[pparker7475]

I have a 2008 Sonata, I recently had to put 4 brand new tires on it because the factory tires were dry rotting, the car only has 22,000 on it. I had the car aligned with the new tires the car drives ok at low speeds but when you get on the highway the car pulls the right when you give it gas. Holding the steering wheel straight on a straight away and give the car gas it pulls to the right. any Ideas, would be helpful when I take it back to the dealer for the 25th time. Thank you.

 

[Blue07]

It only happens when you step on the gas, right? That sounds like classic torque steer. Your new tires and alignment may make the car more sensitive. There's nothing wrong with your car.

 

[mamamia]

Teach me (us) something new, Blue.... What's torque steer? Especially when you calim it to be normal?....

 

[..MiamiLX..]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torque_steering

 

[jsinton]

Yes, sounds like torque steer.

 

[Tommer]

Your Sonata doesn't have the left drive shaft installed. Common mistake.

:00000732: Back, Kotter!!!!

 

[bobad]

Torque steer is usually felt only under high load, while accelerating from a dead stop at full throttle.

If it was not doing this before changing the tires, you either have a defective tire, loose lug nuts, or
something in the suspension was left loose or damaged.

I have never needed a wheel alignment after a new set of tires.

 

[pparker7475]

I know what torque steer is and this car never had it this bad. I find myself correcting the car all the time it only takes a little gas to make it pull to the right.

 

[..MiamiLX..]

With 236 HP it sure does have torque Steer. However you need to look at what the Tire Shop did. The Sonata is very touchy to begin

with. Did you have the Tires Balanced? And clearly the Alignment wasn't done right!

 

[downhiller88]

you cant really FULLY trust shops that do alignments these days.. never a perfection

 

[Blue07]

QUOTE (pparker @ May 29 2010, 06:35 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=327711

I know what torque steer is and this car never had it this bad. I find myself correcting the car all the time it only takes a little gas to make it pull to the right.

An alignment can affect torque steer. Here are two articles that discuss it.

http://www.aa1car.com/library/wheel_alignment.htm

Please read the last paragraph in the Toe Alignment section in this article. (Sorry it is copy right protected and I couldn't copy and paste it.) It mentions that some FWD cars require a 1/16th inch toe in to compensate for torque steer. According to this author, a proper wheel alignment is not supposed to be perfectly straight. If your current alignment is perfectly straight, that could be your problem. Just a fraction of an inch change in steering geometry can increase torque steer.

This article, http://www.howtogetridofit.com/how-to-get-...of-torque-steer, also mentions that wheel alignment affects torque steer.

"Wheel alignment in most modern cars is biased to the left to compensate for the crown in the road, which tends to pull the car slightly to the right. Torque steer, in most cars, pulls in the same direction. Asking the alignment tech to add a little more (a very little) can virtually eliminate the sensation of Torque Steer without causing any harm other than a slight increase in the wear rate of the tires (and if you rotate them properly, that won’t be a problem)."

As you just read, the author of this article seemed to omit a key word just before "(a very little)." I suspect it was also toe in. But once again, the point is that a very small change in steering geometry can affect torque steer.

 

[mamamia]

Hmmm.... I've been here, what, 4.5 years? And this is the 1st time I am exposed to this issue -- unless it's one of a couple other memories my 87 year old brain has lost in the shuffle-------- so thanks for the info, I just learned another piece in this puzzle called cars.

I'm just wondering, wouldn't you expect the car manufacturere to take it all into consideration when engineering the car and then writing the alignment specs? In my logic, if the alignment is done to those exact numbers --- the car should have no pull whatsoever, no?

 

[..MiamiLX..]

When I bought my first FWD Car, the Turbo Colt, I learned what Torque Steer was almost the hard way. Gave the 110 HP Beast

too much Gas from a Start with soft dirt or sand on the Road, and almost lost my life. Exit Stage right! I have never forgotten it.

There must be a better system than one Wheel Drive. Of course with all our Safety electronics, new Cars might not be as vulnerable. :thumbsup:

 

[bobad]

QUOTE (mamamia @ May 30 2010, 09:03 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=327822

I'm just wondering, wouldn't you expect the car manufacturere to take it all into consideration when engineering the car and then writing the alignment specs? In my logic, if the alignment is done to those exact numbers --- the car should have no pull whatsoever, no?

It's possible to compensate for torque steer at 1 speed, and 1 throttle loading, but not all speeds and all loadings.
If you set the alignment to completely eliminate it for say 0-15mph under hard acceleration, your car would
probably pull hard to the left cruising at 60mph. It's 1 of the many compromises in cars. On the whole, I think car
makers do a great job negating torque steer.

On 2 different occasions, I have bought new tires that made the car pull to one side. Once, it was a slipped belt,
once it was a big bubble on the sidewall (don't know if the belt was also slipped). Exchanging the faulty tires
straightened it right out.

New tires should not require you to align the wheels on a car in good condition. That's just a sales gimmick.

 

[Pinto_Siftbean]

Avoiding torque steer has 2 main options.. rear wheel drive OR a FWD system that has exactly the same lenght of drive shats.. the only cars I've had (other than RWD) tha didn't have torque steer were my Subies.