Pulls to the right

[jayinatlanta]

My 1993.5 SE pulls reasonably hard to the right when driving. It's so I always have to fight it a bit to keep it straight. If a street is grooved in the opposite direction, the car will drive straight or slightly to the left.

Had the entire steering rack replaced a month ago, the car was realigned then.

Any quick checks I can do to tell if this is a sticking caliper or suspension issue?

~Jay in Atlanta
Silver Frost 1993.5 Esprit SE

[Dr.Hess]

When you brake, does it go straight or pull differently?

Jack up each wheel and see if they turn about the same as their opposite (in neutral, of course).

Sounds to me like an alignment issue. I would take it back to where you had it aligned or pick a better shop. I like the 4 wheel computer places, but they are still only as good as their equipment is calibrated and the tech. Bring the manual along so they can see what they should do.

I started to do all my own alignments. The manual even has a very detailed description on how to do it yourself with some bits of metal and a ruler.

Dr.Hess

[Martin Stuart]

jayinatlanta said:

My 1993.5 SE pulls reasonably hard to the right when driving. It's so I always have to fight it a bit to keep it straight. If a street is grooved in the opposite direction, the car will drive straight or slightly to the left. Had the entire steering rack replaced a month ago, the car was realigned then. Any quick checks I can do to tell if this is a sticking caliper or suspension issue? ~Jay in Atlanta Silver Frost 1993.5 Esprit SE

Has it only done it since the rack was fitted?

At risk of stating the obvious, you can check for a sticky caliper by jacking it up and spinning the wheel by hand.

Major chassis damage will also be obvious if you take a carefull look underneath, and if the problem is recent you should remember any incedent violent enough to cause significant distortion to the chassis or suspension.

You may also be able to get a hint from uneven tyre wear or feathering on the tyres if you have done enough mileage and if you know any friends who are racers, try borrowing a temperature gun to check the tyre temperatures after running in a straight line - the 'problem' tyre will be running hotter.

Check the tyres for splits or bulges, too, and make sure the pressures are correct (again, sorry for stating the obvious).

Otherwise, it's best to get a 4-wheel geometry check. Not expensive, and well worth it for the peace of mind.

[jayinatlanta]

The bad rack was so much of a problem that it's hard to say if it's only done it since it was fitted/realigned...but I'm pretty sure it has pulled to the right for a while.

I'll check the caliper issue when I can jack it up and test both wheels. If not, I'll head in the alignment direction.

Thanks for the input.

[lotusguy]

Hi,

Be sure to check wheel bearings for binding and looseness by spinning the wheel and rocking the tire back and forth (in/out) as these too can cause the issues you describe. Happy Motoring!...Jim'85TE

[cnh1990]

Mine had a sticky front caliper.
Easy fix.
Remove the front pads and see if the calipers slide on the float pin.

If not break the pin free with a rubber or wooden mallet and lube it up with caliper grease. At the same time use the extra grease in the pack to grease the piston. With the pads off pump the pedal slowly and extend the piston, pull back the dust cap and lube the piston. Use a C clamp or quick grip to retract the piston and reintall the pads. Give a few pumps to reseat the pads before driving off.

Re-install the pads in correct order you took them off or they will have to reseat.

Calvin

[jayinatlanta]

I hate to reopen old threads, but this one has an interesting conclusion...after exhausting my own expertise on this, I took it back to the Lotus dealer. Turns out, the brand new steering rack was bad, making the steering too stiff and causing the pull to the right. It's all under warranty, so it's not costing me anything but an AWOL Esprit until they can fix it.

~Jay in Atlanta
1993.5 Silver Frost Esprit SE

[Skerd]

Glad you solved the problem.