Car pulling to right (updated with fix and pics)

[GenevaDirt]

Ok...I know I just saw someone ask this but I can not find it anywhere. I have a 91 fi 5spd. While driving down the road and under normal acceleration the car drives straight down the road, If I am getting on it a bit, or more, the car pulls fine but then as soon as I push in the clutch in 1st , 2nd and mainly 3rd the car will pull towards the right...a lot! It just started doing this today....drove fine yesterday and in the past......any clues folks?

[FestYboy]

sticking sliders OR sticking caliper piston, I recomend lubing the slider pins and flushing your brake fluid.

[GenevaDirt]

^^ not the brakes....they roll free except when applied and there is no pulling. It just happens when I am accelerating fast and push in the clutch.

[mechanicaldj]

look at the sway bar to control arm bushings

[FestYboy]

i've noticed that exact situation on Booberry, i believe it's torque steer via the difference in shaft length. b/c my bushings are poly and fairly new, it's not a caster problem or trailing arm pull.

[GenevaDirt]

I do not believe it is torque steer....has never did this in the past...and I drive it hard sometimes...it just started. I do not beleieve the sway bar and bushings...all looked fine last time I was under it...tuesday( for other reasons then this). If I am driving slow, or fast ,I can move the wheel from side to side like I am at a slolom course and things are fine, no extra dipping or anything. If I take my hands off the wheel when I am going down the road it goes straight....when I brake...it goes straight...if I am coasting it goes straight. It only happens when I push in the clutch to shift gears while accelerating kinda fast or fast. Normal acceleration it is fine.
I am thinking maybe the steering rack or broken tranny mount? I will be looking at it more closely this weekend and was just trying to go over some options to look for....thanks

[Dave G]

It only happens when I push in the clutch to shift gears while accelerating kinda fast or fast. Normal acceleration it is fine.
I am thinking maybe the steering rack or broken tranny mount?

Weird! I'm with you - a broken mount for something or another. Definitely something to figure out and fix :shock:

[Pu241]

Torque steer is present from day one, so not a new issue.
I'm with Mechanical DJ on this!
Try hitting the control arm attachment point to the "frame" with some PB Blaster!
My wife's car did this for a log time before she said anything and by then it was too late.
I had replaced all the anti-sway bar bushings to no effect.
Well, it did handle better, the bushing were worn, but didn't change the pulling under acceleration issue.
The steel insert in the control arm bushing had "welded"itself to the bolt that holds the arm to the vehicle.
Subsequently, under hard acceleration the bushing acts as a rubber band, storing the energy of the suspension movement till you hit the clutch, and you are no longer accelerating, releasing the stored energy and causing it to pull.
Same thing when you hit the next gear, all the way up to 4th, because in 4th you don't have the same acceleration you have in the lower gears.
Hers was on the passenger side which caused it to pull to the right.
Also, in tight high speed curves, specifically, left handed ones, the same thing would happen when you started to straighten it out when coming out of the turn, it would pull to the right.
Pretty un-nerving isn't it!

[packrat427]

Yes Willie , I was going to say the same as Mech and John , I had that problem , my bushings where the control arm and sway bar attach , were deteriorated , and half of it fell out , it made the front end feel like it was shifting to one side as you accel and decel , or unloaded the torque being applied , and also I felt that shifting feeling going into a curve at highway speed , it felt really weird .

It all went away when I replaced those bushings , I did the lower control arms while I had it apart

[Pu241]

Willy,
If it just started you have a change to fix it without changing the control arms!
Just hit them with BP Blaster, both sides (Pass and Driver), before you go to work and before you come home!
Two or three days should do it!
And you can do this without jacking the front end up, just have to do a little reaching and spraying.
Of course if your outer control arm bushings are shot you need to seriously consider replacement anyway!
Believe me I know!
This isn't the way you want to change your tranny fluid!
I'm certain a squad of assistance can be assembled and sent your way!
Just say the word!

[smokin fastiva]

mine did that and a front end alignment fixed it.

[5.0zone]

I'm with Mechanical DJ on this one. I had a very similar problem.
Mine would go to the left when you accelerated and go to the right when you let off.
The bushing on the right side was nearly gone before I finally figured it out.
Made going around curves very interesting, in a spooky way.

[GenevaDirt]

look at the sway bar to control arm bushings

Well...it is mechanicaldj for the win. I was under there 3 days or so before this happened and all looked fine. I can not believe that it is all of a sudden just GONE, but it is. As for having to use PB Blaster...no need...all the bolts and nuts came off easy. I will be back on the road saturday if I can find the bushings before coming home from work. If not I should still be on the road...looked at the donor/parts car and they are in decent shape on there so either way...all should work out.

Thanks to all that made suggestions....I love this site!

[Pu241]

Pretty sure you can get those from Autozone or Advanced, might have to call more than one to find one with a set on the shelf.
Otherwise, they can order them!
They sometimes can be a PITA to install!
Loosening the front sway bar mount helps a lot!

You know pics of before and after would be nice, we almost never get pics of failures and the repair!

[GenevaDirt]

^^ I will see what I can do...lol