Just got my '96 Gsr and noticed that whenever I accelerate, any gear (lower gears are more noticeable) the car pulls to the left, then when I let off the gas, it sraightens back up. My alignment is fine, it tracks perfect. It doesn't pull to one side or the other when I brake either. And, before any of you say it, its not torque steer. Its almost like the left cv axel is missing and the right is doing all the pullin, thus making it pull to the left. Tire pressure is fine all around, but there are two different tires on the front, but I just can't see this as having such a big effect when I accelerate, I know this would affect how it tracks, but not like this. Any ideas?

 

If the front tires are different, try rotating them to the back and see if that makes a difference. If it does, you know what the problem is and if it doesn't, you've only spent about 10 minutes rotating tires.

How do you know for sure it's not torque steer?

 

That would be my guess!

 

front end alignment buddy your due for it.

 

Torque steer.

 

:goodjob: I totally agree

 

What is torque steer? When I punch it, as much as I can with my car >.<, its hard to steer it at all buts thats how it is with most cars, I think.

 

What I understand torque steer to be is when you nail the throttle the, engine torque is applied unevenly to the front wheels, causing one to basically accelerate more than the other. My car does do this when I nail the throttle, but the problem I am having isn't when I lean hard on the throttle from a stop. It happens just whenever I am accelerating at any level of aggressiveness. I can just be leisurely accelerating and it will start to drift to the left side of the road and I need to counter the pull by steering it in the opposite direction. It isn't aligment as someone said as the car doesn't ever pull when I keep a steady throttle or when I am just coasting.

 

Well, realize that the nonLSD differential puts power to one wheel first and then the other, which is usually where torque steer occurs. I think that that's what you're experiencing.

I guess that there could be suspension bushings that could be bad and cause this problem as well, but it's hard to diagnose. Does the problem only occur when you are starting from a stop or when you accellerate while cruising?

 

The severity of torque steer has a lot to do with suspension design and alignment as well. Power is only one facet of the equation.

Which is why I'd check the bushings at the tie-rods, steering knuckles and the upper and lower wishbones. If any of these joints are on the loose side, the transmission of power through the hub will throw camber and toe out of spec.

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PS: I had a problem like this on my GTi. When The steering knuckle ball-joints were shot. They were so loose, that with a hard launch, the hubs would try to wrench themselves against the lower A-arm. As you'd expect..camber, caster and toe all went to hell.