I purchased the 2007 Mustang GT last September from a private seller. He disclosed (and it was obvious) that his aunt who was the owner drove the car into a ditch. The alignment was way off but still driveable. I took the car to Firestone and they aligned it and gave me a fancy printout. Ever since the car has pulled just a little to the left, but then for no reason it will track straight as an arrow at 70 mph. Then again for no reason it will start pulling lightly to the left. Any ideas what is going on?
Alignment good then bad
- Thread starter Barkleymut
- Start date
Something's worn in your suspension. Time to replace tie rods, center link, etc
Does hitting the brakes hard change anything for a while?
Yes, the alignment should have a warranty, probably 1 year.
As others have said, even a perfect alignment with good rubber will be affected by the road you are on.
Get your tires inflated properly, if necessary. Retest on a few roads.
Take it back to shop for a double check.
Ya never know. Good luck.
As others have said, even a perfect alignment with good rubber will be affected by the road you are on.
Get your tires inflated properly, if necessary. Retest on a few roads.
Take it back to shop for a double check.
Ya never know. Good luck.
From what I can tell, the road is not crowned ( I drive 60 miles a day - mostly on I-95 and Interstate 288 )
I check the tire pressure weekly, all 4 tires are at 35 psi. I had a few suspension components replaced during the inspection last year, guess it is time to take it back.
Getting a car's steering aligned does not mean that there isn't any play in the suspension and steering from worn bushings or other parts.
If the car went out of alignment after running into a ditch then something is likely bent or broken. Trying to align it without replacing the bad component usually does not work out well. Sounds like Firestone did not identify the bad component that is causing your issue
I'm going to go with something broke or wornout. I'd start with an inspection of the suspension. If it wasn't something you could do, I would think a shop should be able to diagnose for small money (put on lift, push things around, should be what, an hour labor?).
Originally Posted by ripcord
Does hitting the brakes hard change anything for a while?
No, I am guessing that you are suggesting it may be a brake that is dragging....I have not seen evidence of that (although that was my first thought)
Does hitting the brakes hard change anything for a while?
No, I am guessing that you are suggesting it may be a brake that is dragging....I have not seen evidence of that (although that was my first thought)
Tie rod ends are what stress my head 24-7. They're so small and do so much.
Front to rear the tires. Inspect them when you do it.
Lead tire into ditch OK? Are they old?
Front to rear the tires. Inspect them when you do it.
Lead tire into ditch OK? Are they old?
Originally Posted by Barkleymut
I purchased the 2007 Mustang GT last September from a private seller. He disclosed (and it was obvious) that his aunt who was the owner drove the car into a ditch. The alignment was way off but still driveable. I took the car to Firestone and they aligned it and gave me a fancy printout. Ever since the car has pulled just a little to the left, but then for no reason it will track straight as an arrow at 70 mph. Then again for no reason it will start pulling lightly to the left. Any ideas what is going on?
Just to be clear here
This has been continuous for 8 months?
If so, why is the concern now? ( lots of things can happen in that time)
If it hasn't been continuous, who not go have the problem investigated?
Just curious
I purchased the 2007 Mustang GT last September from a private seller. He disclosed (and it was obvious) that his aunt who was the owner drove the car into a ditch. The alignment was way off but still driveable. I took the car to Firestone and they aligned it and gave me a fancy printout. Ever since the car has pulled just a little to the left, but then for no reason it will track straight as an arrow at 70 mph. Then again for no reason it will start pulling lightly to the left. Any ideas what is going on?
Just to be clear here
This has been continuous for 8 months?
If so, why is the concern now? ( lots of things can happen in that time)
If it hasn't been continuous, who not go have the problem investigated?
Just curious
Yes it has been continuous for 8 months, just thought about it today while driving to work.
I have not rotated the tires since I purchased the car, probably around 13k miles ago. The tire that went into the ditch was trashed, along with the rim. All 4 tires were fairly new when I purchased the car.
I have not rotated the tires since I purchased the car, probably around 13k miles ago. The tire that went into the ditch was trashed, along with the rim. All 4 tires were fairly new when I purchased the car.
Originally Posted by Barkleymut
Originally Posted by ripcord
Does hitting the brakes hard change anything for a while?
No, I am guessing that you are suggesting it may be a brake that is dragging....I have not seen evidence of that (although that was my first thought)
I was thinking play in suspension components. My brother's Jeep Liberty had something loose in the front end that would affect the tracking. He noticed that if he hit the brakes hard in reverse it would pull worse and it improved for a while if he braked hard going forward. I think he ended up having some control arm bushings or something replaced.
Originally Posted by ripcord
Does hitting the brakes hard change anything for a while?
No, I am guessing that you are suggesting it may be a brake that is dragging....I have not seen evidence of that (although that was my first thought)
I was thinking play in suspension components. My brother's Jeep Liberty had something loose in the front end that would affect the tracking. He noticed that if he hit the brakes hard in reverse it would pull worse and it improved for a while if he braked hard going forward. I think he ended up having some control arm bushings or something replaced.
Outer tie-rods are known to go bad a lot on the 05-14 Mustangs. Also if you can, cross rotate the front tires to make sure there isn't any radial pull.
Originally Posted by Barkleymut
Yes it has been continuous for 8 months, just thought about it today while driving to work.
I have not rotated the tires since I purchased the car, probably around 13k miles ago. The tire that went into the ditch was trashed, along with the rim. All 4 tires were fairly new when I purchased the car.
Then I recommend to not guess but rack it and check everything from tire pressure and tread pattern to the functional clearance of each suspension component.
Fix whatever is not in spec.
That should most likely solve the problem and answer the question as to cause.
Yes it has been continuous for 8 months, just thought about it today while driving to work.
I have not rotated the tires since I purchased the car, probably around 13k miles ago. The tire that went into the ditch was trashed, along with the rim. All 4 tires were fairly new when I purchased the car.
Then I recommend to not guess but rack it and check everything from tire pressure and tread pattern to the functional clearance of each suspension component.
Fix whatever is not in spec.
That should most likely solve the problem and answer the question as to cause.
Originally Posted by bdcardinal
Outer tie-rods are known to go bad a lot on the 05-14 Mustangs. Also if you can, cross rotate the front tires to make sure there isn't any radial pull.
Rotation is a great idea, but inspect the front treads carefully for wear and feathering, and you may find the side with your problem.
Almost any component can be the issue, from the top strut bearing, ball joints, compliance bushings, lca bushings, and as mentioned, inner or outer tie rods.
Outer tie-rods are known to go bad a lot on the 05-14 Mustangs. Also if you can, cross rotate the front tires to make sure there isn't any radial pull.
Rotation is a great idea, but inspect the front treads carefully for wear and feathering, and you may find the side with your problem.
Almost any component can be the issue, from the top strut bearing, ball joints, compliance bushings, lca bushings, and as mentioned, inner or outer tie rods.
You cannot align a car with bad ball joints. AMHIK. You may have gotten charged for an alignment, but you didn't get one. .
If it pulls one way or another, Firestone goofed up the alignment despite what the printout says.
