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#1
03-05-2004, 10:23 PM
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Wheel Allignment
Had new brakes put on the front of my 1980 450sl today, also had the tires rotated. Since doing so, the car pulls badly to the left, and the steering wheel is quite a bit off center when the car is traveling in a straight line. Would rotating tires cause this?
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Chris Meyer 1980 450 SL (99k miles) 2003 Honda Odyssey (Family Hauler) 2006 BMW 330i (daily driver) 
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#2
03-06-2004, 01:25 AM
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The pulling to the left is caused by the worn tires. You did not rotate them soon enough. As for the steering wheel not centered, it was caused by the guy who rotatated your tires while the wheel was not straight ahead. Take it back and have it redone.
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1998 SL500 Sport Model
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#3
03-06-2004, 11:39 PM
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I disagree with SLZ. Steering that pulls is caused by alighment, as is an offset steering wheel. Take it back to the front end man. Get him to set the alignment so that there is equal distance of threads showing on each end of the tie rod adjustments. Let the wheel fall where it may right now. When everything from the pitman arm to the ends of the tie rods at the wheels is centered then, and only then, can you adjust the steering wheel.
After your front end man has centered all the steering components drive on a flat road with no crown and no cross wind. Find the point where the car goes straight. Mark the top of the wheel. Pull over and return the wheel to the place where the mark is in top dead center. This will tell you your tires are parallel to the center line of the car. Now remove the wheel. My 450 slc wheel comes off with a 19mm socket and w/o using a puller. Replace the wheel with actual center at the top and the horn bar lever to the ground. Drive it again to check that the horn bar is level. and that center of the wheel rim (where you put your hands) points down the center of the road. You might have to move the wheel a notch or two one way or the other. This proceedure is a lot easier than it sounds. I just had my alighment and the car rides like it is on rails.
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#4
03-07-2004, 06:58 PM
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Kip.
Why would it happen now and not before? All he did was put on new brakes, and rotate the tires. He wouldn't have messed w/ the allignment, would he?
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Chris Meyer 1980 450 SL (99k miles) 2003 Honda Odyssey (Family Hauler) 2006 BMW 330i (daily driver)
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#5
03-07-2004, 11:16 PM
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It sounds to me that if your car had no pull before the brake job and has pull after then the brake job created some sort of problem. In my experience wheel pull comes from the wheels not tracking in line with the centerline of the frame. There should be no reason for the brake mechanic to mess with the tie rod adjustments but stranger things have happened. Maybe he jacked the front of the car up with a floor jack and jacked on the tie rod by mistake. this can bend the rod and cause one wheel to toe out.
Tell the mechanic that the car pulls and that you want it aligned by a qualified alignment co. He should agree to pay the bill. If he doesn't agree alignments are only $50 and this will tell you the integrity of your brake man.
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#7
03-08-2004, 04:48 PM
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Some tires have an inherent pull built into them, not on purpose but they do. The tire companies and automotive manufactures call this tire lead. This will tend to make the vehicle pull to one side and when you are compensating with the steering wheel it makes the steering wheel seem off center. I have seen this for many years at the dealership where I have worked for 34 years. If this is the case you can swap the two front tires side to side and it should pull the other way. The only cure is to keep this bad tire on the rear or replace it.
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Neal 1986 560SL 2004 Chrysler Pacifica 1994 Chrysler New Yorker
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#8
03-14-2004, 01:32 AM
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