Car drifts left when going straight.

Mattwood440 · Nov 6, 2015

I picked mine up 1 year ago and have experienced a drift to the left since I drove it off the lot. Took it to two different dealers within 6 months who both put it on their alignment racks and said it's not in the alignment. Already tried swapping tires. Went to my friend's Belle Tire and not only were the alignment specs in the green but they were all zeros; perfect. So then I went for a ride in a new one off the lot with a Ford service manager and low and behold that one also drifts to the left when you take your hand off the wheel too.

I was specifically trained as an alignment specialist by Gooodyear in 2001 before I retired and this bugs the hell out of me. I may be a suspension and steering snob but I think it's a little ridiculous when every time you loosen your grip on the wheel you start heading into oncoming traffic. It varies in intensity depending on steering mode. Apparently this is due to the Electronic Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) and I just have to live with it.

Anyone else hate their EPAS?

ElAviator72 · Nov 6, 2015

Have you tried putting it on your buddy's alignment rack while you're sitting in it? Our own weight can affect alignment, especially if you've got a beer belly :cheers:

Also, dragging brakes (especially common with PP cars, unfortunately) can also cause drift issues...I'd try driving windows down for a few miles to see if you've got a dragging brake.

I've also noticed driving mine that roads with a really high crown want to dump me off the crown... :thumbsup:

Also, try putting the steering in "normal" mode. I've noticed that sport mode does some strange things to the steering...

Mattwood440 · Nov 6, 2015

ElAviator72 said:
Have you tried putting it on your buddy's alignment rack while you're sitting in it? Our own weight can affect alignment, especially if you've got a beer belly :cheers:

Also, dragging brakes (especially common with PP cars, unfortunately) can also cause drift issues...I'd try driving windows down for a few miles to see if you've got a dragging brake.

I've also noticed driving mine that roads with a really high crown want to dump me off the crown...

Also, try putting the steering in "normal" mode. I've noticed that sport mode does some strange things to the steering...

What bugs me the most is I'll be in the right lane on a crowned road and it will climb right up the crown and over, and then get worse! Example: Michigan Ave, 4 lanes in each direction, crowned. I can start in the far right lane and be damn near at the center divider in 1/2 a mile.

Yes, having it in Comfort mode seems to be the best. I love having to drive a Mustang GT w/PP in Comfort mode 24/7.

I will check the brakes. I was thinking of dialing in the suspension to drift right (with me in it) while keeping it within spec using the rear toe (thrust angle) and front camber. That would entail purchasing camber bolts in the front if I'm not mistaken. But then I was like, "tell me again, why should I need to do this?" Plus I think the EPAS might cancel it out anyway!

If I can find an official Ford complaint hotline I'll just tell them and suck it up. Disappointing. Maybe in 10 years they'll have a TSB.

GT Pony · Nov 6, 2015

Mattwood440 said:
Apparently this is due to the Electronic Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) and I just have to live with it.

Anyone else hate their EPAS?

Someone posted a while back that the EPAS is supposed to try and keep the car straight and not drift on crowned roads. If that's true, then maybe your EPAS is over correcting to the left too much for road crown. That would explain why a perfect alignment doesn't help.

jasonstang · Nov 6, 2015

Unhook the battery for a hour and reconnect see if the problem goes away.
The EPAS has drift control compensation.

Drugdealr · Nov 7, 2015

What about torque steer? mine seems to do this too.

Evo_Rob · Nov 7, 2015

Have you done the rear subframe alignment bushings? Mine was a little off center when I did my springs and put in the bushings and now it's straightened up. Could cause the issue, I would think.

http://www.steeda.com/steeda-s550-mustang-irs-subframe-alignment-kit-2015-all-555-4438/

jasonstang · Nov 7, 2015

Drugdealr said:
What about torque steer? mine seems to do this too.

A RWD vehicle should not have torque steer. Only FWD and AWD vehicles.

Rogues Gambit · Nov 14, 2015

jasonstang said:
A RWD vehicle should not have torque steer. Only FWD vehicles.

Fixed, unless you're talking really Hi-Po AWD, since I never noticed an AWD car that Tq Steers

Mattwood440 · Nov 15, 2015

jasonstang said:
Unhook the battery for a hour and reconnect see if the problem goes away.
The EPAS has drift control compensation.

I guess I could do that. I guarantee there's a way to check the system voltage to see if it's in spec but I doubt a dealer would take the time to do that. They'd probably just throw some parts at it. I know I got paid crap to diagnose under warranty, at least from Chrysler.

Evo_Rob · Nov 15, 2015

Rogues Gambit said:
Fixed, unless you're talking really Hi-Po AWD, since I never noticed an AWD car that Tq Steers

Try an Evo lol.

Mattwood440 said:
I guess I could do that. I guarantee there's a way to check the system voltage to see if it's in spec but I doubt a dealer would take the time to do that. They'd probably just throw some parts at it. I know I got paid crap to diagnose under warranty, at least from Chrysler.

Same with all the dealerships I worked at. Bare minimum hours...

Chameleon · Nov 15, 2015

Check your tire pressure as well.

tsunami · Nov 17, 2015

Alignment and drifting.

I miss my old dealership (since bought out). When I felt that the alignment was off, my mechanic would carefully check it...but he also would look at me and say something like: "looks like you gained five pounds". I asked him what difference did that make...he said that since I was typically a lone driver, he needed to compensate for my weight. I thought he was crazy, except that when I drove from their shop the car would track so straight, like it was running down rails. Other drivers have told me that driver's weight makes absolutely no difference in the alignment. I just know how precise my alignment was when I picked up my Mustang.

jasonstang · Nov 17, 2015

tsunami said:
I miss my old dealership (since bought out). When I felt that the alignment was off, my mechanic would carefully check it...but he also would look at me and say something like: "looks like you gained five pounds". I asked him what difference did that make...he said that since I was typically a lone driver, he needed to compensate for my weight. I thought he was crazy, except that when I drove from their shop the car would track so straight, like it was running down rails. Other drivers have told me that driver's weight makes absolutely no difference in the alignment. I just know how precise my alignment was when I picked up my Mustang.

Yes, on a lighter car, your weight definitely makes a difference.
Some people actually go through trouble to balance all four corners individually.

Mattwood440 · Apr 7, 2016

jasonstang said:
Yes, on a lighter car, your weight definitely makes a difference.
Some people actually go through trouble to balance all four corners individually.

Small update: I'm getting new rear tires for mine soon and when that is done (probably early June) I'm going to have my alignment tech friend align it with me sitting in it. I will probably get the camber bolts for the front too and have them dial in a slight (still in the green) right total camber. I can handle right drift a lot better than left.

Car drifts left when going straight.

Mattwood440

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ElAviator72

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Mattwood440

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GT Pony

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jasonstang

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Drugdealr

LOLKBYE

Evo_Rob

Mmm... Boost...

jasonstang

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Rogues Gambit

Banned

Mattwood440

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Evo_Rob

Mmm... Boost...

Chameleon

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tsunami

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jasonstang

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Mattwood440

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