Pulling with road camber

[T6_FunBus]

Hi,

There’s been tons of thread about pulling one way or another. And I’ve had a van that has been sensitive to road camber for three years now, which has just become part of driving the van.

Summary:

- pulled with road camber before subframe dropped
- pulled after subframe dropped and replaced
- struts totally replaced (upgraded shocks, drop links, top mounts / bearings etc)
- arb bushes replaced
- arms checked and all bushes good
- engine mount replaced
- new tyres and wheels
- three alignments (one before subframe dropped, one after, one after new suspension and ride height)
- tried swapping front tyres
- three alignments all in green and told all good by three different shops

The result has always been the same. Most of our roads have heavy camber, and it results in the van wanting to naturally fall into the gutter. It results in needing to have the wheel always slightly pulled to the right to drive straight.

Find a road that’s 100% flat, van drives straight.

Find a road with caber falling away to right, van falls to the right.

I’ve been told it ‘could’ be the tyres, and the size of them causing it (275’s). I’m not sure I believe that.

Has anyone had the same issue and found a solution? I’ve checked subframe bolts too and I daren’t try and pull them up - they are already very secure and I do not want to risk snapping them. Another post on there suggested swinging on them to pull them up more! I don’t like that idea!

From a lot of posts it seems a lot of people have the same problem. And some have had t6’s pull from new. Others never have a pull and straight as it goes.

It’s an odd one. Surely there is a way to stop the van from being so sensitive to road camber and falling into whichever way it goes?

Cheers.

 

[Stay Frosty]

I reckon the fact that it steers straight on a flat surface means the wheel alignment is thereabouts, expecting the van to effectively steer into the camber with variable toe and castor angle to compensate for the camber slope is a bit optimistic.
With our camper I lash myself to the steering wheel and hope for the best but realistically apart from Google maps choicest B roads most dual carriageways and motorways are flat enough that resting one hand on the wheel and the elbow on the arm rest is enough to keep the van ploughing onward in a straight line.

 

[T6_FunBus]

I reckon the fact that it steers straight on a flat surface means the wheel alignment is thereabouts, expecting the van to effectively steer into the camber with variable toe and castor angle to compensate for the camber slope is a bit optimistic.
With our camper I lash myself to the steering wheel and hope for the best but realistically apart from Google maps choicest B roads most dual carriageways and motorways are flat enough that resting one hand on the wheel and the elbow on the arm rest is enough to keep the van ploughing onward in a straight line.

I guess, but I actively have to compensate with a constant slight pull to the right when on a long motorway / A road journey, with the wheel slightly pointing off centre to the right. None of our other vehicles do that, but then, none of our other vehicles are a 2ton van

 

[T6_FunBus]

I do have oversized front tyres to be fair, 275’s on an 8.5 rim (that’s what the dealer fitted for some reason with the new wheels when I bought it). And they have a solid sidewall with a square profile, so maybe there is some truth to the tyres being to blame. Maybe I can find someone local with some standard rims and try it.

 

[dubber36]

My money would be on the wide tyres causing tramlining.

 

[Greybeard]

I have a LWB T32 Kombi, normally run virtually empty.
I use my standard Devonports and original tyres for Winter and have just got round to refitting my Summer set;
275/40 19 Falken Azenis FK510s on 19x9 wheels all round. Effective ETs 45 front and 35 rear.
Both sets of tyres are evenly warn, with no sign of s rubbing etc.
I too have noticed a slight pull in direction of camber now I’m back to Summer setup.
No help to cure, I’m afraid, but you’re definitely not the only one.
I’m thinking to mention the issue to my local handling specialists who fitted my initial-50mm load-rated H&R springs and subsequently CRS Performance Special Short Koni shocks & struts.
They then setup suspension each time.
I’ll let you know if they can enlighten me/us.
Andy

 

[T6_FunBus]

Thanks guys.

My money would be on the wide tyres causing tramlining.

I think maybe it’s worth me trying an original set of fronts if I can find some or anyone local who has some.

I have a LWB T32 Kombi, normally run virtually empty.
I use my standard Devonports and original tyres for Winter and have just got round to refitting my Summer set;
275/40 19 Falken Azenis FK510s on 19x9 wheels all round. Effective ETs 45 front and 35 rear.
Both sets of tyres are evenly warn, with no sign of s rubbing etc.
I too have noticed a slight pull in direction of camber now I’m back to Summer setup.
No help to cure, I’m afraid, but you’re definitely not the only one.
I’m thinking to mention the issue to my local handling specialists who fitted my initial-50mm load-rated H&R springs and subsequently CRS Performance Special Short Koni shocks & struts.
They then setup suspension each time.
I’ll let you know if they can enlighten me/us.
Andy

Cheers, I’ve been to two VW ‘specialists’ for inspections on the front, had three seperate places over the years do an alignment, and almost everything on the front has either been removed and replaced or renewed (other than the tyre setup).

It’d be nice to get the steering wheel straight instead of having to pull it slightly to the right for my own sanity.

 

[ginkster]

I guess, but I actively have to compensate with a constant slight pull to the right when on a long motorway / A road journey, with the wheel slightly pointing off centre to the right. None of our other vehicles do that, but then, none of our other vehicles are a 2ton van

Mine is the same. It didn't do it when I bought it and it didn't do it when I initially had coilovers fitted by CRS. It started doing it when I had the alignment done to correct the rear toe due to the dropped suspension. There were no other changes so in my case it appears to be purely an alignment issue. I've put up with it for over a year now but will look to get another alignment done to see if I can improve the situation. Tyre wear is good though and it's not eating the rears as it was before.

 

[Greybeard]

I think it could just be the grip of my soft & wide tyres?
Oh, and mine’s only done 18k miles total. So no replacement bits as yet, apart from ‘mods’.

 

[True Romance]

Sure there is a hunter wheel alignment form showing the correct settings to be used on this site somewhere.

 

[Greybeard]

Sure there is a hunter wheel alignment form showing the correct settings to be used on this site somewhere.

Will settings depend on ride height?

 

[T6_FunBus]

Mine is the same. It didn't do it when I bought it and it didn't do it when I initially had coilovers fitted by CRS. It started doing it when I had the alignment done to correct the rear toe due to the dropped suspension. There were no other changes so in my case it appears to be purely an alignment issue. I've put up with it for over a year now but will look to get another alignment done to see if I can improve the situation. Tyre wear is good though and it's not eating the rears as it was before.

I’ve had these tyres for three years too, and there is no sign of uneven wear. Odd really, you would think having to pull the wheel slightly off centre to drive on motorways etc, would be wearing the tyres weirdly.

 

[T6_FunBus]

I think it could just be the grip of my soft & wide tyres?
Oh, and mine’s only done 18k miles total. So no replacement bits as yet, apart from ‘mods’.

I think I am going to try that, find some stock front rims and tyres and give that a try.

 

[Greybeard]

I think I am going to try that, find some stock front rims and tyres and give that a try.

Mine definitely doesn’t pull to follow camber on the standard Devonports.
Maybe problem lies in the wider wheels and having lower ET? More of the wheel/tyre being outside the centre line?
There again, genuine VW Accessories include 20x9” wheels with ET45 and 275/35 tyres.
The search for The Grail continues!

 

[T6_FunBus]

Mine definitely doesn’t pull to follow camber on the standard Devonports.
Maybe problem lies in the wider wheels and having lower ET? More of the wheel/tyre being outside the centre line?
There again, genuine VW Accessories include 20x9” wheels with ET45 and 275/35 tyres.
The search for The Grail continues!

Oh, that’s odd, I’m running 275 35’s all round. But they are square and oversized for the rim on an 8.5j. They do have a lower offset though so widen the track too. Who knows…

 

[Greybeard]

Maybe it’s a symptom of having 275/35 20s, or my 275/40 19s. My wheels are ET50, but I found the fronts rubbed the inner wheel arch liners on full lock. Hence my 5mm front spacers. So they’re now equivalent to the 20x9” ET45s that VW sell.
When I had the 4-wheel alignment set up they told me that adding spacers wouldn’t mess up the tracking.
I think they should know as are a well respected local family enterprise that set up sports and track day cars.
As posted earlier, when I’m next passing that way I’ll pop in and ask.

 

[Stay Frosty]

Where's that Hamlet cigar advert with the Ford Anglia and it's Carlos Fandango wheels when you want it...

 

[Rfkdemon]

My T6 has done this from new, with similar efforts to correct.

My conclusion is that the bottom arm bushes are too soft for the weight of the van so I have some Polybushes to try as others have said it improves the situation.

Mat

 

[Greybeard]

My T6 has done this from new, with similar efforts to correct.

My conclusion is that the bottom arm bushes are too soft for the weight of the van so I have some Polybushes to try as others have said it improves the situation.

Mat

Thanks for this Mat. I’ll mention them when I visit the guys who fitted my suspension upgrades.
Andy

 

[T6_FunBus]

I’ve been consciously testing this the past week. I drive deliberately closer to the centre of the road in my lane where camber is reduced and van goes straight. And where there are roads that are flat or camber is opposite, the wheels 100% follow the camber.

So, I’m now inclined to think it is tyre / wheel combo.

I’ve yet to find someone with spare stock wheel and smaller / diff tyres to try up front, but will do at some point.

I’m happy it’s not a ‘defect’ with the van, more just a symptom of it being modified to be honest.