Strange problem, I hope ya'll can help.

I've had new tires on the back wheels for the last few months. I just had my 30k service and they got rotated to the front. As soon as I pulled out of the dealer I noticed that I had to hold the wheel off center (turned right) a little bit to have the car go straight. I did not have this problem before the rotation.

I had an alignment done not long ago (before the tires were rotated) so I don't think its an alignment problem.

I ended up taking the car to the bridgestone tire place to have them replace the tire because I figured it was a problem with the tire. They ended up finding that my passenger side wheel had a small dent on the inside lip. They tell my that may be why the car is drifting left, while the Mazda dealer tells me there is no chance that is what it is.

Have any of ya'll ever seen something like this? Any suggestions?

Thanks,
teedty1

 

If you hit a pothole hard...your alignment will change.....

You need an alignment and a check for bent parts ( and possibly a repaired or replaced wheel)

 

So could the dent in the rim cause the steering to be off center?

 

What caused the dent in the rim could have caused the steering wheel to be out

 

hitting a pothole hard enough to dent your rims will definitely throw things out of wack.

 

The problem with the "whatevery I hit caused the steering to be whack" theory is what I figured first, but I've already had an alignment done and if I put the dented rim on the back the steering is on-center with no problems.

 

I guess what you need then is a new rim......


It must thump like crazy if it's that bent

 

That's the wierd thing... no thump or anything... just have to hold the steering wheel off center. Ima try to get the rim straightened and see if that helps...

Thanks for the help guys!

 

not necessarily the same thing, b/c i didn't hit anything, but my steering wheel has been just off center since i've owned it (4+ years). it's so slight i never wanted to take it in to get fixed, and when i'd take it in for something else, i'd always forget, b/c it's so minor! 99% of driving i don't notice, but every once in a while i'll clue into it briefly.

it's at about 12:15 - so just pushed right a bit...

 

Rotate the tires to their original positions. If the "pull" goes away, it's the tires; if it doesn't, it's the alignment.