I've been chasing a consistent pull to the left for about three years now in my 96. The one with the lift.

 

I tried everything,

new struts,

replaced the knuckle with a known good,

replaced control arms with known good, (both from my other car)

loosened the front subframe and shoved it as far as I could from one side to the other,

changed front caster, camber, toe,

drilled out the holes in the strut towers so I could move the strut-hat around,

played with rear wheel toe,

had the car aligned by a local shop that specializes in alignment,

and more stuff that I can't think of right now.

Nothing ever phased it, not even a little bit. Always had the same pull to the left no matter what I did. I got the alignment screwed up like a football bat messing around with it, and it has eaten my front tires.

Finally last week I'm driving home from work on Friday afternoon. Pulling into the bank parking lot three miles from home I hear the steering pump start to whine. I stop and open the hood and the fluid reservoir is practically empty. Weird, because I've never had any problems with the pump or the fluid level. Absolutely no leaks, no fluid anywhere under the car. Completely dry.

I always have a quart of Dex3 fluid in the trunk, so I fill up the reservoir, deposit my check and head home, 3 miles away. Pulling into my driveway the pump starts making noise again. Open the hood, no fluid in the reservoir!

Where is my fluid going?!?! No leaks, drips, nothing wet under the car at all! Totally dry!

Steering rack boot on the right side is puffed up like a balloon!

 

So anyway, got a junkyard rack from a 97 Outback with 160k. Put it on today. Set the toe with my home-brew alignment stick, took it for a drive.

Let go of the wheel, guess what?! Car drives perfectly dead straight line. No more pull to the left!!!!!!!

:banana:

 

Several beers will be enjoyed as I burn the old rack with a torch!

 

There's supposed to be a moral or some kind of helpful advice here, but I'm just jumping for joy right now because the damned thing is finally fixed!

...and just a jump the riiiight.  

 

(Sorry, couldn't resist!  )

Is that the Hokey pokey?

Is that the Hokey pokey?

 

Let's do the Time Warp again!

 

Oh jeez, I haven't seen that movie in ages! I'm more of a Pulp Fiction fan.

wow, way to finally figure it out.

 

so it pulled towards the opposite side the leak was on? 

fluid pressure bleeding off so it was giving more assist to the other side, is that how it works?

Yep. Fluid pressure going into the right side of the rack causes it to push to the left, this causing the wheels to be pushed toward the left.

 

The right end seal is what blew out.

 

I have to guess either the spool valve was damaged or sticking, or the torsion rod that goes through the valve was twisted or bent.

I have the same problem but pulls to the right. It is not the rack. I replaced that. I did hut a curb in the snow with the left front. Alignment does not fix it. Did I bend control arm or something? 1998 Legacy Outback...

Recently had a slight pull to the right on 98 OBW. It wasn't much so put up with it for a while. Finally, had tires rotated, ball joints replaced, and 4 wheel alignment. Slight pull still persisted. Then noticed the outer right side boot was blown out on the half shaft. I had the half shaft replaced, and that fixed the slight pull. Sometimes, very difficult to find the source to correct the problem.

 

Fairtax4me, I can fully understand your frustration. Glad you got yours fixed.

 

Check that the calipers aren't binding on the slide pins, and the pistons are free to move in and out (not seized).  My Loyale had a sticky piston, it pulled right for years until it seized entirely, and I noticed because it would pull right normally, and left on braking. 

I have the same problem but pulls to the right. It is not the rack. I replaced that. I did hut a curb in the snow with the left front. Alignment does not fix it. Did I bend control arm or something? 1998 Legacy Outback...

Not really the same problem then is it.

When they did the alignment did they adjust camber as well? Did they adjust the front AND rear, or just the front? Did they give you a printout with the before and after angles?

Worn and screwed up tires caused this even after my alignment. I just got new tires on the car and it is WAAAAY better!

sometimes you dont realize how much something bothers you till its gone.

this reminds me of the last 99 outback i had it had been in some type of wreck it wasnt ever really clear and i kinda figured the guy selling it either didnt want to remember it or didnt want to say. but it had hit a curb hard to the side rear right wheel.

so its going through tires in about a week well especially the right rear. i take it to place after place one alignment place wants to attach chains and bend the frame. and im thinking uh im going to take it to this other frame body and alignment place in clear lake. a more professional thing.

so i take it there and the guy who runs it, lots of years of experience, comes out to look at it in the lot, doesnt even put it on a lift or hardly get under it, just looks and says:
"Oh i know what it is, its probably your spindle is bent."

i had never even heard of a spindle i dont think, didnt know they had one, but he was right.

thats one of the things about these cars ive noticed, i think they engineered layers of failure into them in many parts, water pumps, etc, to protect them.

why they made the interference engine ever i cant understand.

i guess they were just too reliable.

Edited December 16, 20169 yr by 1997reduxe

Interference makes hp and fuel economy.. Just change timing belt on time.