I started my car up and pulled out of the driveway, and I noticed that it was harder to turn. At first it was only harder to turn to the left but then it started switching between left and right. Also, if I step on the brakes the car pulls to the left. I'm thinking it needs a wheel alignment maybe? Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks!
-Nate

Hard steering (Causes are first - Remedies second)

1. Abnormal friction in steering knuckles or damaged roller bearing - Remove wheels, investigate and lubricate or exchange bushings, kingpin and roller bearings if necessary.

2. Unsuitable or insufficient lubricating oil in steering gear housing - Check oil level and replace if necessary with appropriate viscosity oil.

3. Abnormal friction in steering gear - Adjust steering gear. See "steering gear."

4. Steering rod or tie rod ball joints or steering idler arm bushings not lubricated - lubricate ball joints and bushings.

5. Excessive caster - Check and adjust if necessary. See "wheel alignment."


Car Pulls to one side (upon braking)

1. Low or uneven tyre pressure - you know what to do (what the heck is a tyre anyway?)

2. Front springs have grown slack or are of a different height - remove and check.

3. Abnormal friction in one wheel bearing - Remove wheel, check bearings.

5. Brake dragging - adjust brake.
6. Bent steering rod or tie rod - exchange damaged
7. Incorrect camber - check and adjust.

Straight from the 444 - 445 manual, compliments of Belinda (OK, yes I'm bored). The weird thing is the two do not seem related. There isn't one "Remedy" that is the same for both "Symptoms."

Let us know what you find..

They may be a challange to install because there is no free movement in the linkage If I remeber correctly. The inside handle moves to lock the door form the inside. This might take more power to move the lock with a solenoid than would be easly avalible. However I do not do electric locks.
Joel The Locksmith

They may be a challange to install because there is no free movement in the linkage If I remeber correctly. The inside handle moves to lock the door form the inside. This might take more power to move the lock with a solenoid than would be easly avalible. However I do not do electric locks.
Joel The Locksmith

I didn't try to find out where you live, but I'm guessing it's somewhere cold! I agree that this sounds like an icing problem. Get the car warm and lube it well.

Since the pulling seems to move from side to side, it doesn't sound like a brake problem, although that can't be ruled out.

You can have several different problems with your brakes that can cause a car to pull to one side or the other; Worn brake linings are one, but you can USUALLY hear the metal-to-metal grinding noise. Not always, though!

Contaminated brake linings are more common; sometimes brake fluid will leak from the wheel cylinder and get into the brake linings and cause them to 'grab' unexpectedly. To cure this, you'lll need to pull the brake drums and look for signs of leaking brake fluid. It doesn't take very much to ruin a set of linings!

The only cure for this is to rebuild or replace the offending wheel cylinders, but you can sometimes save the linings themselves by soaking them for an hour in clean gasoline. Remember, if you set off a spark, your car and garage (and probably your house) will quickly go up in smoke. I've tried to use brake cleaner, but it doesn't seem to penetrate the linings to get at the contamination.

Plan on replacing the brake linings if you find a leaking wheel cylinder.

One rather unusual problem is getting ice into the mechanical bits of the brakes which can cause them to bind up. If you've been driving through water or slush, this may be your problem. Again, warming the car up will cure the problem temporarily. Make sure you have those little rubber plugs in teh holes in the backing plates to prevent this.

Also, consider your parking brake. If you set it at night and the car cools off, any water in the cable housings will turn to ice and may be causing one wheel or the other to lock up.

I still think the other posts here are on the right track; most likely ice in the steering linkages.

Good luck!

Hello Nate: I wonder if the thaw on Christmas day may have introduced water into the steering links, kingpins and brakes. This should not have suddenly appeared. I had seen this with my first PV and also slush building up in the front wheel wells. Up here in Canada, we got back to cold temperatures that would freeze these components. Try a heated garage to dry things out, then make sure there is adequate grease in the front end. Believe it or not, there are 25 grease fittings in the front of my '53 and I bet there are nearly 15 on your newer PV. All the best of the holidays.
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Cam a.k.a. CVOLVO.COM

Hi, Luberication would be the frist thing to address then you may have a brake pulling . It can be either a front or rear brake .
Joel the locksmith

Hi, Luberication would be the frist thing to address then you may have a brake pulling . It can be either a front or rear brake .
Joel the locksmith

Joel, seeing as you are a locksmith, maybe you can answer a quick question for me:

Can actuators for keyless entry be made to work with 444/544 lock cylinders? I'd love to be able to install keyless entry, but from what I recall of the way the volvo locks work, I'm guessing it probably isn't possible.

If you do convert to electric locks only, don't forget to add a wire that runs from the lock, through the door and into the engine compartment or front fender, in case the electrics don't work.
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'96 855R,'64 PV544, '67 P1800, '95 855, '95 854, the first three are mine, heh, heh, 405,000 miles put on 8 bricks

If you do convert to electric locks only, don't forget to add a wire that runs from the lock, through the door and into the engine compartment or front fender, in case the electrics don't work.
--
'96 855R,'64 PV544, '67 P1800, '95 855, '95 854, the first three are mine, heh, heh, 405,000 miles put on 8 bricks

Anything is possible, providing you have enough money!