lately i've noticed that the car pulls to the right constantly, if i let go of the wheel while going over a bump, it pulls to the right hard. to make the car drive straight down the road i have to steer the wheel more to the left. (about 11o'clock). the inside of my passenger side tire is pretty worn down, while my driver side tire is perfect. this leads me to believe that the camber is off on the passenger side correct? but camber would not make the car pull to the right? would it? i also looked at the tie rods (which adjust the toe?) and the passenger side one has more threads showing than the driver side one (about an 1" worth).

i know the best thing to do is get an alignment done by a professional, but sadly i've yet to find someone who actually knows anything about mopars in los angeles who won't rip me for an arm and a leg. i also know that wrenching will take me so far, but i do want to learn the process and any input would help.

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70 Plymouth Valiant 4dr

Everything in your alignment will cause pulling if not in "specs" Yes negitive camber will cause pulling as much as excessive positive. Same with caster. Your best bet will be to inspect all bushings and suspension hardware first and repair as needed. I have one source for you to call and ask who to go to for classic car alignments near "LA".Steve Strope at 805-522-2232. Tell him Romeo sent you. Also you did not state if the car has power steering as there is a centering adjustment for it also. Last but not least is road crown as most roads "crown" at the center point for water run off. It will make your car feel like it wants to drift to the side.

If you're toed in the car could want to drive straight with one tire while it plows the other one rather than plowing them both. When you hit a bump with the straight tire the weight and steering duty transfers to the cocked tire, scooting you over till the two wheels get back to their previous argument.

Thats what my straight axle truck did (toe is the only adjustment on these without a torch or hydraulic bending fixture) when the toe was set at 2" (!) after a disc conversion. I only drove around one day like that, but it's not cool! Good luck.

radar

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madam im adam

car has power steering. where would this centering adjustment be? thanks for the source, i'll be sure to give him a call.

about 6 months ago i had all the bushings changed on the front end (this shop restored my friends dart to cherry, so i trust him). i put new tires on it and had it aligned. it drove true and straight, but over time i noticed a small amount of pulling to the right, and then more, and then more, and now it's kinda gotten out of hand.

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70 Plymouth Valiant 4dr

Is there extra play in the steering?
It could be that the ideler arm has loosened-up at the K- frame mounting point. (a common issue w/ 62 - 66 A-body vehicles)

As already noted, inspect for bad bushings and loose joints. Have someone move the steering wheel 'back-and-forth' while you watch from under the car... any motion not going directly to wheel movement is bad.
DD

[quote]car has power steering. where would this centering adjustment be?[/quote]

The “centeringâ€￾ of power steering “Valve Bodyâ€￾ is a procedure that corrects steering wheel creep. If this valve is not centered, the steering wheel will, by its self rotate to the left or right stop. All it dose is balance the assist between left & right of center, a maladjustment can cause pulling (would suspect other problems before this cause if your steering wheel stays put at start-up, or doesn’t self steer in one direction once off center). Factory Service Manual outlines method of centering this valve.

Pulling can be caused by: broken cord; unequal tire pressure; loose strut bushing; worn parts; bent parts; sagging (weak torsion bar) suspension; incorrect wheel alignment (particularly caster); loose wheel bearings; and dragging brakes.

A side note:
I also think in most cases the old camber specifications that correct for road crown are out of step with today’s road design. Crowns are not nearly as pronounced as they once were forty years ago. Radial tires also react differently to a crown than did bias ply tires of yesteryear.

[quote]the inside of my passenger side tire is pretty worn down[/quote]

Where you are wearing inside of one tire, I suspect too much negative camber on the passenger side. A few reasons for this, bent parts, worn parts, or that side's ride height has changed.

The one adjustment you can accurately check & perform is ride height. Follow the FSM procedure.

Do as Doc recomended having someone move the steering wheel while obsurving the motion as it transmits from the steering gear out to the wheels.

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67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC