My car is pulling bad. I'd say it's the alignment but it's such a hard pull that I think something is probably broken.

When I turn the wheel there is an audible creak/groan in the front left area of the suspension. I've done some searching but I couldn't find what I was looking for. Any idea what could be broken?

I may try and get an alignment but I'd like to fix any broken front end parts first.

 

Well...
Why not pull the wheel off and search for the obvious problem - sticking caliper/slides, stuck piston, broken spring, broken sway bar link, loose ball joint?
Check your bearings, greased, tight?

 

As Scott has mentioned. Inspect!

Also did this come on recently?
If so, did you recently hit any major pot holes in the road or hit a curb, run over something?

 

jack the left front wheel off the ground and see how easily it spins be hand. after driving it, when u get out of the car do u remember smelling anything strange? do u know what hot brakes smell like?

 

it's not a stuck caliper. It's been like this since I saved the car from some guy's back yard. The entire front suspension looks shitty and worn out, and this is why I'm wondering which specific components would cause these symptoms.

I know everyone will say replace every bushing and part in the front end etc, but I need to focus on what would cause this pulling because I've got other priorities with the car to attend to as well. The budget is short.

I've had the wheels off and didn't notice anything completely broken (springs/sway bar links).

What front end parts most prominently affect steering?

 

Around here if you go for an alignment, the technicians usually tell you what you need fixed before getting an alignment such as shocks, bushings, steering box, etc. When I tried getting my car aligned, they didn't recommend me to get an alignment, because if I would've gotten one, my alignment would be out of whack again. Simply put: bring yoru car to a technician. Hope that helps.

 

Getting a check alignment would help you determine what's going on.
check the rod going to the lower control arm. There are 2 bushings toward the front end of the car . I'd check those to see if your caster is getting thrown off. That'll cause a severe pull if it's out of specs.
Worn out tires can cause the pull as well.

 

thanks, I'll check that rod and probably take it to a tech.

 

agreed, take it to an alignment shop let them tell u what needs replacing. do the repairs ur self then have it aligned. only pay to have done what u can't do urself.

 

I'll definitely be doing the repairs myself. This is pretty much the first rear drive car i've worked on, so i'm not familiar with the suspension. that's why I posted this question.

 

check the simple things first... tyre pressure??

My FD would get serious oversteer if the tyres were low...

 

Yeah, if you think you might need an alignement anyway, go ahead and have it done. They usually include a free front end inspection, so you might as well let them diagnose the issue for you. Just make sure you give them all of the information and I'm sure they'll find your issue as long as they aren't a bunch of hacks. Good luck.

 

Tire pressure is good, I'm pretty crazy about keeping that where it needs to be.

 

If the car has sat for an extended period of time there is a good chance that you have a bad tire. Swap the front to the back on the side that is pulling and see if there is any improvement.

 

Dont limit yourself to checking the front suspension. In my REPU the rear leaf spring shackles were worn and the axle would shift when braking or accelerating causing the car to feel like it was trying to steer hard left or right. I replaced everything in the front end before I got around to checking the back. Look for anything that could allow the rear axle to move.

 

it doesnt even have to be an old tire causing a pull. at my work, ive seen brand new tires cause a pull. but yeah, the easiest way to determine if you have a tire pull is swap the tires. i prefer swapping them side to side, that way if the car pulls the opposite direction you know exactly which tire is the cause.


...and an earlier post said to check the link pins for the sway bar, thats all fine and dandy, but broken link pins wont cause a pull. the main culprets for a pull are 1. cross camber (over .5 degree difference will cause a pull), 2. cross caster (.5 - 1.0 degree difference, but usually doesnt cause anything severe), 3. the tires (either under/unevenly inflated or a pyramidal belt seperation). or 4. a stuck caliper.

...unevenly sagged springs can also cause issues, but usually due to it changing the camber

thats about all i can think of at the moment. i do alignments all day long and if you get your alignment checked (most shops, at least mine , wont charge for just a check) post up your alignment specs and ill explain'em to you