One of the most common reasons why your car pulls to the right is the uneven air pressure in your tires. A tire with lower pressure on one side of the vehicle has a different height which causes the wheel alignment to shift. Under-inflated tires have an increased resistance to roll, which amplifies steering pull.
Uneven Tire Pressure: Uneven tire pressure is a very common reason for a car to pull to one side. Lower pressure on one side changes the height of the tire, which causes the alignment to change. This is especially true if you have an underinflated rear tire.
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.
IMPROPER WHEEL ALIGNMENT
The most common reason for a car pulling to one side is incorrect wheel alignment. If this is the case, when you release the steering wheel, the car will drift in one direction and the steering wheel is unlikely to return to its normal position.
Cars designed for driving on the right side of the road are manufactured to pull slightly to the right. This is to prevent the car from drifting into oncoming traffic if the driver falls asleep at the wheel. That being said, this should only be a very slight pull to the right.
One of the most common reasons that your car may be pulling to one side is that the wheel alignment is off – in other words, your wheels aren't pointing quite in the right direction. Wheels are correctly aligned when your tyres are in line with the axles, making a rectangle parallel to each other.
There are a few things that can cause your vehicle to veer sharply to the right. The main issues could be the vehicle alignment, tires, or problems with the brakes. If the issue is the vehicle alignment, it could mean that your tires are no longer set evenly and parallel with one another.
A front-end alignment (or two wheel alignment), which involves only the front two wheels, typically costs anywhere from $50 to $75. While a four wheel alignment costs more, usually $100 to $168. You may find that the answer to “how much is a wheel alignment” is higher for luxury cars.
Wheel vibrations: Low tire pressures also cause wheel vibrations, both in the tire's wheel and steering wheel, causing a loss of control for the driver.
When a tire is underinflated, its sidewalls flex more than they were designed to during cornering and braking. The tread, the contact point with the road, squirms. The tire is less stable and has less traction. Response to your steering inputs gets slower and sloppy, and braking distances lengthen.
Spongy Drive
If you've been driving and slowly begin to notice that driving the vehicle seems softer, almost sponge-like, this is a sign of low tire pressure. As the tire pressure decreases, the tire begins to flatten out. This more of tire's service area is making contact with the road, creating the spongy feel.
If tire pressure is too high, then less of the tire touches the ground. This means your car will bounce around on the road. And when your tires are bouncing instead of firmly planted on the road, traction suffers and so do your stopping distances. You'll also feel a decrease in ride comfort.
Severe, irregular or uneven tire wear can cause a vehicle to pull to one side. If you have a newer tire with more tread on one side, particularly on the front of your vehicle, and an older tire with much less tread on the other side, the tire with the newer tread is going to grip the road better.
Faulty Suspension Parts
Components such as ball joints, shocks, struts, control arms or bushings may need to be replaced, due to wear and tear. When these components become worn, they can begin to shift or slant to one side, often when you apply the brakes. This will cause the vehicle to pull to the side.
If the old struts caused different wear patterns on each tire they could be causing the car to drift right or left.
Driving a vehicle with improper wheel alignment can cause uneven wear on the tires. If the problem is not corrected soon enough, a vehicle's tires could suffer premature wear and tear, making them unsafe. Correct alignment problems immediately to avoid unnecessary tire damage.
Most people think that wheel alignment is best left to the professionals. This is true in many respects, but some alignment specs are easy to check yourself, and toe is one aspect of alignment that can be checked at home.
If you notice your car pulling to the right or the left, the pothole might have bent one or more suspension or steering components out of alignment. A misaligned suspension will also cause your tires to wear unevenly and wear out prematurely.
Tire pressure between 32 to 35 PSI is most suitable for most vehicles. However, one can go as low as 20 PSI (although that is not recommended). Anything below 20 PSI is considered a flat tire.