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