Joe_M

Just got Continental Extreme DWS put on less then 2k miles ago. Got an alignment done at the same time. Car pulled to the right when I got it back. Took it in and they re-aligned. Still pulls to the right.

Suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

-Joe

snagitseven

Try switching the wheels front to the back and see if it still pulls. In the past I've had a defective belt in a tire do exactly what you're experiencing. Rare for a Conti DWS to have a defect but it happens. Also a pothole can cause damage to any tire if it hits just right.

s4master1

define pulling
was the car pulling before the tire installation?
who performed the alignment and what equipment they used?

TSHong

Cross rotate the front tires. If it starts pulling left, you know it's a radial tire pull. If it still pulls to the right, you have an alignment issue.

What is the caster difference? It has to be almost a degree or more for a car to start pulling. The lower caster is the way the car is going to pull.

MP4.2+6.0

I had this on my 2000 A6 4.2 where I just couldn't get it not to pull even right after a fresh alignment and new tie rod ends where I thought issue might be since they showed wear. Had a set of older tires and one tore internally as I found with more inspection. The issue arose during a 500 mile round trip where between start and finish it went from no pull to constant pull, but I know I didn't hit anything to cause it. I could actually see across the tread how the tire no longer lay down flat to the road surface. Sure enough, switched to a newer set of tires + wheels I had around and pull instantly went away.

Joe_M

Much appreciated. Swapped the two fronts last night and it hasn't pulled (either direction) since.

I haven't driven it too much though so I'll temper expectations for a little. I'll attach the printout from the 1st alignment so you can see the data.

As far as defining the pulling. As soon as I would take my hand off the wheel the car would pull hard right. The faster I was going the harder it would pull. To drive straight, it felt like I had constant pressure on the wheel, pushing it to 11 o'clock.

TSHong

You have a radial tire pull issue. I would get them switched out for a new set or isolate which one is causing the pull. If you ever rotate them later, the pull will come back.

Your alignment printout does not show any caster readings. The tech did not do a caster sweep when he set up your car. The caster reading is what you need to determine if your alignment is causing your pull.

Also I did not mention if your air pressure is set equally. Equal air pressure should be a given but you never know.

snagitseven

IIRC, I don't believe the caster can be adjusted on an Audi without moving the sub-frame, which would explain the lack of a reading.

TSHong

You are correct that caster and camber cannot be adjusted without a sub frame shift but it would rule out that issue. If there is not a significant caster split, then the tires are the culprit for the pull. Without those readings, you really can't say for sure.

mishar

I don't think that caster can be adjusted even by moving subframe. There is another adjustment that can help here. It is steering rack centering. It has to be centered when wheels are strait. There is one bolt that has to be substituted with the longer, pointed one. It goes into dip on the rack and fix it in the center position. In that position alignment should be performed and steering wheel repositioned if necessary. They say this is important for power steering support, whatever that means. Problem is that bolt is extremely inaccessible. Audi special.

But if pooling disappeared by swapping tires it is obvious.