Test your diagnostic skills!

[sts 50]

I'll lay this out in chronological order and we'll see who gets the answer - first one gets a gold star! Two weeks before the November event, I had the car lined up at BRIT. That night, I hit a newly minted, medium sized pothole, but with no apparent ill effects. Ran the November event on the totally toasted (and genuinely awful) BFG KDWS's. Ordered new Kuhmo all-seasons from Tire Rack and had them shipped to Eagle Tire in St. Albans. New tires installed just in time for snow. Then the "problem" surfaces - car now exibits enough torque steer to change lanes on the highway without using the steering wheel. Runs straight at cruise, brakes in a straight line, even with no hands, but toe into the throttle and it runs to the left like (insert your favourite "progressive's" name here). What is (actually "was" - fixed now) the problem?

[shaunmark]

I'll put my guesses in order:

1. Since you mentioned the pothole, maybe a blown shock
2. Since you mentioned the pothole, maybe a bent rim
3. Difference from right and left in tire pressure
4. Your car grew a turbo

[gtfour77]

Well a pot hole would not really blow a shock unless there was something wrong with it already... bent rim would mean vibration and Scott said there were no ill effects...
Right to left tire pressure would cause pulling even at cruise (most of the time depending on camber and toe settings)

If it was something simple, caster would be my first guess, did you pull the lower control arm back a bit by hitting the pothole causing it to have less positive caster compared to the other side? Maybe you didn't bend anything... sometime the stock rubber bushings break/crack and shift a bit... BUT....

Maybe, just maybe you had the tires installed wrong? Are they directional? Wrong size? Wrong kind?

[RobbieNelson]

Problem: High power FWD car
Solution: You traded it for a RWD or AWD car

Problem: More SRT4 (it's not a Neon!) power due to denser winter air
Solution: Turned down boost

Problem: You're driving a Neon again
Solution: See solution #1


If it was something simple, caster would be my first guess

This was my thought, but this would normally throw other things out of alignment.

[gtfour77]

This was my thought, but this would normally throw other things out of alignment.

Very true. That's part of the reason why i am thinking something out of the ordinary...:)

[2ndShot]

I’ll bet the correct answer is above… either uneven pressures, or caster and/or control arm bushings. If it was alignment, it must’ve been slightly out and unnoticed until the new tires were installed.

My guesses:
Bad tire
Damaged tie rod
Alignment – toe out.

Glad you got it fixed!

[gtfour77]

Now I hope Scott posts the correct answer soon.... I love diagnostics in general so I won't sleep until I know the answer...:clap:

[mirogsr]

I'll bet it is caster. My civic had a same problem ( 300HP less on power). It was really unstable and super easy to steer. Check your front wheels and clearences.
My car was off 1/4 inch on right side.
$50 later and control arm installed, car is 100%. Good luck

[TimMaddox]

An outside chance you messed something up with a drive shaft or in the differential. I saw it happen with an Eclipse that hit a pothole, some of the same symptons and after eliminating all the simple alignment and strut stuff, found the expensive problem.

[evilnissan]

I'm gonna go with lower control arm bushing going out.

Left field, inner/outer tierod shot and only deflects under accel.

[gtfour77]

Check your front wheels and clearences.
My car was off 1/4 inch on right side.
$50 later and control arm installed, car is 100%. Good luck

Don't forget Scott's car is fixed already and I am expecting not so normal cause for it...:)

[sts 50]

Shaun gets the cookie - when I finally got around to checking pressures all except the right front were at 32 pounds (35 is nominal, but it was in the teens the other morning). The right front, however, had 55 pounds in it!!!!! Normalized all pressures and all is well. Thanks for playing!