patrols that pull to left

[barfly]

i just purchased a 04 wagon and it works its way to the left when you let go of the wheel i had a balance and alinement done also the wheels rotated but it still keeps wandering. the tyer guys said it was a nissan thing. it has only 12000ks on the clock and is still under warranty.the dealership says it hasnt had any problems in the 04 models and i was just wondering if anyone had encounterd same problems . any feed back about this problem would be appreciated .cheers barfly

[Chimo]

Hi Barfly

Its a Nissan Patrol thing that really annoys you doesn't it ?

I had the same problem with a GQ and its interesting that they seem to have kept some things constant between models. I tried different tyres, tried swapping tyres side to side, different pressures, front end alignments etc

Any way there is a cure, or there was for the GQ that may well work for you
too.

There is a kit that has to be is fitted onto the left side only and lo and behold magic, the thing has run straight as a die ever since.

Your challange now is to find a front end specialist who knows about Nissans and more particularly about these kits either where you are in C or in Bris or the GC and can fit it and then do a proper front end alignment for you and then the greater challange will be to get Nissan to cover the cost. Good luck.

Hope it all works out OK for you

Cheers

Chimo GOM

[co-co]

Mate I've noticed the same problem with my "02" Terracan, have booked it in to get Hyundai to look at as it's still under warranty. What are some causes of this, I to have new tyres and alignment. Have been told that the sway bar can be a major cause?? Should I bother taking it to Hyundai as they have said they charge me for there time if it's not a factory default.

[Chimo]

Barfly and others?

Re Front End Repair For Patrol

I had a look thru my files and found the details of the kit that I had fitted, many years ago.

They are called Safe T Steer Cast-O-Line Rings and the instructions include the settings for both Patrol and Toyota.

The supplier was and still is
Safe-T-Steer Products, the manufacturing Division of Narellan Truck Wheel Align Pty Ltd, 2/3 Campbell St Narrellan NSW ph 02 46471811.

They should be able to supply the correct kit to an appropriate installer to fit and then redo the front end alignment.

I did mine out of warranty but I would be interested to hear Nissan's comments on the need for and cost of fitting etc.

Let me know (PM or whatever) how you get on

Cheers

Chimo GOM

[barfly]

thanks guys it may be i will have to track down a front end specialist thankfully their is a couple i can track down as this is really annoying the crap out of me. sorry about the delay getting back to you but i have been getting ready for the fishing comp at rainbow next weekend. cheers barfly

[-spiro-]

I just bought a 04 model and haven't noticed it but i will take it out tomorrow and see. Barfly where did you purchase yours from. 8-)

[barfly]

village redcliffe barfly

[FNQCairns]

I have a 96 GQ which is apart from minor changes the same car as your 04 GU.
I too have been looking into a fix and as stated above a 'kit' is the only surefire way to go. The important portion of the kit is simply an offset bearing and cone pair. These can be bought from any good bearing suppler without the other parts of the kit if needed.

Another cure I have read about is fitting a 5mm spacer at the chassis end of the radius rod LHS only, some swear this is an adequate enough fix although no one who I have spoken to about my car and has vehicle geometry experience has heard of it, or can tell me why it may work. That in it's self is a good reason to do the experiment ;). Although I am not sure Nissan would approve in your instance

Good luck with it, one thing I have found different brands/model/shapes of tyres WILL produce differing levels of LHS pull.
My Yoko 05s were bad, new set just as bad, cooper st - better but they are doughy tyres for driving the blacktop but I can put up with those negatives if it decreases some of the LHS pull.

Good luck you will need it if you chose to deal with anything less than the correction kit.

cheers fnq

[Dave]

The reason most cars pull one way or another is due to w/align problems. The above kit mentioned consists of new bearings and off center cones for the swivel hubs. A w/align must be done before this is fitted to take some readings. The bearings and cones are then fitted to usually increase the castor on the LHS. With more positive castor on the left this actually pushes the vehicle to the right, but with the camber of the road this is usually equalised out and the vehicle steers straight.

FNQCairns the reason they put the spacer on the radius rod is to increase the castor on the LHS. By moving the bottom of the wheel forward this increases the castor, which makes the vehicle steer straight.

The easiest way to visualise a w/align is by looking at the old pushbike. The slope from the handlebars to the point where the tyre contacts the ground is the castor ie \ that is positive castor. When riding with no hands, to steer you would lean left or right changing the camber. This is the same with cars, most usually run negative camber (top of the wheel leans in slightly - lots of negative camber on race cars), This combined with positive castor (like the push bike) will make the vehicle steer to the right (if we were working with the passenger side front). Usual rule of thumb is to give the passenger side 1/2 degree more positive castor and 1/2 a degree more negative camber.

Hope this helps and doesn't add to the confusion.

Dave

[GAFYM]

Guys,
I had an 04 GU which i had only one problem with and that was the front hubs unlocking when in 4WD which can be a bit frightening when u in the upper nethers of Cape York. Made it back to Cairns and the dealer there was top's....Organised to have it repaired under warranty no probs. Could have stayed there and waited for parts or driven back to Bris and have it done there through the dealer i bought it from. Took the latter option. WOW. Had all the paper work to approve the replacement of the Hubs and took it back to (remember this one) SPRINGWOOD NISSAN, with the paper work,and they kept the car for a full day and when I RANG THEM AT 4PM to see how my vehicle was going i was told they had road tested it and found nothing wrong and wanted $18 for screwing a plastic nut back on behind the throttle cable Naturally i lost it and reminded them of their ancestry, rang Nissan head office in Brisbane, explained the situation, and LO AND BEHOLD phone call "Please sir can u bring your car in for warranty rectification". (And for the record, this wasnt the only to-do with this mob. (Wife has a Pulsar)

So...the moral guys....stuff the dealer, go to the top.

Just for the record...One of my staff at work had all sorts of problems with a new Toyota Hi Lux, real lemon.
Had no luck with Dealer, rang head office, they sent up two persons from Melbourne and took him into the dealer and told him to pick any new Hi lux he wanted from the show room. At their expense (That cutting a long story short, but that the end result)

NVMYGU ;D ;D ;D

[-spiro-]

well i drove mine for about a hour today and didn't find it pulling to the left. Maybe cause the missus just put a new stupid cover on the wheel and it feels funny 8-)

[barfly]

spiro i tried to send you a e mail but got it back twice , cheers barfly

[Chimo]

Hainesy / Dave

You are spot on.

Dave, the kit is the only sure fire solution to overcome what is otherwise a pain in the a. and enough to make you:'( Especially on some roads.

As I suggested above; years ago, when I had the problem with the GQ that I still have and use, I spent a lot of $ on tyres to try and fix it and a lot of time dealing with both mechanics and Front End people who did not have the knowledge to fix this problem.

What I found was that a large number of them did not seem to mind that they didn't really know, they were keen to get invoved in sorting it out; with me paying varying amounts of money for them to learn.

Only when I finally found someone who put me onto the Narellan truck kit mob, who I think make the kit, did we finally solve the problem.

When I replied earlier I did not include the settings that your FE Alignment people need to use but they are listed in the instructions for the kit (for a range of vehicles).

So Dave there it is. Its great that you have a large number of Ausfishers rooting for you and trying to get you on the straight and narrow !!!!::). 8-)

Looks like the next moves are yours??? :D :

Regards

Chimo GOM

[merc]

Ha Barfly
I,ve got a GU and had problems with steering wheel shimmy took it to the boys at Narrellan truck align and not only has it fixed the problem they were gentlmen to deal with. Definatly worth a phone call and they,ll steer you to someone in your area that can help. As for Nissan don,t waste your time you can,t get blood out of a stone.
I have a Isuzu truck as well. Took it to these guys and after getting them to give it the works i got 105000km out of the original tyres, and at $425.00 each it was worth the cost to have it repaired properly.
Cheers Mick

[FNQCairns]

Hainesy thanks for the spacer/castor explanation I will in the next couple of weeks fab and fit a 5mm spacer and see if it improves.

cheers fnq

[Fishin_Dan]

Is the reason that they put it slightly to the left is so that if someone lets go of the wheel, it steers them slowly off the road rather than into oncoming traffic?

[CHRIS_aka_GWH]

Is the reason that they put it slightly to the left is so that if someone lets go of the wheel, it steers them slowly off the road rather than into oncoming traffic?



reason ...

seems to be a lack of camber correction. Aussie roads have heavy cambers, it would appear these vehicles are not being modified by the dealer/maufacturer to suit.
The kit that the boys are talking about adresses that issue (i think).

chris