2013 M56S pulling to right. Ongoing issue.

[jd3rdcoast]

Has anyone had alignment issues with their M56S? Mine seems to always pull to the right more than it should. Have owned mine for 2.5 years and have had always had this issue. Recently aligned by Clear Lake Infiniti and SA said tech was running late due to issues getting alignment just right after rotating/Balance tires.
Running Yokohama SDrive 245/40R 99Y Rears are newer (11K mi, 8/32 Tread). Fronts are more worn (25K miles, 5/32 Tread w/some wear on outer edges). Wondering if it is just the tires or if there is some other issues with alignment I need to address?

[Ilya]

Infiniti M's in general are very susceptible to 'tramlining'...and it changes depending on the kind of tire you have. Some help or make the problem worse. If the alignment machine prints out that your car within spec, I'd try different tires.

This problem goes back to the Y50...such as the M35, etc.

[centralcoaster33]

Well, I'd ask an alignment person first. You spoke to one, but all I read here is that he was running late. Was there any pertinent information from the alignment person that you can share? Like, they're stumped, they disagree and think the alignment is fine, they recommended expensive repairs and you want a second opinion, all of your local roads have a high crown with like a 5% cross slope? After 2.5 years of pulling right, I'd think someone doing your alignments would have some feedback for you.

In my experience, uneven tire wear can cause pulling, but a nice spread of the wear shouldn't have much effect if any. Often the uneven tire wear is due to a bad alignment in the first place.

A parking lot can be a good place to determine if it's merely the slope in the pavement or the alignment of the vehicle. Just drive up the center of an aisle and see which way it pulls, then drive down the center of same isle and see if it still pulls the same way.

Looking here for others with similar issues is a good idea also. So, hopefully someone will see this post and be able to chime in with some first person experience. Like, maybe it's a corner balancing thing. You don't store a half ton of gold in the side of the trunk or have a large roof rack full of stuff do you?

[centralcoaster33]

Perfect, Ilya spilled some experience before I could finish typing!

[GMBQ70]

Not to keep repeating this... But tires make a big difference.
I purchased a used 2015 Q70 in February of 2017 with 16K miles and Bridgestone Tires.
At 22K miles the tires were shot, so I recently replaced all 4, along with an alignment and what a difference.
No more tramlining or steering wheel pull. Hope this helps & you get the issue resolved.

[Malbec 56 Beast]

Tires tires tires and road conditions. If the tires are performance oriented they will have a stiffer sidewall which makes it worse. When I put my snows on it is way less of an issue than the summer set.

Andy

[jd3rdcoast]

Thanks everyone. I suspect a combination of the tires and heavily sloped roads here in SE TX to deal with the heavy rains we get on regular basis. The Svc Advisor only said the tech took longer then expected trying to get it dialed. I suspect he didn’t like the road test either. I have had aligned at a Firestone Auto Ctr. With no problems with numbers in the past. (Only $85 there).

So I may have to live with it a little while since I want to do all 4 tires next time and rears only 11K plus Im not driving much lately. Any suggestions on a good marriage between performance and comfort? I have enjoyed the YOK SDrives on these hot TX highways. But they are a bit noisy after while as start to wear.

[Debonair]

Recently aligned by Clear Lake Infiniti and SA said tech was running late due to issues getting alignment just right after rotating/Balance tires.

The Svc Advisor only said the tech took longer then expected trying to get it dialed.

Sounds like a typical Dealership service writer smoke. Camber and caster are not adjustable on this car, only toe. This is probably one of the easiest cars to align. If camber and caster are out of spec you likely have bent suspension components. The alignment tech should have been able to identify this. Post you alignment spec print-out if you like, it should be obvious on there too.

[Ilya]

I think the Pirelli Cinturato P7's, all things considered are a great mix. They are all-season though but for my use in NY they handle nicely and aren't loud or rough. You could look into something like the Continental DW...not DWS (those are all-season).

[cyanide7730]

I think the Pirelli Cinturato P7's, all things considered are a great mix. They are all-season though but for my use in NY they handle nicely and aren't loud or rough. You could look into something like the Continental DW...not DWS (those are all-season).

+1 for the Cinturato P7 All Season Plus. Got them installed earlier this year.

[Malbec 56 Beast]

I have the Continental DWS on my car. They are a bit noisy but for all around use I really like them.

Remember you guys need something great in the rain to so do some research and the type of driving you do. Is call a couple of tire shops and see what they have to offer.

Andy

[amc49]

You can have perfect alignment and have worn tires make the wheel pull one way or the other. I live in the D/FW area and since I don't drive my multiple cars enough to wear all tires evenly I change front pairs only at a time with the old fronts going onto the back locations, the cars drive straight as bullets but I do my own aligning as well. I haven't spent a cent on alignment in 35+ years now.

[centralcoaster33]

Hey, amc49, what method and tools do you use to perform your alignments? I've been interested in doing this for myself. Thanks.

[Larz]

I have used Michelins forever aside from one 'test' to see if a cheaper tire would perform as well. I tried Hankook S1noble2 (set of 4) and was immensely pleased until the tires went about half gone. From that point on, they were getting noisy, performance dropped, etc. I went back to Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 and will never deviate. No tramling, no noise, perfect feel in the steering wheel (not too stiff, not too soft, immediate response when steering). In Florida we have huge puddles during rain storms and panic breaking, or slicing through deep water, I have no issues whatsoever. They grip like glue even at very high speeds, handle swift turns with no sign of letting go, and on the motorway, all you here is air going over the car. I'm told that Pirelli's and Dunlops perform the same way. I would not recommend an average brand tire for my M35, much less a 5.6 powered car. Most cars use a particular brand for OEM because they are they offer the cheapest prices to the car maker - not because they are the best match for the vehicle.
Speaking of alignment, I bought a deal last year with Tires Plus that gets me free alignment for 3 years - often as I wish. However, after having my tires balanced, rotated, and aligned at my dealer, I will never go back to Tires Plus. The difference is night & day.

[jd3rdcoast]

Thanks everyone for great input on allignment and tires. Will definitely check some of these out.
I’ll have to see if Service can get me a copy of last alignment data. Did not include with paperwork on checkout.
But more importantly, a front came through yesterday so time to let this V8 breath some cool dry air sans air intake duct.