r129 pulling left

[bigpete34]

hi all just purchased a nice 320sl 95 r129 very original 44k on clock all history

the only prob i have is the car seems to pull to the left ie take your hands of the wheel on a flat road and it will pull left (rhand drive car)

ive put 2 new tyres on the front replaced the brake pads had the lazer allignment done (within tolerences) callipers not sticking checked for damage underside but all is as it should be

i spoke to a merc specialist who said THEY ALL PULL LEFT not convinced just wondered if anyone else had experienced this prob

unfortunatly ive never driven anyone elses r129 to compare any feedback would be great

also does anyone no of any meets for r129 owners in the uk

best rgds

Pete

[GSMITH]

I assume you drive on the left in the UK. In the US we drive on the right and
on "Flat Roads" cars pull to the right. I think it is because even flat roads are not level so that rain runs off. If you had to steer right to overcome the pull
then your alignment is in question. Did you have a 4 wheel alignment?
Or unequal tire pressure can cause this. You could always try a trip to
a country where you had to drive on the right and see if it pulls to the right.

The comment "They all pull left" is only half of the correct answer.
Have you driven on the same road in a different car with your hands off
test???

Hope this helps

[tecqboy]

I believe that a properly aligned vehicle, whether RHD or LHD will tend to drift away from the crown in the road, left or right as depending on which side of the crown you are on. So the question becomes a matter of degree; drift or pull? Do you actually have to fight the steering wheel to maintain a straight course over a short distance on a flat road? I've always reserved the term "pull" for those instances where you apply the brakes and then the car reacts with a decided change of direction or where the alignment is so far off that you "fight" the steering wheel to go in a straight line. My r129 tracks very straight and the steering wheel returns to center if left unguided. You might try adding a few extra PSI to the tires on the side of the car that is "pulling".

[iwrock]

My friend has a 2003 RSX Type S that does the same thing. He could not figure out for the life of him why it would pull to the right, even on a road with the crown going to the left.

He brought it to the Honda Dealer, and they diagnosed it as frame damage. It was perfectly aligned, but becase the chassis was tweaked, it would not be true. Perhaps this is the case with your car. Have you confirmed and ruled out all other possibilities? I would make sure that everything has been aligned perfectly, and make sure everything is tight and trouble free.

[LeaUK]

I'm in the UK with a RHD '93 and she 'tracks' to the left too. I have often wondered if this was 'normal' and have been assured by the trade that many cars track with road camber. In the UK we have rather harsh cambers to deal with the volume of rain

I previously owned a 190E 2.6 which also exhibited identical tracking. This effect is also exaggerated by low profile tires.

To test this I have driven on the opposite side of the crown and she then tracks to the right - albeit not with quite the same vigour but very similar.

Nice to know it's not just mine...

Lea

[Mike Miller]

I agree with all of the above. Including the dealer saying "they all do". My 92 500 SL (USA) tracks slightly to the right depending on crown severity. On multi-lane freeways the crown changes from left to right as you go from inside lane to outside. On a three lane highway, my SL tracks left on the inside, nuetral in the middle and right on the outside.

My wife's 525i does not do it as much, but will also want to track slighty with the crown.

If all your suspension bits are OK and you had a 4 wheel alignment, you should be good.

I find it always helps to slam the throttle to the floor and go like hell every time I start to think about little stuff on this car!!!!!!

[bigpete34]

Originally Posted by LeaUK

I'm in the UK with a RHD '93 and she 'tracks' to the left too. I have often wondered if this was 'normal' and have been assured by the trade that many cars track with road camber. In the UK we have rather harsh cambers to deal with the volume of rain

I previously owned a 190E 2.6 which also exhibited identical tracking. This effect is also exaggerated by low profile tires.

To test this I have driven on the opposite side of the crown and she then tracks to the right - albeit not with quite the same vigour but very similar.

Nice to know it's not just mine...

Lea

thx lea for your advice im gonna try out your tip

any idea if r129 owners meet up anywhere

best rgds

Pete