This is rather startling when it happens, and I have come very close to smashing into two vehicles when backing into a parking space.
When backing, with wheels cocked to the right, the front right tire wedges itself against the passenger guide rod and "locks" the steering. I have to slam on brakes, stop car,pull forward, turn wheels to left to unstick.
This only started happening after frontend rebuild and alignment. I can see allot of threads on the guide rod that used to be covered up. Car also pulls pretty good to the right. Was told alignment was good, caliper was stuck. I removed the wheel and inspected, and that is fine.
Does this just sound like a botched front end alignment as the most likely scenario?
Background: lower ball joints, passenger tie rod, uca bushings, front shocks all replaced during this rebuild. Not sure why driver tie rod not replaced. Was told it wasn't sloppy, but both boots are torn and collapsed.

Also, the gentleman who did the rebuild is as nice a guy as you would run accross, and takes very good care of another forum members MB's.

__________________
Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

It sounds like the tool (a sharpened bolt actually ) was never used to center the steering box, before the alignment was done. They need to center the box, align, re-align the steering wheel to the new box center; not the box to the existing steering wheel center. Safety issue; they don't want the liability if they're smart.

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The Golden Rule

1984 300SD (bought new, sold it in 1988, bought it back 13 yrs. later)

That is WAY wrong. Quick check - Same amount of turning should be on both sides, and the tire should NEVER touch the guide rod. Nice guys make mistakes too, and if you show him he should fix it right.

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'82 300SD - 361K mi - "Blue"

"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."

listen, look, .........and duck.

Is that centering bolt somthing that you could make fairly easy?

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"spreading a trail of obnoxious where ever we go"
1981 300sd w/ 341,500 miles

http://www.wecrash.com/pics/ddda_banner.gif

I will try and get the frontend up off the ground, and check the two turning radiussessessess. I had never heard of the centering of the steering mechanism before in that manner. Interesting.....
The wagon was sent to a different place that did the alignment then the folks who did the rebuild work.

__________________
Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John