What to do when your car slants to one side

In normal circumstances when a driver releases the steering wheel or brake, the vehicle should maintain a straight position without seemingly slanting to one side.

A car which slants to one side is a risk to the driver and other road users.

At a high speed the chances of that car swinging off the road or into another lane are quite high.

When the driver is on a straight road, they do not need to correct the car’s straight-ahead motion all the time. If the driver has to correct the car all the time, then the issue must be investigated and sorted out.

Causes of the cars slanting to one side

Tyre sizes

When a car has different tyre sizes, it tends to angle to the side that has smaller tyres, which can be corrected by putting the same size of tyres on the same axle; whether front or back. If one of the tyres has low pressure, the car moves towards the side that has the lower pressure. This forces the driver to always steer the car away from that side, taking up a lot of his energy.

Imbalanced brakes

When a car has imbalanced brakes, it will slant to the side that has more braking force.

The car will also swing to one side if the suspension system is worn out. The car body will swing to the side which has more worn-out parts. However, this pull will be of a smaller magnitude compared to the rest of the causes. Worn-out steering linkages and a suspension system cause an adjustment in the steering geometry such that when one drives and breaks, the vehicle will pull to one side.

Insufficient weight distribution

When there is no sufficient weight distribution in the car, it will incline towards the side which has more weight. This calls for the driver to appropriately distribute cargo or passengers’ weight to create a balance in motion.

When a car slants to one side, it requires careful diagnosis to identify the right cause. Sometimes, it requires trying out the many options and or replacing parts that are still in good working condition. To avoid this costly elimination method, use computer diagnosis where possible.