PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - View Single Post - 500E is pulling/steering to the right: revisted, new info

ksing44 · #61 07-27-2003, 08:15 AM

My alignment measurements are almost identical to yours, my steering wheel is off center to the right, and my car tends to drift to the right. When I purchased the car, the steering wheel was off center to the left and I specifically asked the dealer to get it straight. They laughed and said that who ever did the previous alignment didn’t know what they were doing. After the dealer realigned the car, the steering wheel was slightly off center to the right side. I guess they shouldn’t have laughed about the previous alignment. The car seemed to track pretty straight, but there really has always been an issue with slight wandering to the right that could, in part, be attributed to the crown of the roads. It seems to take almost constant slight pressure on the wheel to keep the car from wandering to the right. I can play with the wheel and get it to kind of stick going straight, but very quickly I need to keep the pressure on to hold it going straight. It isn’t really hard pulling, but it is annoying to have to apply the constant pressure in pretty much the same direction all of the time. Hey my fingers start to get tired.

I had the car realigned when I added the new wheels, springs, shocks, spring pads, and K-MAC bushings. I specifically asked to be sure to get the wheel straight, but sure enough it wasn’t perfectly straight again. This latest work was done at a very fine and prestigious Porsche racing shop. The guys seem very good and they really did a great job with installing all of my new stuff, except the steering wheel is still a bit off and that very slight right wandering is still present. I also wondered about the business with the spreader bar. I figure the Porsche guys don’t know about special things required for my Benz. I am planning to try one more time at the dealer. I will be sure to tell them everything I have learned from the forums and then hope they can get it perfect.

Is it really that difficult to get the steering wheel straight? It bothers me because I want the car to be perfect and you always notice that the steering wheel is off center when you are cruising down the road. It also bothers me because sure enough the car pulls to the same side as the improperly aligned steering wheel. This makes you think it is all about the wheel. I know it really isn’t just the wheel because it did the same thing when the wheel was way off to the opposite side when I first took the car to the dealer 5 years ago.

I know I haven’t been much help, but I wanted you to know that you are not alone. My car doesn’t pull badly, but I want it to be perfect.