car pulling to the left after control arms replaced?

[Jpowell79]

Hi guys,

I had my lower control arms and a couple of bushes changed last weekend. The car is now pulling to the left quite considerably (as in, if I let go of the steering wheel, I would be up on the kerb within 10 seconds)

When the guys fitted the control arms and bushes they told me the tracking would be out, so I should go and get the wheels re-alligned.

Anyways took it to be re-alligned on a Hunter allignment system.....now got the printout to show all the wheels are re-alligned.....but it still pulls to the left.

Now I've read that merc can pull to the left as they are camber sensitive.....but bearing in mind my car was driving as straight as an arrow before the control arms and bushes were replaced, it now seems weird that the car is pulling to the left, even after the hunter alginment.... I mean surely your not meant to constantly hold grip on the steering wheel to stop yourself mounting the kerb??

the guys who did the hunter allignement also pointed out a small arm on the drives side that sits above the control arm....I think its a "self-levelling arm" or something? quite thin and only about 5-6 inches long that sits vertically...... that has snapped, and the mechanic said that maybe this is the reason that it's pulling to the left.

Does this sound like it would cause it to pull left? i.e. it thinks its pulling right (because the arm has snapped) so trys to compensate by going left??

whats weird is that the mechanic can't see anything else that's obviously wrong...... could the original grage (who fitted the control arms and suspension) have fitted the wrong length arms or something?

It's a CLK55 AMG W209 on an '03 plate.

Not sure what to do next really, as I just can't believe that the car is meant to pull to the left like it's doing....maybe there's something else I should be checking?

Oh another thing I remembered....the "ESP defective - visit workshop" light came on the day after I had the control arms done, but then it went off again the very next morning and hasn't come back on again ever since.

cheers

 

[renault12ts]

Get the anti roll bar link fixed first...then get it aligned.

 

[whitenemesis]

Almost certainly down to the suspension work. Even OEM parts are made to a tolerance and that tolerance is enough to throw out the geometry. You need to get the geo looked at again.
That broken arm is probably the self-levelling sensor for the xenon headlamps. The CLK never had self-levelling suspension..

 

[BlackC55]

What quality parts did you fit?

Some cheapo brands cause this issue.

 

[Jpowell79]

not sure what parts they were as the mechanic ordered them, but he said they come out of the same factory as the official merc parts.

can they really have that dramatic an effect? I could understand how they might have a "subtle" difference.....e.g. pulling to the left over 500m instead of 600m ........but the car is noticeably pulling to the left in less than 100m??

 

[Dieselman]

Have you got the printout from the alignment session?

 

[whitenemesis]

My dealer had to redo the geo after I had a new torque arm fitted

 

[Benza750]

not sure what parts they were as the mechanic ordered them, but he said they come out of the same factory as the official merc parts. can they really have that dramatic an effect? I could understand how they might have a "subtle" difference.....e.g. pulling to the left over 500m instead of 600m ........but the car is noticeably pulling to the left in less than 100m??

As above what quality / brand parts where fitted.
We have this issue if cheap after market arms are used.
It can make a huge difference

 

[wheels-inmotion]

We really need the numbers for the end positions of the front camber and castor otherwise it's pure speculation.

 

[Jpowell79]

As above what quality / brand parts where fitted.
We have this issue if cheap after market arms are used.
It can make a huge difference

Will try and get under and have a proper look this evening when I get home....will also poster the hunter numbers.

thanks guys

 

[Jpowell79]

couldn't see anything obvious on the control arms to tell who makes them...any ideas how I could tell? here is the printout from the hunter machine

 

[Dieselman]

Both front camber settings will be making the car drift left. Which side was the new camber arm on? Have the aligners tried offset bolts to correct it?

 

[Jpowell79]

the control arms were actually swapped out on both sides....the garage didn't mention anything about offset bolts! - all they said was that the car is setup as per Mercedes spec and that they had no idea why it should still be drifting off to the left

 

[Dieselman]

Well it isn't and it is.

Needs camber adjustment bolts ideally both sides, definitely the right.

 

[Jpowell79]

As above what quality / brand parts where fitted.
We have this issue if cheap after market arms are used.
It can make a huge difference

Just been told they were TRW parts, supplied by GSF Car Parts

 

[BlackC55]

TRW are fine. OE spec.

 

[Jpowell79]

so does that mean the problem could be something else then? bearing in mind the hunter alignment appears to be within tolerance, and the parts are ok......yet it pulls to the left significantly, yet it drove as straight as an arrow before the new control arms and bushes were fitted?

 

[wheels-inmotion]

The OSF camber is the main reason for the pull so you will need and adjuster bolt fitted there. What i need to know is was the car pulling before the control arms where fitted because they shouldn't affect the camber position?

 

[Jpowell79]

The OSF camber is the main reason for the pull so you will need and adjuster bolt fitted there. What i need to know is was the car pulling before the control arms where fitted because they shouldn't affect the camber position?

nope the car drove perfectly straight before they were fitted.

I think other bits were fitted as well as the guy said he fitted a new "suspension kit"......think he fitted a new vertical bar on the passenger side as well, as it looks newer than the drivers side one....am guessing its the anti-roll bar/droplink.

The whole reason I got it done is because the car used to make a knocking noise over potholes from the passenger side.

 

[Mick1982]

It sounds to me like he's set the cam bolts in the wrong position. Mercedes use bolts with a "V" groove that runs the length of the bolt, and large washers with off centre holes and a matching V shape in the centre of the hole. When the bolt goes through the arm and the washer goes on, the washer sits between 2 lugs on the chassis mounting point. Turning the bolt alters the way the arm sits. I think it adjusts the castor angle if I'm not mistaken. When I worked at an independent merc garage in Leeds I did a few bottom arms and ALWAYS used a tipex pen to mark the position of the washer before I started any work on the car. If the mechanic who carried out your work has neglected to notice this system then this could very well be the source of your problem I'd imagine.