The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

Well there is a right way and a wrong way to assemble the rear radius axle bar washers and if one side was assembled differently it could cause this problem.
I had this problem years ago and it was the large rubber radius arm parts had broken up.

Now that could be a possibility. I'll pass it on to the jig man when it goes.

Graham

After all this time, I've finally found the problem. I'm almost ashamed to admit that it turns out to be the tires, and swapping the front wheels left to right swaps the direction of pull. The tires are both Firestone Firehawk 700s fitted on the same day in 2014, and before you ask, yes, they are inflated to the same pressures.

Yes I do know I should have rotated the tires before now, and that I'm a lazy git. If there was a Lackadaisical's Anonymous, like AA and NA, I wouldn't go. It might be an interesting 12-step programme though. Then again, it might be a few less than 12 steps.

What happened was I had some more welding work done on the chassis leg. While the garage were on with that I had them measure up, but they could find no issues. So when it pulled right after reassembly, they swapped the front wheels. Lo and behold, it pulled the other way.

I'd got these tires through ASDA who, at the time, used Halfords for fitting, etc. So I went back to Halfords to see if they could see a problem. It took a bit of persuasion, on account they didn't expect Firestones to have that problem, but I got them to swap the wheels again. There wans't anything obvious to see, but the pull swapped again, with the tires.

So, with the tires 3 years old, I think the warranty’s probably run out. But as there’s plenty of tread left (they’re only a bit scrubbed on the insides) I might just stick them on the back, and see. There will still be some force on the car, but as it's not acting directly on the steering, I'm not expecting it to be near as bad.

I’m assuming it’s the tire on the side to which the car pulls that’s got a problem.

I suppose there is a question in the above about if there are issues that make the steering sensitive to this sort of imbalance? Or indeed, is there’s any adjustment that might make it less so?

Graham.

Also, applogies to Tony for not taking that advice.

Graham

Got a bit of smoothright yellow (it's nearly that FAB inca yellow) on the offside wing top, engine bay wall, and chassis leg, but waiting on a quote to do the bottom front coners and rear wheelarches. Paint later.

The TR7 Sprint, VVC 697S, moves forward slowly, and that's first in line.

Graham