# Steering/alignment issues?



## BBOBBERSON (Aug 27, 2015)

My 2014 diesel pulls to the right on the freeway. 
Had it in 5 times at 3 dealerships, totaling 15days thus far, and they absolutely cannot get this otherwise excellent car to track straight on the freeway. 
I have not seen many complaints relating to this issue, any thoughts?

I can't help but feel that if they spent the same energy trying to correct the complaint, as they did trying to convince me that it is normal for a car to completely deviate it's lane in as little as 100 feet on relatively straight and level roads, that the issue would already be resolved. My 20+ years as a master technician, not to mention the 2 loaner cars that do not share my vehicles strong conservative leanings, makes this nearly as insulting as frustrating....


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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

Details needed…..have they at least crossed the tires to verify you are not experiencing 'Radial Pull'?

You may end up going to a independent alignment shop to get a current reading printout and yes, it'll be on your dime…..but if you like the car in every way except for this, it may be the way to go.

Sadly, most dealers look at alignments as one of those PITA type things….the equipment is often way out of calibration or outdated or both.

The majority of cars built in the last ten or more years have no or very limited adjustments for caster and camber….in the case of the Cruze, there are none whatsoever.
The only adjustment is toe in at the front end…..no adjustments of any sort at the rear……shims are used for extreme out of spec conditions on the rear and any adjustments beyond toe at the front end require slotting the strut/knuckle interface…..this for camber adjustments.
I do not believe there is any method short of bending things for caster.

If faced with this car and able to reproduce the concern, keeping in mind that short wheelbase cars are more prone to follow road crown, my first move would be, after verifying alignment, a tire rotation to see if the pull follows the tire.
If the pull stays the same, I would then disconnect the electric assist from the rack and drive it again……I have, in the past, had racks that create a pull.

Alignment, what little is available, tire rotation, or a wacky rack is about all that can create this concern.
I am assuming it has been verified that tire pressures are equalized and all of the brakes are releasing completely.

Keep in touch….like to hear how this one pans out.

Rob


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## BBOBBERSON (Aug 27, 2015)

:sigh:
All 3 dealerships (claim to) have cross rotate tires, 2 dealers have aligned it, 1 dealer aligned to 3 different settings (all within specs just to one side of spec or the other), I have alignment sheets for the three from that dealer, 

I have confirmed all the alignment settings at my work (our Hunter alignment machine and rack was serviced and aligned less than 2 months ago), in addition to tire pressures, I have also taken measurements of ride height, re calibrated steering angle sensor/soft stop settings etc....

I have been able to reduce felt pull to acceptable levels at speeds below 30mph but nothing seems to affect freeway speed pull. Disabling power assist and test driving should prove that the problem is in the car or the EPS. 
I am reluctant to perform that test myself though since, #1 I shouldn't have to, the dealer should be doing this for me under warranty, and #2 My someData has proven useless in helping me locate the fuse/relay that powers the EPS.


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## neile300c (Jul 8, 2014)

I'm surprised the warranty covers alignment


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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

I guess you have to ask yourself: do you want this fixed? 

If yes, then carrying down your existing path at the current dealerships is unlikely to achieve your goal. 

I would find the hunter rep for your area and call him. I would establish your credibility with him (this should be easy for you as someone who works in the trade). I would then very nicely ask him who the best alignment man is in his territory. He will be reluctant to tell you his opinion - but if you are persistent you can charm it out of him. Maybe over a beer or lunch. 

Then go see that front end man and romance him. As a fellow tech you know to always bring your car in spotless, especially the undercarriage. The tire pressures perfect. The fuel tank full and no junk in the trunk. Then tell that front end man that you will pay him his actual time - not book time. And encourage him to take his time and do a good job. 

You will have fixed your car, gained a valued colleague and a priceless front end man. 

And if you think I'm a crackpot, I've had my front end man and his wife over to my house for dinner (and been invited back to his too) and have three extremely well aligned cars in my fleet.


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## BBOBBERSON (Aug 27, 2015)

neile300c said:


> I'm surprised the warranty covers alignment


Warranty covers alignment issues up to 7500 miles, (but not till after first 500)


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## pandrad61 (Jul 8, 2015)

Same with my 15.i brought it over to the rack while on lunch and had the teck align it. he says left toe was out of spec and corre3cted but I still pull to the right on the highway. now in Florida we do have heavy crown roads but not enough I have to keep my hand on the wheel with effort of correction


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

BBOBBERSON said:


> My 2014 diesel pulls to the right on the freeway.
> Had it in 5 times at 3 dealerships, totaling 15days thus far, and they absolutely cannot get this otherwise excellent car to track straight on the freeway.
> I have not seen many complaints relating to this issue, any thoughts?
> 
> I can't help but feel that if they spent the same energy trying to correct the complaint, as they did trying to convince me that it is normal for a car to completely deviate it's lane in as little as 100 feet on relatively straight and level roads, that the issue would already be resolved. My 20+ years as a master technician, not to mention the 2 loaner cars that do not share my vehicles strong conservative leanings, makes this nearly as insulting as frustrating....


Hello BBOBBERSON, 

We completely understand how frustrating this may seem for you, and I truly apologize for the ongoing concern with your Cruze. If you should need any additional assistance with this further, please feel free to send us a private message along with your VIN, current mileage, contact information and preferred dealership. We look forward to hearing from you soon! 

Patsy G
Chevrolet Customer Care


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

pandrad61 said:


> Same with my 15.i brought it over to the rack while on lunch and had the teck align it. he says left toe was out of spec and corre3cted but I still pull to the right on the highway. now in Florida we do have heavy crown roads but not enough I have to keep my hand on the wheel with effort of correction


Hi Pandrad61, 

This is definitely a frustrating situation, and I apologize for this. If you should need any additional assistance with anything further, feel free to send me a private message. I would be more than happy to get in touch with the dealership or locate another one that can possible provide you with a second opinion. Looking forward to your response! 

Patsy G
Chevrolet Customer Care


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## Cass23VSU4 (Mar 13, 2014)

Hope you're on the way to finding a solution. I had a similar issue with my Cruze Diesel, except it had a driver side pull. The first time I took it in the dealership told me all was in spec, even though it still pulled, until I took it to an independent shop and they straightened it all out. The alignment was performed with their heavy tech, 290 lbs, in the drivers seat. They noticed the 'chevy lean' as well. The first issue is the OEM Fuel Max tires, they are standard load very lightweight tires at 19 lbs and start with 9/32 of tread for fuel economy. The second was the cars attitude in that it wants to shift its weight to the right rear. 

My immediate fix was to inflate the tires to find my sweet-spot, which was 42psi summer and 45psi winter. The shop also added a set of camber bolts to improve front end drivability and mentioned if things don't improve a set of HD shocks and struts may help. Also, to seek out a performance shop that does corner balancing to get the vehicle weighed and to take note of any discrepancies. 

The main thing to remember is that fuel economy is the name of the GM game with this diesel model. Depending on your driving nature and environs some changes may need to be made to favor your individual preferences.


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## BBOBBERSON (Aug 27, 2015)

Had a nice long visit with service manager where I bought the vehicle. He was willing to confirm that my condition was not normal after he drove the car. We are currently researching options and he has agreed to disable the electric P/S and test drive in an attempt to isolate the cause of the issue.


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## BBOBBERSON (Aug 27, 2015)

Well I have a long overdue update for anyone who cares.
The Service manager at my dealership bent over backwards to address my complaint. The car was lazer measured by a high end body shop to ensure nothing bent or otherwise defective, engine cradle realigned, entire steering rack and motor assembly replaced, various alignment settings were tried and the tires were measured and placed in the optimum positions.... all with very minimal effect on the condition. At this point I agreed to drive the vehicle until the 10-12k mile mark and reassess the condition at that time.
Around the 8000 mile mark, and shortly before the Thanksgiving holiday, I was forced to "crowd" my garage (don't ask) resulting in 2 sheets of plywood partially intruding into the right front of my parking area. I did what any tired and frustrated guy does at times like these, drove right up and parked on them day after day without the slightest of concern. About 10 days of parking in this "uneven" spot I noticed that I didn't notice the pull as much as before, Also the pull when present was consistently with the crown of the road rather than constantly to the right.
12500ish miles, second oil change service and check over tomorrow. The pull is significantly diminished. I have no idea if the uneven parking caused the change or if the front end simply "wore in" but at this point I am willing to skeptically say that it just may be as good as it gets...


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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

Credit to you for getting back to us to complete the story.


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