Steering - Drift Diagnosis And Correction
NO.: TSB-95-33A-001DATE: March, 1995
MODEL: See below
SUBJECT:
Steering Drift Diagnosis And Correction
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
On some 1994-95 Galants and 1995 Eclipses, the customer may notice a steering drift to the right. Steering drift is a tendency for the vehicle to pull to the left or right, depending on the crown of the road. Most vehicles will drift to the right if the road has a high crown. On roads with little on no crown, most vehicles will not exhibit a steering drift.
Besides road crown, other conditions that can cause steering drift are:
^ Crosswinds
^ Tires over- or under-inflated
^ Tire construction
^ Wheels out of alignment
^ Worn suspension parts
VEHICLES AFFECTED
1994 and 1995 Galant produced before 3/16/95, VIN 4A3AJ46G9SE173922
1995 Eclipse produced before 3/9/95, VIN 4A3AK34Y4SE168629
DESCRIPTION
When a customer complains of steering drift to the right, use the following procedures to diagnose and correct the condition:
IMPORTANT:
For successful results, perform all applicable steps of the procedure in the order described below. When test driving, the mad surface should be dry and level. Avoid test drives in windy condition.
1. Check the tire inflation pressures. On affected vehicles, cold tire inflation pressure specifications are 32 psi (front), and 29 psi (rear). Adjust tire inflation pressures as needed.
2. Check the wheel alignment of the vehicle. Refer to page 33A-3 of the 1994-95 Galant Service Manual or page 33A-3 of the 1995 Eclipse Service Manual for specifications. Adjust wheel alignment as needed.
On 1994 Galants with VIN RE030500 end lower, record the front camber readings for possible use in Step 8.
3. Test drive the vehicle at highway speeds.
^ If steering drift is not detected, return the vehicle to the customer.
^ If steering drift is observed, go to Step 4.
4. Cross-switch the front tires. Then test drive the vehicle again at highway speeds.
^ If steering drift is not detected, return the vehicle to the customer.
^ If steering drift is observed, go to Step 5.
5. Replace the front suspension lower compression arms. Refer to the PARTS INFORMATION section of this bulletin for part numbers.
For replacement instructions, refer to pages 33A-11 and 33A-12 in the 1994-95
Galant Service Manual or pages 33A-11 and 33A-12 in the 1995 Eclipse Service Manual.
NOTE
The lower compression arms used in this procedure are different than the original compression arms. The rear bushing in the new parts is made with a built-in offset.
6. Check the front toe reading of the vehicle and ensure the steering wheel is centered. If needed, re-set the toe and center the steering wheel.
NOTE
^ For 1994-95 Galant (VIN RE030501 and higher) and 1995 Eclipse, Step 6 is the last step in the procedure.
For 1994 Galant (VIN RE030500 and lower), go to Step 7.
7. Test drive the vehicle at highway speeds.
^ If steering drift is not detected, return the vehicle to the customer.
^ If steering drift is observed, go to Step 8.
8. Using the camber readings obtained in Step 2, determine if adding 0.50 positive camber to the left wheel and 0.50 negative camber to the right wheel will correct the overall front camber reading to 0 +/- 0.50 (front camber specification.)
If adding these values will bring the front camber into specification, replace the front suspension upper control arms with the parts specified in the PARTS INFORMATION section of this bulletin. Refer to replacement instructions on pages 33A-6 and 33A-7 of the 1994-95 Galant Service Manual.
CAUTION:
To avoid uneven tire wear, do not install the new upper control arms unless the final camber reading will be within specification.
NOTE:
The upper control arms used in this procedure are different than the original upper control arms. The new parts will change the front camber readings.
9. If needed, center the steering wheel.
10. Test drive the vehicle at highway speed.
The steering drift should now be minimal or completely removed. This is the extent of repairs that can be performed to correct steering drift on
1994-95 Galant and 1995 Eclipse.
PARTS INFORMATION
The new lower compression arms and upper control arms are available from
your facing PDC. Use the part numbers listed.
WARRANTY INFORMATION