jhh

I have a '95 E320. I recently had new Michelin Pilots put on (215/60-15). At the same time, I had a "four wheel" alignment done (about $100). These tires replaced some Bridgestones of the same size, so I've been driving on slightly up-sized tires for some time now.

Almost immedately after having the Michelins put on, I noticed that the car pulls very slightly to the right. I've brought the car back once, and they said the alignment checked out correctly, but that the right front tire was not properly inflated, and was about 5 pounds low. After this fix, it seemed to work OK, but now it pulls right again. I've fiddled with the tire pressures in the two front tires, but nothing seems to make much of a difference.

Any thoughts on what might be causing this?

Jer

Depending on the mileage, the bushings in the suspension links might be wearing out. The links get sloppy and can adversely effect wheel position.

ksing44

I have also noticed that my 1995 E320 tends to drift to the right. I only have 75,000 miles on the car, the car is very well maintained, I am sure I don’t have worn links, and I am very confident that the alignment is right on the money. My THEORY is that the car is just very sensitive and will drift as it falls off the crown of the road. After all the roads are not really flat. The roads are all pitched to the outside, so it is normal for the car to gradually drift to the right.

Another thing that could add to your experience is that, in general, bigger tires will add to a car’s tendency to follow groves in the road. They call it "tramlining". I have also read that tire choice can contribute to tramlining. I can imagine that some tires have a stronger tendency to keep going straight ahead and that other tires will tend to go wherever they are pointed. Maybe those "Max Performance" Michelin Pilots contribute to your car’s tendency to pull very slightly to the right.

zeronero

That hit the jackpot with my car!

Ever since I put my new tires on, Yokohama AVS Sports, which are max performance tires, they follow every single little thing in the road. If I drive without holding the steering wheel it will fully turn going where it wants when it wants.

Next time I'll be getting normal tires, although these tires handle very well.

Daniyar79

Here is another theory. On my car when it it standing on a completely flat road (tested on three different cement slabs) the clearance on the front right side is about half an inch less than on the left side. My mechanic said that might happen when the springs tend to compress over time and sometimes they don't compress evenly. Check it out. But you need either a very flat cement driveway or a parking lot or something. Good luck.

ksing44

My car is also just a bit lower at the right (passenger) front corner. There is about a quarter of an inch difference from right to left. I have new springs, shocks, and spring pads, so it isn’t from old age and I had the same difference before I replaced the suspension parts. I have to say that the difference is a bit more noticeable to me now that the car sits lower, because the smaller gaps make for an easy comparison. This is when I am not in the car, however, so the left (driver) side might be the same when I sit in the car.

I must have measured the height of my car a 1000 times, trying to decide if I should swap my rear spring pads. It is amazing how variable the height can be, as just very subtle variations in the road surface or grade/pitch can affect the compression of the springs and thus the height of the car and clearance or gap between the fender and tire. Of course this is when the car is parked. Just imagine how variable the height is when the car is moving. I wonder how my car looks when it is on the move. I noticed that a stock E320/300E looks lower when it is moving. They seem to squat down while cruising at speed down the highway. I wonder if my 1" lowered W124 looks really hunkered down when it is on the move. With the stiffer springs, it may resist further squat and actually end up the same as stock when cruising at speed.

Am I crazy about subtle handling characteristics and the ride height of my car, ever since I lowered my W124? I would have to say YES! I love it, but it does make me a little bit crazy.

zeronero

The weight on each wheel varies from side to side as well. For example, if a car has 50/50 weight distribution front/rear, of that 50% in the front 75% might be on the drivers side. I know that there isn't that much of a difference but of the difference in reality could explain the difference in height.

AdrienB

I've had similar problem but as my car is right-hand drive and as we drive on the left in New Zealand my problem has been in the opposite direction to yours.

I had the experience of my car pulling strongly to the left. A new set of tyres did not solve the problem; my wheel alignment "experts" told me that it was the fault of the (new) tyres! When that proved not to be the case (changed tyres) the chassis was deemed to be "twisted". Balderdash!

The 'specs" are suitable for Europe and North America in the motorway/freeway context where the roadway is near enough flat. A Mechanic (note the capitalization) will know how to change camber and castor to get the car to track straight on a typical local roadway camber profile. The other kind (small "m" mechanics) operate machines to measure and adjust to "specs". The mechanic is an artisan and thinks, the latter is an operator who adjusts to the spec, possibly without much knowledge of steering geometry.

Find a Mechanic, likely seen 50+ years of life.

jhh

Thanks for all the great ideas. I think my mechanic is a "Mechanic" (capital "M") -- He runs an independent MB-only shop and our family has experience with him going back for years.

I think I have the problem solved. I took the car back to the shop and noted a number of suggestions from this tread. They fiddled with a number of items and concluded that indeed, the recent alignment job was still off, and had the alignment redone. It's still not perfect, but the car pulls mostly straight now.

Thanks for all the helpful responses!