371 W. Patrick St. | Frederick, MD 21701

371 W. Patrick St. | Frederick, MD 21701

Frederick, MD Why Does My Car Pull to the Right?

Why Does My Car Pull to the Right?

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Why Does My Car Pull to the Right?

Car repairs are expensive and stressful. It can be difficult to estimate how much a repair might cost when you don’t know what the problem is.

This is especially true when the problem doesn’t have an obvious cause. A great example is discovering your vehicle is pulling to the right while driving. Why is your vehicle pulling to the right? There are a lot of possible causes for this, some more severe than others.

Why Does My Car Pull to the Right

There’s no way to diagnose a problem with 100% certainty before bringing your vehicle to a Frederick, MD auto mechanic, but you can narrow down the possibilities by looking at some of the things that can cause this particular problem

Tire Alignment

The most commonly culprit is your vehicle’s wheel alignment. When your vehicle is properly aligned, it is at optimal performance. Poorly maintained roads and hitting the curb can throw your vehicle’s alignment off. This can cause your vehicle to pull to one side, and can also cause uneven wear on your tires. One way to check wheel alignment is to very briefly let go of the steering wheel. If the vehicle starts to pull once your hands are off the wheel, then the cause is likely the alignment.

Uneven Tread Wear

Uneven wear or low tire pressure can also cause a vehicle to pull to the right. If you don’t regularly have your wheels rotated, the wear on your tires might start to become uneven, which can, in turn, cause your vehicle to pull to one side.

Low Tire Pressure

Low tire pressure can also be a contributing factor. Be sure to check your tire’s pressure and have your wheels rotated. If after taking these steps your vehicle still pulls to one side, then the problem likely lies elsewhere.

Faulty Tire Conicity

If the tires on your vehicle are new, the problem might be conicity.

Wheel conicity is a defect in the tire caused by faulty manufacturing. This happens when the belts under a tire’s tread aren’t perfectly aligned, causing it to inflate into a cone-like shape. New tires are usually where this problem can be found, though uneven tire wear can also cause conicity.

It’s important to be aware of how your vehicle is functioning. If your vehicle is pulling to one side, pay attention to when it happens. Does it only pull when you brake or accelerate, or does it pull to that side all the time? Being aware of these kinds of details can help your Frederick, MD mechanic identify the cause, which in turn helps you figure out what to expect when you bring your vehicle in for repair.