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03 Camry Steering Drift (Left)


TooLate

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03 Camry w/approx 120M miles. Over last few months has developed a slow drift to the left. New tires, air pressure checked numerous times, front end alignment (twice), no real improvement...still slow gradual drift left...that requires constant attention and correction. (65 mi ea way commute daily)

Noted in another section of T Forum that TSB's exist for this issue for the Solara (also 03). Same fix applies?? Is Solara that much different from Camry SE? If not, then same TSB/fix should apply, correct?

Anyone else have this experience and a fix for it?

Thx

TL

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Hi, Leighcm:

Thanks for the quick response. I was pretty sure that the 2 units were basically the same and that the TSB's would apply. I'll give that a try.

Oh... the rim....hmmmm. Well, it IS the "chuck hole season" here in the MidWest (some require AWD to get out of)... But, don't you think I'd notice some balance issues at various speeds or feel the steering wheel "wobble" if the rim was bent? (I have that problem with a FS Pickup so I know what it is and what it feels like) but don't notice it w/my Camry.

Thanks again for the response.

TL

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It's possible that you wouldn't feel it. I talked to a guy the other day that had two bent rims on his ES330, and never knew. Of course, he could be just oblivious to anything his car was doing....

Know the type...if it starts when the key is turned and stops when you push on the brake, it doesn't need attention...(bald tires, sludge for oil, molasses for trans fluid etc)..

Is there a ready site where I can print off the TSB's mentioned from the Solara Post...I find that helps the guy out front at the Serv. Dept. be convinced that I actually DO know what I'm talking about at times. And, if I have them "in-hand" I don't have to put up with the stall of some type of "no longer available" or "we can't get them anymore" etc.

Thanks for your help...again.

TL

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Yeah, some people amaze me...like the ones that think they don't have to change their oil because "it's a lease". Or the ones who wonder why their super soft factory installed tires only last 20,000 miles (try to explain the difference to them between those and a 60,000 mile tire...hah! Brings new meaning to "talking to a brick wall!")

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03 Camry w/approx 120M miles. Over last few months has developed a slow drift to the left. New tires, air pressure checked numerous times, front end alignment (twice), no real improvement...still slow gradual drift left...that requires constant attention and correction. (65 mi ea way commute daily)

Noted in another section of T Forum that TSB's exist for this issue for the Solara (also 03). Same fix applies?? Is Solara that much different from Camry SE? If not, then same TSB/fix should apply, correct?

Anyone else have this experience and a fix for it?

Thx

TL

Also try swapping your front tires side for side. Sometimes there are slight irregularities in how the radial belts are laid in the tire carcass during manufacture. This can cause a "radial tire pull" that alignment will not cure. I owned a set of Dunlops that had this problem, and also fixed my girlfriend's '02 Echo by doing this. (She had a set of Nankangs, some kinda inexpensive Korean rubber rim protectors!) Anyway, it may be something to try, it's cheap, and if it works you"ll notice a difference right away. If it does do the trick, then just rotate front to rear from then on for the rest of the life of the skins.

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Good idea...

That is a good idea and one that I considered first off. I have a "minder" in my email for tire rotation and inflation checks so about every 5000 they get checked, rotated, balanced, etc... since I put about 130 mi/day on it, it doesn't take long for this to trip.

Last time, I had the alignment done as well. No real improvement. I think the TSBs that you all have noted need to be checked into and as soon as the temp gets above 12 deg on a day off, I'll get to the Toy Dlrshp and have it checked into.

Thanks for the good advice. Gotta hit the road.

TL

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