Help with VE Calais Wheel Alignment issue

[stirringaxe]

Hi Guys, I am having an issue with wheel alignment. The car dives towards the left hand side of the road when steering wheel is let go. Also of note is that the steering wheel turns along with the dive.

It is a significant problem to me and, up untill now, several wheel alignments haven't been able to rectify the problem.

I am not getting any adverse tire wear. Apart from this issue it drives great. Car hasn't had any accidents.

With my limited knowledge I would think positive caster should be added on the left front, but the VE has no adjustment for this.

I can get a caster adjustment kit for the car but before I head in this direction I wondered if anyone else has had or solved a similar issue.

The alignment guy also suggested replacing the strut top bearings, although when reading other posts the car doesn't display top bearing failure sysmptoms ????

Advice or opinions welcomed.

[gossie]

About all I can say is my VE was very "wandery", if there's such a word, when I first got it in June '99.

At the 3 month service I told them and they fixed it, and openly told me the front end was out of alignment......probably from the factory, as I'd hit nothing.

2 months ago at only about 12 or 13000 kilometers I noticed the near side rear expensive tyre having abnormal wear, so I took it to Bridgstone for a full align front and rear......the rear was well out, but the front good I was told. Cost was $60.00 that I was happy to pay, and I was told by the technician these cars need to be properly aligned at least every 10000 kilometers.

Perhaps have it re-done front and rear and leaving it stock as per the factory. Mine by the way feels really good to drive fast or slow.

[womble66]

About all I can say is my VE was very "wandery", if there's such a word, when I first got it in June '99.

I would say your VE was more of a time machine rather than having a "wandery" problem given VEs didn't come out till 2006...:>)

[stirringaxe]

So has nobody had caster issues with their VE ?

[Thumpin]

I can't understand why you don't know your caster position after you have had wheel alignments?

To understand your problem better your full alignment figures would be a help. If your aligner can't supply the figures then go to decent aligner.

Standard alignment settings (with all things equal) your steering should turn-off to the left. Its a dead-man safety precaution. Its a very mild setting that should be fairly unnoticeable.

Caster settings are built into the suspension hardware. For caster to be out on one side means that something is bent or damaged. It can be as little as collapsing bush.

You mention "dive" with your issue. Does that mean it pulls to the left under brakes?

[stirringaxe]

Ok here are scans of all the alignments for this year. The car brakes straight. It isn't a gentle wander to the left. I used the word "dive" because it is more than a wander to the left.

[Thumpin]

Stiring, I don't think its a wheel alignment issue. Your caster figures are the same as mine.
Maybe check for a dragging brake. Sorry thats all I can suggest!

[gossie]

I would say your VE was more of a time machine rather than having a "wandery" problem given VEs didn't come out till 2006...:>)

Yes, very good. Just testing to see if anybody out there is awake. Congratulations Womble66, your the winner.

[stirringaxe]

Hi Guys, here is a follow up post regarding this issue for your information.

The problem has been fixed with the addition of the castor adjustment kit to the car. It allows the front suspension arm to be adjusted forward or backwards.

The castor has been altered by a full 2 degrees overall with the left front wheel brought forward & the right moved back a tad.

The result is an unbelievable difference in the driving of the car. The car now heads exactly where you point it for the first time since I got it.

I can now let the wheel go & it will very gently wander to the left, but I am no longer fighting to keep the car going straight down the road.

The high speed stability of the car is a real marked improvement, where previously it felt skittish & upset at any change of direction it now feels planted & stable.

Also previously when going through an "S" bend where a change from one direction to the other at highway speeds was required the car would get very upset, but is now no problem.

Kit was only about $56 NZ & took about an hour to get both sides installed including learning just how to fit them.

Great result for little cost.

[shane_3800]

there is a problem you are masking you will notice in a year or so it may change after certain routine work

it will start pulling right i bet you just wait till the day comes and remember what i said then post back in this thread

[stirringaxe]

I am intrigued to know what this masked problem is ?

[RiCeY]

Shane cant hear you with his tin foil hat on.

[Thumpin]

there is a problem you are masking you will notice in a year or so it may change after certain routine work

it will start pulling right i bet you just wait till the day comes and remember what i said then post back in this thread

Talking in riddles

[mad macks]

what about tyre 'pull'?
What brand of tyres are on ?
How worn are they?
We used to fix many cars pulling (left or right) by swapping tyres left to right or back to front
I think it was called radial force variation that caused it in the tyre quality,not some minor difference in caster or camber angles in front end geometry

[RiCeY]

Swapping left to right isnt possible if they are directional and isnt recommended if they arent generally.

Edit Im still half asleep and wasnt considering removing the tyres from the rims so they rotated the same direction on the other side.

sigh

[The X Man]

I took my car into Holden's for a warranty claim and a wheel alignment check and noticed it felt weird and wandery. It turns out that the morons had completely different inflation rates across all four tires starting from 29psi to 38psi. I pumped all four up to 39psi and it feels much better now.

[stirringaxe]

The tyres are new & are the third set we have tried since November. Rotating them did nothing. pressures set to 40psi all round. I have just come back from a 300km round trip this weekend & the transformation is complete. What a pleasure to drive now.

[sfor]

had the same problem on the left side when i got 19' rims and ssl for suspension.... caster kit did the trick

[oska]

it's normal all/most cars pull to left it has to do with road camber and those print out are bullshit mines says i had a rear TOE adjustment on my series 1 VX

find a nice flat road and it will steer straight

holden cars will never change no matter what, cheaply built cars and albeit over priced for an oz market

[The X Man]

Yes, cheaply built cars that cost 1 Billion to engineer. I think they put 500K into the design and 100K into the quality department, the rest, well someone got rich real quick.

[oska]

Yes, cheaply built cars that cost 1 Billion to engineer. I think they put 500K into the design and 100K into the quality department, the rest, well someone got rich real quick.

1 billion dollars and OP can't get a simple $60 wheel alignment