I think my Leon Cupra is bent

Mewcenary

Full Member
Mar 16, 2006
156
0
Farnham, Surrey
Here is the history. The car is a 2002 Seat Leon Cupra.

1. Purchased car from main dealer. Noticed that tracking etc is fine, but steering wheel requires around 30 degrees of clockwise turn when the car is in a straight line.

2. Dealer has a go at fixing it while I wait. End result - now off anticlockwise.

3. Dealer agrees to pay for four wheel laser alignment. Alignment shown to be out and corrected. Wheel now ends up as in step (1). After two attempts.

4. Make noises at dealer. Dealer has another while you wait go. Now pretty much central, but I have nagging doubts (it is slightly off still).

So what's new?

I took it to a different four wheel alignment centre, due to my suspicions that the first one may have been a bit clueless, and that the dealer may have bodged the steering wheel correction in the while you wait appointment.

This technician briefed me on the whole thing and showed me everything he was doing. Everything ran true with what I have been advised elsewhere. The initial measurements showed the rear end was within limits, but the following were out:

* Front right caster (7'26 - tolerance is 7'30 to 8'30)
* Front right toe (0'08 - tolerance is 0'05 to -0'05)

Which is obviously worrying considering the dealer had apparantly fixed this less than a week before.

The technician then got me to climb in the car and set the steering wheel to my liking.

He adjusted the front toe. He make equal turns each side (half a turn, iirc). The front toe was then central "in the green".

He could not adjust the right caster. The software showed this was not possible with this model car.

With all this done, the car is now back at the beginning :( It needs about 30 degrees clockwise turn to go in a straight line.

So I think there is something fundamentally wrong. The technician said he was concerned about the right caster, and could indicate something ever-so-slightly bent concerning the right front wheel (kerb hit hard by previous owner?).

So, if nothing else, the car has been consistent. It's initial state, and that after each laser alignment, has been the "steering wheel 30 degrees clockwise" position, and the final time I have personally made sure the steering wheel was locked straight.

As above, when the dealer has put the steering wheel straight, it seems to have been done by fudging the right front toe.

So the car is going for a full steering system strip down to the dealer on Monday (warranty job). I am armed with the tracking printouts anyway!

Gah.

Advice welcome!
 

BlackFR

Full Member
Jan 22, 2002
1,724
5
Not too far away
I'm not sure if its true or not but I had the caster angle slightly adjusted on my Leon Cupra by the guys at micheldever tyres to correct a slight leftwards drift regardless of the road camber.

They slackened off the subframe bolts and moved it very slightly then did them back up. Apparently the holes in the frame have a small amount of free space in them to enable you to do this.

It certainly fixed the problem!

Good luck with getting it sorted!
 

Mewcenary

Full Member
Mar 16, 2006
156
0
Farnham, Surrey
BlackFR said:
I'm not sure if its true or not but I had the caster angle slightly adjusted on my Leon Cupra by the guys at micheldever tyres to correct a slight leftwards drift regardless of the road camber.

They slackened off the subframe bolts and moved it very slightly then did them back up. Apparently the holes in the frame have a small amount of free space in them to enable you to do this.
*grins* I'd say that was more of a "hack" than an official adjustment, but it's interesting to know that it is possible! I shall make a note of this... Thanks!
 

sjtscott

Now with added Revo! :-)
Apr 15, 2003
505
0
London UK
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Sounds to me like your car has had a hard bash on the front right wheel.
Any more than a tiny amount of adjust cannot be done to try to get the setting correct and in spec. I had the all the front left of my suspension/wheel mounting replaced after a hard impact with a kerb to avoid an idiot who swerved into my lane. Basically the car had 3 full 4-wheel laser alignments in total, each time they'd replaced a different part of the suspension/wheel mounting items and eventually it was back in spec on the third one.
From what I remember I had at least a new subframe and hub carrier fitted.
 

ArosaRacer

Wee man returns in a fL mk2 cupra
Aug 28, 2005
2,297
14
44
Bayview, Kent
Long shot i know but when they bring the cars into uk the high end models tend to have the arses ragged out of them, ive seen it as i worked in a dock and have seen countless cars get smashed and repaired and sent as new to the dealers
 

Mewcenary

Full Member
Mar 16, 2006
156
0
Farnham, Surrey
Also, it seems that the car is harder to steer to the left than to the right -- just takes a bit more effort. Not much, you understand - I'm not breaking into a sweat or anything.

Of course, this could be a mental thing due to the wheel being at an angle clockwise to begin with !

Roll on Monday, damnit...... :(
 

Deleted member 7729

Guest
Which dealer did it come from? Kings didn't you say?
 

Deleted member 7729

Guest
Southampton branch - crap Portsmouth - Not so crap
 

Mewcenary

Full Member
Mar 16, 2006
156
0
Farnham, Surrey
Well, I can't fault them for making the effort so far. However, points against them are certainly releasing the car with the fault (despite it being pointed out beforehand).

This will be the first time they have looked at the problem in detail, rather than a quick "While You Wait" adjustment of the steering wheel. I've written to them with a full history of what has been going on, so there will be no excuses this time for them getting it sorted --- they'll have the car all day.

I think a BIG part of this is the team taking the time to test drive the car as part of this process!
 

Pabs

Active Member
May 3, 2004
5,936
4
Basingstoke
this is very common - have a search. Mine does it too. In fact, any leon i've ever been in/driven has done it too.

Its a pain in the a*se, not sure what to do. I've had tracking done, new tyres, wheels move around to different corners, new suspension, new anti-roll bars, drop links etc checked. Still does it. Subframe was dropped/refitted. Same.

All the above was done as I modified the car - I didnt do it just to solve the problem. But it didnt help, so glad i didnt waste time doing it to get nowhere.
 

Mewcenary

Full Member
Mar 16, 2006
156
0
Farnham, Surrey
Pabs said:
this is very common - have a search. Mine does it too. In fact, any leon i've ever been in/driven has done it too.

Its a pain in the a*se, not sure what to do. I've had tracking done, new tyres, wheels move around to different corners, new suspension, new anti-roll bars, drop links etc checked. Still does it. Subframe was dropped/refitted. Same.

All the above was done as I modified the car - I didnt do it just to solve the problem. But it didnt help, so glad i didnt waste time doing it to get nowhere.
Doesn't sound good to me :(

I've done a search and read a bit. Seems not uncommon, but it also seems that some owners were able to get it resolved -- I guess it depends on how savvy the dealer in question is.
 
Have you considered this,

In the bentley repair manual for the VW corrado it states that the tracking should be set with the car having a full tank of Gas, and equivellent balast for the driver in the drving seat, and where possible unworn tyres when the trakcing is set...or words that effect.

I just wonder if the Leon is the same, However i questioned this as im sure they never filled ever card with gas at the factor to set the tracking.
 

kerrbryan

Full Member
Sep 30, 2005
167
0
Ayrshire, Scotland
hi there,

Experiencing the same problem to the extent that my front left tyre is nearly bald! The dealer has tracked the car four times to no evail! It been balanced the camber has been checked etc..
Yesterday, i get a mate to look at it (know his stuff!!), within twenty minutes tells me the sub frame may not be on correct. Apparantly an old fashioned easy way to check is to measure the distance between the two centre hubs on the fron & back tyres. On both sides they should be the exact same, if not something is not lined up right!!
Anyway back 2 thhe people that no nothing for me!! FREE tyre coming soon!!
 

Fidge

SEAT Enthusiast!
Sep 9, 2004
480
0
Southampton UK
I hit a curb on the front left last year at about 20mph and this was enough to completely bugger my alloy wheel and bend my track rod end! This put my steering out approx 30 degrees anti-clockwise, so it could be you have the same problem but on the other side!
 

kerrbryan

Full Member
Sep 30, 2005
167
0
Ayrshire, Scotland
It must be dependant on the driving as i have had 25k out of pirelli's before doing m-way miles, so i was expecting 30-35k. All my other 3 tyres are like new.:confused:
 
My rears are in good shape, just my fronts were worn, Every time you go round a roundabout you increase the wear on the front left tyre, you should see the left rear also has a very slight amount more wear than the right rear.

The camber of the roads in your area also play a big factor.

but having said all this it not going to make much of a difference, and most people should not see the difference untill the end of the tyre life.

If you find your steering is out on flat straight road then thats a whole other story
 
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