mary will
Texas
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We are towing a Smart Car four tow on all four wheels down it good going down the road but if we turn Right or Left it do not come back in line and cause the car to move with short jerky and twisting wiggle motions. Have to stop and turn the wheels straight. Can someone tell me why ? this is doing it,so we can fix it.
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carringb
Corvallis, OR
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Needs more Caster!
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Turtle n Peeps
California
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carringb wrote:Needs more Caster!
^^^^ what he said. Pull in 3 or 4 degrees. It'll snap back. 
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mary will
Texas
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What is this caster about it not for my car I am looking for help.
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Macktee
Canada
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Mary, it sounds like something in the towbar, or baseplate is out of alignment. Has it done the same thing since you started towing it. If so I would take it back to the shop that did it and have them check it out. If you did it yourself, I would take it to a pro and get it looked into. Macktee
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Dennis M M
Geneva, IL; Tucson, AZ
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Caster is the vertical angle of the front wheel front to back - think of the front wheels on a grocery cart. Not something you can or should mess with yourself. Macktee has the best advice. Sounds like something is binding.
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mary will
Texas
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Thank you i will take it back to the shop they put on the towbar and baseplate yes it starting the frist time out.Thank all of you i hope this will fix it.
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jmckelvy
North Alabama
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Does the car have a steering wheel lock position in the ignition key? If it does you are remembering to unlock it??? Probably not your problem but thought I would mention it.
I forgot once after being distracted during hook up of my Jeep Cherokee. Tires don't like that.
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Alan_Hepburn
San Jose, Ca, USA
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It's actually a common issue with smart cars, and many other cars as well. It's dependent on the geometry of the setup, including distance from the rear axle of the RV to the hitch, length of the hitch receiver, and other factors. The simplest solution is to run a bungee cord from the steering wheel down to the driver's seat bracket. If I recall most people use about a 34" bungee cord - loop it around the bottom of the steering wheel, then connect the ends to the driver's seat frame. The cord allows the wheel to turn for cornering, but pulls the wheel back to center when you straighten up.
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gotsmart
Aberdeen, WA
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Alan_Hepburn wrote:It's actually a common issue with smart cars, and many other cars as well. It's dependent on the geometry of the setup, including distance from the rear axle of the RV to the hitch, length of the hitch receiver, and other factors. The simplest solution is to run a bungee cord from the steering wheel down to the driver's seat bracket. If I recall most people use about a 34" rubber bungee cord (not nylon) - loop it around the bottom of the steering wheel, then connect the ends to the driver's seat frame. The cord allows the wheel to turn for cornering, but pulls the wheel back to center when you straighten up.
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