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  #1  
Old 04-29-2006, 03:09 PM
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r129 pulling left

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

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  #2  
Old 04-29-2006, 05:42 PM
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RHD pulls left

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
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  #3  
Old 04-29-2006, 08:28 PM
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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".
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  #4  
Old 04-29-2006, 11:05 PM
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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.
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  #5  
Old 04-30-2006, 05:27 AM
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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
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  #6  
Old 04-30-2006, 11:49 AM
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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!!!!!!
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  #7  
Old 04-30-2006, 01:29 PM
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pull

Quote:
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
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  #8  
Old 05-01-2006, 07:40 AM
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Hi Pete

There's not much of a following in the UK, which is a shame! I hang around here and one other forum both being dominated by US guys, but they're quite a good bunch
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  #9  
Old 05-02-2006, 06:50 AM
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Another UK-er here.

Had my 500SL (R129 1990) just around a year now. Currently trying to sort out my ignition switch problem (same as Lea's...)

All the best,
Greg
Northants, UK
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  #10  
Old 05-02-2006, 08:32 AM
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Sorry Lea but I'd have to disagree. There's a large SL following in the UK - this culminates in the National SL Day as organised by the Mercedes Benz Owners Club which will see a gathering of some 100+ cars at Ragley Hall this year. Previous events have included Brooklands, Beaulieu, and Woburn Abbey. I have met a number of other R129 owners through informal GTGs and pub meets - around 10 in the Surrey area alone - though there are Region Officers that organise local events around the country if you're interested?

www.mercedes-benz-club.co.uk
www.mbclub.co.uk
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  #11  
Old 05-02-2006, 12:08 PM
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Hey Stats!

Didn't know you posted on here too.

(i know Stats from another forum...)
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  #12  
Old 05-02-2006, 06:20 PM
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OFF-TOPIC - sorry

Stats

Thanks for the UK links. I've seen the first site you link several times before and often dropped in but it fails to inspire me at all - there's not even a forum!

Out of interest it was MercedesEnthusiast.co.uk which pointed me here (all those years ago) :-) http://www.mercedesenthusiast.co.uk/cgi-bin/link_gen.cgi?path=Communities%20and%20Forums

Quote:
this culminates in the National SL Day
Well thats more UK events than I knew about before, but hardly a big following when compared to the 'rice burner' fan clubs which typically run three/four large events annually and forum meets around once a month. But
Quote:
I have met a number of other R129 owners through informal GTGs and pub meets - around 10 in the Surrey area alone - though there are Region Officers that organise local events around the country if you're interested?
seems like you're rather in 'the know' and I'm not :-(



The latter link/forum you highlight appears one of the larger ones which I also haven't come across before - cheers, although I'm not sure if grouping such a large number together in the forum (eg 'Electronics') is the most efficient way to discuss our cars.

Big thanks for the UK heads up, I'll certainly hover around the forum a little to get a grasp of the conversation - it can't help adding one more to the list ;-)


Lea
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Last edited by LeaUK; 05-02-2006 at 06:27 PM.
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  #13  
Old 05-03-2006, 03:44 AM
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On topic: I always understood MBs were set up to drift (not pull) away from the crown of the road, towards the nearside. If driving on the left, as in the UK, they
should gently veer left; if on the right, as on the continent or in America, to the right. This is to protect driver and other road users in the event that driver falls asleep. I was laughed at when I made the suggestion elsewhere, but that is what I understand. All my MBs have had this gentle drift; it used to drive me bonkers; now I'm used to it.

Off topic, I know. I really recommend the Mercedes-Benz Club SL day. I had a great time at Woburn Abbey last year. Here are some of the hundreds of SLs that turned up, a real spectacle:

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  #14  
Old 05-03-2006, 05:05 AM
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Apologies for going off topic again:

Lea, the first link has a Forum but it's for members only. The Mercedes Benz Owners' Club is the World's oldest Official Owners' Club - it only costs £35 to join and you get 10% discount off of parts through dealers and also a MB Direct discount. A monthly 'Gazette' that is a high quality magazine also gets delivered. They organise a lot of events and meetings both formal and informal from Christmas Balls to Concours events and the likes of the SL day as pictured above.

The second link is a very friendly forum - a bit daunting at first but I'm on there a lot and always good advice though maybe not as outwardly technical as some US forums. I also post on BenzWorld, Mercedes Forum and other 129 forums - no life at all!
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  #15  
Old 05-03-2006, 06:27 PM
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Gregs, Stats, JJ see PM

Great image JJ.


Both my 190 and SL seem to drift a little more than I would expect, but that's Benz for you. Everyone in the trade has mentioned this is quite normal.

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