Pulling hard to the right and shaking at speed...

[darkfusion42]

My wife has been driving the coupe the past couple of days,and when I got in it ti drive it home yesterday, I noticed it shaking and pulling to the right. Checked all tires and everything. Ideas?

[deevergote]

Check your ball joints and tie rods.

Did you hit anything recently? Curb, major pothole, etc?

[batever]

1) Ask her if she remembers hitting anything or going over a huge pothole or something.

If you lost a lead wheel balancing weight then that would account for the vibration but not for the pull to the right.

Check tire pressure, make sure you don't have a defect like a bulge in your right tire or any tire, make sure all lug nuts are on securely, make sure axle nuts are on securely.

And from there check the front end and steering components. including steering gear mounting bracket, inner tie rod connection, (inner tie rod jam nut is tight against outer the tie rod) and outer tie rod connection, lower ball joint, radius rod connections on both ends.

After you've checked the axle nuts, put the car up so front wheels are off the ground and try to shake the wheel. if it shakes in all directions you could have a bad wheel bearing. Then grasp tires on the right and left side and push/pull trying to move them in and out. (basic check for the tie rod) , then grab the top and bottom of the tire and try mobe the top and bottom of the tire in and out/ to move the tire that way (to check for excess wear of the lower ball joint) . There should be no discernable movement when you do either of these checks.

good luck.

If nothing obvious is wrong then bring it to a front end shop and have it checked out.

[darkfusion42]

Yeah, she was driving in an area that had aLOT of construction....sudden bumps etc.


Low and behold there was a nice size bulge in the right front tire. Also, I noticed the tire pressure was WAY too high, not sure what that was about...because last I checked I had lowered it a little because of the high temps around here. I lowered the pressure a little to kinda ease the bulge. Getting a new tire monday hopefully. Gotta talk to my "guy" lol.

[bcjammerx]

like 50psi or like 37psi? first is high...latter is not.

Glad you found the issue.

[darkfusion42]

tires were rated for 44 psi...it was around 55.

Gotta get TWO tires now....went down a backroad home today, came around a blind turn right into literally the LARGEST, DEEPEST pothole ever. Instantly popped a hole in the sidewall of the NEW front right tire (was on the rear...not new, but around 95% tread)


This is not good considering I'm unemployed. It was gonna be hard enough getting one.
I know it's not the best idea to plug a sidewall, but I had to to get myself around until the tire shops are open monday. Hopefully it will hold safely until then.


guess its good I swapped the tires yesterday....had the bad one still been on front I would have been a goner.

[RagingAsian]

This is why I wont let any girl drive my car. i probably just started a flame war. But I am glad you were able to find the problem causing your pulling to the right and the shaking. I would be highly irriate, if someone used my car and it came back like that.

[batever]

tires were rated for 44 psi...it was around 55.

Gotta get TWO tires now....went down a backroad home today, came around a blind turn right into literally the LARGEST, DEEPEST pothole ever. Instantly popped a hole in the sidewall of the NEW front right tire (was on the rear...not new, but around 95% tread)


This is not good considering I'm unemployed. It was gonna be hard enough getting one.
I know it's not the best idea to plug a sidewall, but I had to to get myself around until the tire shops are open monday. Hopefully it will hold safely until then.


guess its good I swapped the tires yesterday....had the bad one still been on front I would have been a goner.

Yes, put both good ones up front and put the bad ones in the back. If the ones in the back blow it won't have as severe effects on steering, handling and slowing down. Unless you slam on the brakes of course--if you don't know what to do when you get a front versus a rear blowout it's good to research and practice though. You don't do radically different stuff for a front versus a rear blowout, it's just that the front blowout situation is much more on the edge if you do the wrong thing, such as applying the brake with any kind of force.

Also, drop your tire pressure to 30 or 32 psi. Those higher pressures are good for high speed driving but if you've got a tire bulge I'd drop it back to 32 psi on an Accord. Tthe average highway driver (80 mph sustained speed or less) doesn't need anything more than 32 psi (cold pressure, measured in the morning before you've driven).

It helps if when you buy tires you get the ones with a higher speed rating not the cheapies. Although I know it's more expensive, a H-rated (116 mph) tire or above is just plain built way better than your average "tire deal" tire. and I've never had my H rated tires bulge out on me in any way, even when they are like 4 years old. I counsider good tires to be "cheap life insurance".

[darkfusion42]

Yes, put both good ones up front and put the bad ones in the back. If the ones in the back blow it won't have as severe effects on steering, handling and slowing down. Unless you slam on the brakes of course--if you don't know what to do when you get a front versus a rear blowout it's good to research and practice though. You don't do radically different stuff for a front versus a rear blowout, it's just that the front blowout situation is much more on the edge if you do the wrong thing, such as applying the brake with any kind of force.

Also, drop your tire pressure to 30 or 32 psi. Those higher pressures are good for high speed driving but if you've got a tire bulge I'd drop it back to 32 psi on an Accord. Tthe average highway driver (80 mph sustained speed or less) doesn't need anything more than 32 psi (cold pressure, measured in the morning before you've driven).

It helps if when you buy tires you get the ones with a higher speed rating not the cheapies. Although I know it's more expensive, a H-rated (116 mph) tire or above is just plain built way better than your average "tire deal" tire. and I've never had my H rated tires bulge out on me in any way, even when they are like 4 years old. I counsider good tires to be "cheap life insurance".

Yeah I already dropped the pressure on them both. I cant really put both on the rear though, they are directional tires ( I COULD.....but I'm pretty confident in my skills should an UNFORTUNATE situation happen).

Just gotta get by until tomorrow. I have the sedan to drive too. The tires I have on now are z rated...but I just dont have the money being unemployed to spring for them again. These two will have to be cheapies (temporarily) until I have the funds. Thanks guys.

[ikayto]

i blame the news for hocking high psi for better mpg.

[bcjammerx]

yeah that was high

sounds like y'all live in my kind of hood :P New tires though...that sucks