Just want some thoughts on what to do...

I have an '03 WRX sedan...and got my stock wheels changed today to a set of STi wheels with RE-070's...had the new wheels (which I bought used) spun balanced and the shop said they were fine (i.e. not bent)...

Now when I'm driving the car's alignment is erratic...if I hold the steering wheel straight it pulls to the left (it used to drift slowly to the left but now there's a definite pull, maybe because of wider tires?)...when I was driving and straightened out the car before with no hands on the steering wheel it would drive straight literally for a mile or so (if I didn't hit any bumps)...now when I'm driving I notice the steering wheel wants to bias either to the left or the right but not straight (and the car pulls either left or right)...if I turn just slightly right it really starts to pull right rather than just fade, if I start to turn slightly left it really pulls left...when I drive straight it is sometimes pulling right, other times left, seemingly randomly (I actually have to steer away from the resistance to keep driving straight and then all of a sudden it decides to switch directions and I have to correct then steer a bit of resistance in the opposite direction...)...

I set the tire pressures all to 38 PSI (the shop left the fronts at 37 and the rears at 33 each) and it seems better but still likes to pull randomly to the left or right when I'm trying to drive straight...a bit unnerving at speed...I noticed something like this with the stock wheels this winter but it isn't that pronounced so I just assumed it was the wind blowing me around, but now I think it may be something wrong that the new wheels are just making more noticable...

My car did get hit in the left front this summer and I had to have the steering rack and wheel bearing on the left front replaced and the dealer was barely able to get it back into Subaru spec alignment (left front being the closest to out of spec)...I'm assuming they didn't try very hard though...although the toe was neutral...also the right turning radius is much smaller than the left turning radius since the accident (although seems to work fine during normal driving...)

The tires today have uneven wear in the left front -- outer 1.5 - 2 inches of the LF were more worn than the RF, almost onto the sidewall of the tire (and I'm pretty **** about keeping tire pressure even all the time)...

What do you guys think? Should I try another alignment...I know if I take it to the Subaru dealer they'll say the suspension is fine, and the steering rack is fine, and I just need a balance and maybe an alignment...I think the toe is wrong in the front and that's why it likes to pull in one direction or another, but I'm more worried that there's something wrong with the steering rack or something bent in the front they missed (and will never notice on inspection I'm sure...)...

Please thoughts!

Thanks

 

Thanks for the info, I'll have that looked at as well. I don't believe the frame was bent at all...I had the opportunity to check it out when it was up on jacks and I couldn't see any frame or obvious suspension damage...

I just don't have a jack myself or stands to really get under there and take a look, so have to rely on others...

 

It could just be that you're feeling the tires.

When you install a really agressive tire, you'll feel it sticking to the road a lot more. If there are grooves in the road, even if you can't see them, sometimes the tires will follow those grooves.

I went from having nice sticky tires on my Nissan, to a stock WRX and then to having nice sticky 17" tires on the WRX and felt that same pull you talk about. It scared me at first, but I think it's normal.

 

Yes I agree with the stiffer/more aggressive tire issue...I do notice it follows grooves in the road more than it did...I also notice although it seems a bit jittery compared to before, I'm going a little faster around turns unintentionally (look down to see I'm 5 MPH faster in a turn that I usually take quite aggressively)...so the wider wheels are defintely adding to the stability of the car if I'm unconsciously going faster through turns (I usually adjust speed to how the car 'feels' if you can understand that)...

Went and got a quick alignment yesterday (not a performance one...just to check the toe)...the Toe was fine and is at 0...caster and camber are very different right to left though but it's driving straight for now...now the major issue is my steering wheel is about 15 degrees to the right to drive straight...VERY annoying! the steering wheel also still likes to center itself so I'm veering left, not sure if that's the memory steering issue with subaru steering racks or what, but am going to upgrade the steering bushings to Whitelines, hopefully that will straighten out the wheel a bit (then get a more performance alignment with someone who will actually spend more than 30 minutes to play with the alignment settings)...

But for the most part the alignment yesterday took a lot of the "randomness" I felt in the steering, the rest I believe is the tires tracking with the road surface, a feeling I will undoubetly get accustomed to but a bit surprising yesterday...


Now I'm on a mission to get my way off center steering wheel back close to center, even if it means taking it off the shaft and just realigning it, but not before the bushings...

 

heh, yeah you're having the memory steer. I get that too and hate it. Just so you know, I put my stock wheels back on this week (complete with RE92s) and the pull is completely gone

 

So I'll get my steering wheel straight again, and when I get my stock wheels back on for winter next year it'll be pointing the other way!

ARGH! Here's to memory steer:

I had it out yesterday though and it definitely corners a lot better, no 'pull' through turns, in fact it seems to prefer turns now rather than just driving straight...so I guess the car is taking on some of the characteristics of its owner