Passed my MOT but....

[Captain Jack]

Hello,

Had to fork out over £600 to get my car past MOT. It failed on front brakes and discs, handbrake cables (!), rear anti-roll bar top links. There was also a headlight issue - apparently alignment was all over there place there as I think someone whacked the front of it while parked (explains the misaligned bumper!). Plus service. Plus a new tyre.

Anyway, after all this was done, my car now veers to the left a bit. I am thinking that this might be due to the new front brake discs/pads not bedded in yet - but could be something else I guess... The steering wheel itself turns to the left a bit, hence the veering but if I straighten it out, it's fine.

Should I take it back to the garage?

[steve_earwig]

Well yes, if that is the brakes dragging on one side they'll soon overheat and warp. If it isn't then they0ve screwed the tracking up somehow and it'll eat tyres.

600 quid? Well I guess there's a lot of stuff there.

[dummysock]

I would suggest that you need a 4 wheel alignment, since changing the rear top links can throw the tracking out. £50 at the garage I use.

I've stopped buying cheap top links which seems to only last 12 months, to try and save the £50.

[lozz]

600 quid (ouch!) sorry to hear that mate,

youve paid for Quality work there, take it back and tell them of the problem. icertainly wouid,

[rwb]

ooh that was an unwelcome surprise.

Pull could be the odd tyre. I had a distinct pull to the left when I had odd tyres on the front (and the steel wheel on). Had them swapped round and got the alloy back on, then took it for tracking but the tracking was already spot on. (The odd tyre was on the front passenger side, and the spare was on the rear passenger side. I moved the odd tyre to the back.)

That said, I've always had a very slight pull to the left.

If the brakes are binding at one side and not the other, then the binding ones may feel much hotter than the good ones. (Don't burn yourself.)

[Captain Jack]

Interesting. Tyres on the front are the same, only the rear o/s one was changed. It was straight and true before mot. I'll jack the car up tomorrow and spin the wheels and see if any are binding.

Thanks chaps!

[Doggy]

Sorry to hear it cost you so much, Alex, but at least it's out the way for another year.

Don't ignore the obvious - it could just be tyre pressures, otherwise go back and kick up a stink.

[Captain Jack]

The o/s was at 28psi while the n/s was 31psi. Filled them all up to 33psi so will check later.

Jacked the car up and the n/s wheel rotates slightly less freely than the o/s side, so that could explain it as well?

Either way, I phoned up the garage and they asked to bring it back in and we'll do a road test. The garage I use is usually quite good (one of those old school family run garages) so I don't really have any grudges against them.

Will keep you posted!

[Welly]

Sometimes even swapping the front wheels about their axles will cause the steering to pull because the tyre is no longer sitting as it was before in relation to the sussy and track rods etc.

In fact I had this on the Volvo this year, the tyre place put a back wheel on the front and I 'felt' it straight away, got them to swap it back about an hour later