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Problems/Service/RepairsIf you have a problem with your HHR, want a tip on repairing or performing a particular service to you HHR here is the place to post!
First, and by far most importantly, does it really pull? (aka, lead you in the wrong direction). Most likely not,
If not, is it that the steering wheel is not centered while rolling down the road?
Your Service Techs will love it if you can make the call between the two. I deal with this all the time at work.
Camber has nothing to do with it. Caster could, but unless you've bent something, it isn't adjustable. What you are left with is Toe, which affects centering and tracking.
This is adjustable, and all you need to do is properly describe the condition as a steering wheel off center.
Actual pulls are rare, but are usually caused by bad tires, where a belt has slipped within the tires. Bad potholes can also do this, as well as manufacturing defects.
But, for the driver, this vehicle has been driven for years, what has changed? That's where we in Warranty and Service start. Unless one side is near flat, a pull is not due to tire pressures.
Yes, I do Chassis Warranty in my paid time, but not for GM.
I uploaded the vehicle alignment report for you. I thought the changes on the report were minimal at best. Yes the steering wheel is not "perfectly" centered, but I am kind of OCD. Most people would not even notice the steering wheel is off just a tad. I am a tight ass, I don't spend money unless I absolutely have to and after my last 4 hour trip to Houston and 4 hour trip back to Dallas, I had enough and paid for another alignment, this time with a lifetime warranty. I am not the original owner of this vehicle so I can not contest whether it previously has hit anything or not. My drive to work is 15 minutes and half is stops signs and red lights, only 6-7 minutes of actual highway driving. My mom has been in the Hospital in Houston since April, so I have been driving down there every month. These trips to Houston is where the slight pull becomes frustrating.
Can we assume the front end shop did a check for worn parts before the latest alignment?
Most shops will note any issues found.
That being said and if nothing else turns up to completely remedy this issue here is an off the wall suggestion to try.
Pump the right tire up by 2psi from factory recommendations.
If that does not quite do it then leave the front up 2psi and drop the left 2psi.
All pressures should be adjusted with cold tires.
Let us know how that goes if you try it.
SF
Have you tried switching front tires side to side?
I drive a semi truck and got a new set of steering tires last month . After a week or so it started pulling to the right and the steering wheel was off center. I told the boss about it and thought it might need aligned . He said switch the tires. Then it pulled to the left side. They replaced the tires, It fixed the problem...john
Your RF caster is out of spec. Caster is not adjustable, so you either have the wrong parts on there, something got bent backward toward the dash, or the cradle shifted.
If you are lucky, you may be able to just shift the cradle forward, since the other side seems to be on the low side of the spec as well. Hope you can find someone willing to look at the numbers and fix it. What I mean is shifting it forward to increase caster on both sides.
I have had a Chevy dealer do that in the past. It depends on who you are dealing with.
If your caster is under spec, it's not going to stay "on track" like you (or GM) expects. I think that's it. Side to side, if there were a big difference, it might feel like a pull, but under spec, is probably more like "wander", or "doesn't return to center" .
Well, I took mine in for an alignment check several years ago after I installed the Pedders lowering springs. All we did was adjust the toe but didn't see all those other readings change like guppy's did. Interesting.............
Here's the before/after on my alignment. Keep in mind that mine is a SS. The specs are slightly different than the FE1, FE3.
A lot of questionable information in this thread:
Camber has nothing to do with it. Caster could, but unless you've bent something, it isn't adjustable. What you are left with is Toe, which affects centering and tracking.
This is adjustable, and all you need to do is properly describe the condition as a steering wheel off center.
Actual pulls are rare, but are usually caused by bad tires, where a belt has slipped within the tires. Bad potholes can also do this, as well as manufacturing defects.
But, for the driver, this vehicle has been driven for years, what has changed? That's where we in Warranty and Service start. Unless one side is near flat, a pull is not due to tire pressures.
Yes, I do Chassis Warranty in my paid time, but not for GM.
Late on thread reply, but In interest of my own newly acquired used HHR's and to see how Others are working with alignment when GM only provides for Toe adjustment and to read if others were using alternate eccentric bolts or bolt nudges to accomplish any meaningful alignment changes.
Reading on caster camber and effects was a bit confusing; both Caster & Camber can create a pull. Camber will pull to the side with the highest positive camber. Caster is more of an angle to provide stability or agility, and can also cause a pull if one side is significantly different than the other, more noticeable in mild turns off center. Camber is often set to slightly Neg, if both sides are set Neg Camber, there is an equal "camber thrust" but if surface irregularities or traction changes for one side, it can result in car moving to the direction of the side that lost traction. Benefit of Neg camber, the corning effect can be improved with the outside tire's contact patch improving to road surface. In USA, majority of driving is on right side it's common to setup a small amount of cross-caster (cross-camber same thing) [Dealer specs often show a small cross-caster] where Right side's camber is a little more negative (1/4 degree) and caster a little more positive (1/4 degree) compared to Left side; improves the driving on crown roads causing a slight left steering to counter the crown's right pull. Similar to mentioned above, depending on tire design, dropping Lf 2lbs & Increasing Rt 2lbs to assist on crown roads too when drive wheel's rotation is equal. On Toe, Ft drive cars are normally set with Neg Toe which levels out in speed. Neg Toe increases corning response & agaiity due to the differences in turning radius with inner tire radius smaller; but also decreases straight line stability with slight adjustments of steering wheel causing slight steering in same direction. Often overlooked, negative toe is toe-out, ft of tires outward. Positive Toe is Toe-In.
I'd tend to agree on basically non-serviceable alignment designs, if pull is noticeable it's generally a sign a component (LCA, ball jnt, bushing, etc) is wearing out of spec or other external factors: road crown, tire, ft brake drag, etc.
01-14-2019, 12:56 PM
