steering pulling
- Thread starter sallyjane788
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DAD190E1990
Senior Member
If this is worth anything, i also drive an 18 wheel, 44 tonne truck. Especially when loaded, it will pull whichever way the road is tilted / cambered. Some corners have an 'Adverse Camber' and often have a picture of a truck falling on it's side for the warning sign. As you wobble around such a corner, the steering will pull harder as you go around the adverse camber bit and will ease off pulling as the truck levels out. Cars do the same thing on ANY camber ANYWHERE but because of the reduced wieght, you just don't feel it as much. It is camber, my motorbike does the same thing too only rather frighteningly it leans the opposite way before steering the way of the camber. Camber is a serious consideration for the road surface you are travelling on and when the really slippy stuff hits us, Camber becomes much more important. A sharp camber with ice on it will simply and quite gracefully slip you into the ditch for nothing. The front wheels just do not grip sideways, up a gradient, on ice or snow. Even gentle ones can throw you, the bigger and heavier the car, the more you will feel the pull. When learning to drive a truck, the road camber is a big thing and for good reasons like toppling over, steering pull etc. the training will focuss a lot on this. I wish road car driving tests would include the road surface in thier training, it really does make a lot of difference when you hit it and training is the key to dealing with it.
Anyone who would like to try out the theory, first use an empty car park. From one corner you will see if it's flat or not and where the flat bits are. Drive at 30 mph on a flat bit with your hands on your lap. If your car is not faulty, it should go straight, even a mercedes. If it doesn't, there is another very simple answer. The steering is Usually fighting a left hand camber and so wears the suspension components according to a constant pressure from the left pulling camber of the road. This will be why it still pulls on the flat, if it does at all, but if not faulty it should not pull more than a tiny amount over about 100ft od driven distance. Most road cars will be worn by normal driving on the road so the problem will self perpetuate.
I would also say to find an Adverse camber or the opposite side of the road, wherever it;s safe, try it and feel it pull to the right.
Just as an after thought:
You may find yourself at the side of a big truck, for example cruising through roadworks on a m/way, all doing a steady 40 mph and not switching positions. You may notice that if you do go onto a 'Wierd' road surface as part of the works being done, the big truck will lurch towards your offside and frighten the pants off you and your passengers. This is also down to the camber and from the driving seat of the truck, the battle has already begun to stop such a crushing incident occuring. As i said earlier, the increased wieght makes it more of an issue but it's the same action occuring. I have a levelling device on my dash, similar to a compass. It shows my tilt angle at all times, floating in fluid just like a compass. Have a look at the aftermarket accessories websites and find such an item. It will then give you a constant reading on the angle of road camber you are driving on and you will be able to guage this with the amount of pull on your steering wheel. The more the dash leveling guage tilts, the more it should pull.
Sorry to sound like a lecturer, i used to be one !
Hope this helps and remember please everyone, homework is due in monday mornings and take that chewing gum out of your mouth.
Safe driving.
Anyone who would like to try out the theory, first use an empty car park. From one corner you will see if it's flat or not and where the flat bits are. Drive at 30 mph on a flat bit with your hands on your lap. If your car is not faulty, it should go straight, even a mercedes. If it doesn't, there is another very simple answer. The steering is Usually fighting a left hand camber and so wears the suspension components according to a constant pressure from the left pulling camber of the road. This will be why it still pulls on the flat, if it does at all, but if not faulty it should not pull more than a tiny amount over about 100ft od driven distance. Most road cars will be worn by normal driving on the road so the problem will self perpetuate.
I would also say to find an Adverse camber or the opposite side of the road, wherever it;s safe, try it and feel it pull to the right.
Just as an after thought:
You may find yourself at the side of a big truck, for example cruising through roadworks on a m/way, all doing a steady 40 mph and not switching positions. You may notice that if you do go onto a 'Wierd' road surface as part of the works being done, the big truck will lurch towards your offside and frighten the pants off you and your passengers. This is also down to the camber and from the driving seat of the truck, the battle has already begun to stop such a crushing incident occuring. As i said earlier, the increased wieght makes it more of an issue but it's the same action occuring. I have a levelling device on my dash, similar to a compass. It shows my tilt angle at all times, floating in fluid just like a compass. Have a look at the aftermarket accessories websites and find such an item. It will then give you a constant reading on the angle of road camber you are driving on and you will be able to guage this with the amount of pull on your steering wheel. The more the dash leveling guage tilts, the more it should pull.
Sorry to sound like a lecturer, i used to be one !
Hope this helps and remember please everyone, homework is due in monday mornings and take that chewing gum out of your mouth.
Safe driving.
clive williams
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Sarah123 said:
I seem to remember reading somewhere that the suspension set up is slightly different side to side on Mercedes to dial in some compensation as the suspension design is very camber sensitive i.e. there is a tendency to pull towards the kerb. The set up difference is very small and worn suspension components soon take out the difference, hence why it is more noticeable on older cars. to get back to the new feeling would require too many replacements to be cost effective. Try driving down a one way street on the RHS to see if it still pulls to the left - if so then some component is beyond the limit and should be replaced. If it tracks straight then there is not much to worry about.
I'm assuming you got he second bit?
Clive
500E
E320CDIT210
Bolide
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clive williams said:
I've read that too
But I don't believe a word of it!
Nick Froome
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Bolide said:
Me too, reading now all info on all models for the last couple of months and found nothing, you do the same thing to the car if it pulls left or right.
Malcolm
kth286
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Guys
Clive Williams is correct.
It is to do with the CASTOR angles.
On the W124 for example the castor angle is different on the left hand side at 10 degrees, compared to 11 degrees on the right hand side with the wheels in the straight-ahead position.
Regards
Clive Williams is correct.
It is to do with the CASTOR angles.
On the W124 for example the castor angle is different on the left hand side at 10 degrees, compared to 11 degrees on the right hand side with the wheels in the straight-ahead position.
Regards
clive williams
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kth286 said:
Thanks David,
I was begining to think old age had finally taken its toll. And since you have jogged the memory it was the castor angle that I was looking at some time ago re 500E, all of which are LHD and pull to the left on British roads and track straight on foreign roads.
Clive
500E
E320CDIT210
Clive
